Roots and Plumbing – 1 complicated love and hate relationship

Roots to the problems

“The taller a tree the deeper its roots.”
― Matshona Dhliwayo

Trees add a lot of benefits to your property. Revealing character to your yard helps with the design and overall feel. A tree can provide shade for the sun, cover for wind/rain, fruit and nuts for eating, and an area to build a fort. These are great reasons for having trees on your property, but what are some of the motives to replace or remove trees? Sometimes a tree can cause more damage to your property than it does having it. Let’s look into those reasons.

-Visit Jackson County website to see if you need special permits or code information-

https://jacksoncountyor.org/ds/Contact/Code-Enforcement

Root provide support, food, water, and various nutrients for a tree. It is the life line that keeps it going.  There are ways to remove roots that effect your pipes and foundations without completely killing it. There are some organic root coatings that are applied used to preserve the cut end of the existing roots. 

In some cases the tree must be removed completely in order to salvage a structure. Maybe you might be able to trans-plant the tree elsewhere and save it. Worst case scenario would be killing the tree.  Ask Roto Rooter about your options and see if they can give you the best choice.

Roots can be  predictable making it easy to navigate where it goes. They grow near the surface and several feet deep into the earth. Naturally a tree will sprout its roots in an area and can grow out horizontally and vertically. It will maneuver around non-penetrable objects to search for places to feed. 

Sometime they are non-predictable. When you think the roots should be in that area it some how found its way to a leaking pipe far away from the base of the trunk. Pipes are the most susceptible part of your house to  break from the roots.

 Check around any septic tank you may have and see if there may be a potential risk. Trees actually find our waist more desirable. Search and feed is its motivation.

Once it intrudes inside the cracked pipe, like a virus it moves its way inside and eventually clogging, and breaking the pipe from the source. After that happens you will notice water, or nasty back flow accumulating in the spot. 

If a foundation breaks from tree roots it is most likely from the soil underneath the foundation being moved by the roots. It will search for any moisture that it can get. Therefore giving the foundation a weak spot. A root can also penetrate an existing crack in the foundation, and over time it can break it apart more as it grows.  

How will they find out?

A Roto-Rooter camera inspection will show you if the problem is inside the house or out in the yard. The camera will also measure the distance between clean-outs and even locate missing clean-outs you didn’t know were there. With a camera, you can see the vertical riser for a clean-out coming off the pipe and locate it exactly with the radio transmitter on the end of the camera head.

With more than 75 years of experience Roto Rooter of Southern Oregon should be your first call for plumbing service, including drain, waste, septic problems, and tree root removal. You’ll be pleased with  the service you get on a full range of services for both residential and commercial customers.