How to Keep Roots Out of Sewer Line

1. Protecting Your Pipes

If you suspect that your pipes are prone to getting impaled by roots, you can opt to have them relined. This is particularly helpful if your pipes are old and can easily crumble under pressure. You can ask your plumber to thread a seamless plastic liner through the sewer line or install an inflatable liner in your pipes. Both of these will strengthen your pipes while sealing any cracks and leaks that might be present.

2. Using The Right Chemicals

Relining your pipes is helpful, but don’t rely too much on it. Remember: tree roots are tough and, sooner or later, they might be able to break through your pipes — even with their new linings.

Because of this, you need to find ways to stop tree roots from growing in your pipes’ direction. One thing you can do is to spread copper sulfate (aka rock salt) and potassium hydroxide on the ground where your sewer lines are located. These chemicals inhibit the growth of tree roots and discourage them from straying near your pipes.

3. Removing The Tree

There are times when you do everything you could to keep tree roots away but to no avail. So, if the roots keep on inching closer to your sewer lines, or if they’ve already caused blockages and other problems, it’s probably the right time to think about digging them up or even removing the entire invasive tree. It might harm your landscaping, but the hassle is worth it since you can avoid the costs and headaches brought about by clogged pipes or collapsed sewer lines.

4. Choosing The Right Plants

When landscaping your garden, make sure to pick plants that are pipe-friendly. Slow-growing plants are a great choice since it takes them lots of years before their roots can reach your pipes. Trees that have a small root ball are also a fantastic option since their roots will not reach out too far below the ground.

Take these steps now and prevent tree roots from wreaking havoc on your pipes and causing thousands of dollars’ worth of damage!