Drainage - Root Removal

Tree roots are an ongoing bane to householders. Whether it is growing on your property or a neightbours, it could join the ranks of trees that have brought a domestic drainage system to a crashing halt. Where the ground has been disturbed and refilled (such as when laying drains) it is easier for roots to grow along. This means that roots are likely to grow along the pipe. Because they are sensitive to moisture, the roots are attracted anyway by condensation naturally occuring on the outside walls of the drain pipe.

Because roots are attracted to the drains anyway, and are likely to then follow the run of the drain, any minor breaks in the drain will quickly be attacked by the thirsty roots. The fact is that waste water from your home contains all sorts of things that the tree will consider nutritious, so leaks will be akin to drops of blood in shark infested water.

If your drains are blocked, then you are likely to find that roots have forced their way into the drain system through the pipe joins or through the walls of inspection chambers. Occasionally, they can make use of existing cracks or fractures in the walls of the pipes, and in some cases actually cause the breakage in the first place. Should you have pitch fibre pipes, then you can find that the tree roots will dig their way straight through as the fibre deteriorates.

Once inside the pipe work, roots not only grow and grow in the rich environment but they will also catch any solids or debris in the drain. This accumulates and inevitably leads to a blockage in the drain. Wherever the roots have broken into the pipe, either through factures or breaching the joints, you will get leakage into the soil surrounding the drain. The soil may not support the pipe correctly leading to movement and further damage to the drain or joints. More damage means more water leaking out of the drain and attracting further roots.

Of course, in the worst case scenario, severe leakage from drains can cause or contribute to subsidence. Saturation of the sub-soil can cause significant damage to surrounding structures. This is generally only a real problem where there is a pre-existing problem or a leak is ignore for some considerable time.