It’s sometimes difficult for homeowners to know when to remove a tree that’s obstructing their plumbing system or foundation!
Residential landscape designs often feature planted trees that are showcased throughout a property, and many times trees help homes with things like curb appeal and creating certain themes that help increase property value. But one of the downsides of planting trees on your property is that their roots can many times develop underground damages to your plumbing system and sewer line, which can subsequently affect other areas of your home!
The following are a few common scenarios in which the overall functionality of trees diminishes within a residential property by posing certain structural damage threats:
- The tree’s roots are near your sewer system and posing potential future threats
- The roots have actually disrupted your residential sewer system
- The tree is dead and is posing a threat of falling on your home
- The tree is infected with a disease or insects
- The tree’s roots have disrupted the foundation of your home
The Relationship Between Tree Roots and Your Plumbing System
Most mature tree roots have the potential of spreading much further than the actual diameter of the entire tree’s canopy, which means that roots can easily spread about 60-90 feet past a trunk for larger trees. Most roots tend to stick close to the soil’s surface (about 6-18 inches deep), and this is because this is the area with the most nutrients.
But what tends to happen is that droughts and dry climates will cause tree roots to delve deeper into the soil while searching for water sources, and this is partly what puts so many Utah homeowners at risk of experiencing an interaction between their tree roots and underground piping system.
Although most modern homes throughout Utah utilize PVC pipes that are much less vulnerable due to being tightly sealed, there are countless older homes that still have clay pipes that are more susceptible to tree root infiltration. But it’s also important for homeowners to know that newer homes and piping systems are still susceptible to tree roots when the pipes become broken or compromised, which will give roots an easier opportunity for infiltration.
Clogs And Slow Drains
Recurring clogs and slow drains tend to be one of the most common first signs of tree root plumbing problems that homeowners recognize, and this is mainly due to the roots adequately blocking the overall flow of water and sewage throughout your home’s underground plumbing system.
Everyone will experience clogs at some point, but it’s never normal to be experiencing frequent clogs that seem extremely difficult to clear. Consistently standing in ankle-deep water while you shower, as well as your sinks draining very slowly, are also common signs of tree root problems.
Another common sign of tree root issues is hearing strange noises coming from your plumbing system, an example being abnormal gurgling sounds when you flush your toilet. These types of strange sounds are a clear indication that your drains are functioning incorrectly, and that your pipes may be experiencing some kind of serious blockage.
Sewage Backup
Any kind of blockage within your sewer line will lead to sewage backup issues, and this leads to very foul smells permeating throughout your property. These types of foul smells are very clear signs that you have a backup issue within your sewer line, which could be the result of tree root infiltration.
Preventing Tree Root Infiltration Within Your Home’s Plumbing System
There are many different ways to prevent tree root infiltration within your plumbing system, but the three things we’re going to discuss here are landscaping research, scheduling regular plumbing maintenance, and keeping an eye on your yard.
Landscaping Research
It’s always really important to make sure you’re not planting any trees or other plants throughout your property in locations that could potentially impact your piping system. This can be somewhat daunting considering you may not be the first owner of your home and the location of your pipes aren’t obvious, but there’s a great national resource 8-1-1 service that can help you locate your pipes if necessary. You can also always reach out to a home inspector or our team of specialists to help determine the location of your underground pipes.
Our team will be able to utilize our camera inspection technology to go deep into your sewer line to help us track where your pipes go, and this is mainly due to the use of GPS locators that help us map out a home’s piping system.
Keeping A Watchful Eye On Your Yard
There are certain signs that you can notice within your yard that can provide signs of tree root infiltration, including one tree growing exponentially faster than all the others or being much greener than the rest of your property’s foliage. Although this typically seems like a good sign, it could potentially mean that your healthy tree is obtaining a boost of nutrients from the water found within your piping system.
Another very serious warning sign to simply be aware of as a homeowner is the potential of a sinkhole emerging on your property. If a tree root does infiltrate your pipes, it’ll inevitably develop a serious leak that will create an excess amount of moisture deep under your yard. This scenario is one of the leading causes of sinkholes on residential properties, and it can actually be really dangerous!
Some common signs of sinkholes include the following:
- Large puddles of mud or water
- Noticeable depressions
So always reach out to our experts right away if you notice any of these abnormal signs throughout your yard!
Regular Plumbing Maintenance And Inspections
Working with the Beehive Plumbing specialists will always put your entire plumbing system in a much better place when it comes to the prevention of a whole array of plumbing problems, and this includes the potential for tree root infiltration.
Our video inspection tools are revolutionary when it comes to properly diagnosing tree root obstruction within pipes, and we’ll be able to clearly see if there are roots within your piping system and know exactly where the infiltration is located without having to dig at all!
Getting To The Root Of Your Residential Plumbing Scenarios With The Experts At Beehive Plumbing
Tree root infiltration can many times be the source of rather serious damages to your plumbing system, which is why homeowners should always be getting routine checkups throughout the entirety of their home from experienced, trusted plumbing specialists.
The Beehive Plumbing team is always here for you when it comes to maintaining the smoothness of your plumbing system prior to any drastic occurrences, and each and every one of our technicians is trained and experienced within all facets of plumbing services.
So you can always feel rest assured with us no matter what your residential plumbing system is experiencing, and always feel free to reach out to us online or call us at 801-661-8155 today to get in touch with our team and let us know how we can support you and your household!
