Tree roots are one of the most destructive and challenging plumbing problems faced by Mississauga homeowners. Because of the many homes still hooked up to old clay and metal pipes, tree roots have the potential to dig in and stop up the entire plumbing system in your home.
If you have persistent clogs in drains throughout the house, it may be tree roots that are the culprit. Call Sewer Squad Plumbing & Drain Services and ask about our tree root intrusion sewer repair.
If you have a plumbing emergency, you can rely on Sewer Squad Plumbing & Drain Services for our 24/7 emergency plumbing repair at no extra charge.
How to Repair Tree Root Problems
Tree root intrusion is a challenge to solve because they send tiny spider web-like tendrils into the pipe. These tendrils grow into thick, fibrous clumps over time and damage the pipe as they grow. If left unchecked, the roots will block the entire pipe. Here are the most common ways to solve the problem of tree root intrusion.
- Mechanical Removal: For effective tree root removal, we can use a motorized sewer auger with rotating blades to cut through the tree roots and send the fragments down the drain.
- Hydro Jetting: Our hydro-jetting technology blasts a powerful jet of water into the drain to break up tree roots and other obstructions.
- Chemical Removal: To complete the tree root removal, we sometimes use a foaming root killer inside the sewer line to kill the remaining roots the auger or hydro-jet missed. The chemical also prevents future root growth.
- Sewer Line Replacement: In cases where there is significant pipe damage, we may have to replace either the entire pipe or portions.
How Tree Roots Ruin Sewer Lines
There is a common misconception that tree roots break into pipes and sewer lines, but that isn’t true. Tree roots naturally gravitate towards water sources, so if your sewer line has cracks or breaks already, the tree root goes toward it. Once in the pipe, they grow to such an extent that the pipe clogs.
Several parts make up a root system, including larger roots that stabilize the plant and hair roots that seek out and bring in the nutrients. It’s not uncommon for large trees to develop root systems over 100 feet.
Another way tree roots ruin plumbing is if a root ball grows around and envelops a pipe. The pressure from this root ball is enough to break the pipe.
We here at Sewer Squad Plumbing & Drain Services have over 20 years of fixing tree root problems for the residents of Mississauga and beyond. Contact us today for help.
If your home is over 50 years old and still contains the original plumbing, consider our repiping service to protect your house against water damage.
How to Prevent Tree Root Intrusion
If you’ve never had a tree root problem or had one but removed it, you want to take steps to keep your sewer pipe clear and here are a few tips on how to do it.
- Root Barriers: If you’ve cleaned out your sewer line or had a new line installed, you can install metal or wood barriers around the pipe to block tree roots from getting in.
- Chemical Barriers: Besides physical root barriers, we can apply chemical barriers near the sewer lines to discourage roots from snaking toward the line.
- Drain Camera Inspection: To ensure that your plumbing remains free-flowing, we recommend regular drain camera inspections to fix those little problems before they balloon into large ones.
