If a sewer line keeps backing up in an older neighborhood, roots are the first thing we think about. It’s not the only cause, but it’s the one we see most on lines that have clogged more than once.
How roots find the pipe
Roots grow toward water and nutrients. A tiny crack or a loose joint in a sewer line leaks both, and the root follows the smell, so to speak. Once inside, it branches out and thickens. Over a few seasons you can have a mass of fine roots that catches paper and grease like a net.
Older pipe is the easy target. Clay tile has a joint every few feet, and those joints loosen as the ground shifts. That doesn’t mean every tree is a problem. A tall tree near a tight, modern line gives roots very little to work with.
What it looks like at home
Slow drains in more than one room. A toilet that gurgles when another fixture runs. A backup that returns a few months after a cleaning. Sometimes a smell outside near the cleanout. Pay extra attention if there’s a large tree between the house and the street.
Getting them out
A powered cable with a cutting head cuts the roots out of the pipe. That restores flow, and it’s the heart of our tree root removal work. But it doesn’t seal the gap they came through. So afterward we like to run a camera through the line and look at what the roots left behind.
If the footage shows only light growth at a joint, a cleaning schedule may be all you need. If it shows a cracked section or a pipe that has dropped out of line, cutting roots just buys time. That’s when repair or replacement starts to make sense. A short damaged stretch can sometimes be fixed on its own without replacing the whole line, and we’d rather show you that on camera than ask you to take our word for it.
Keeping them from coming back
Roots regrow, so the question is how fast. Run the camera again after the next cleaning and you’ll know. Repairing open joints removes the reason they came in. And if you’re planting something new, think about where the sewer line runs before you pick the spot.
A note on who pays
In many towns the private sewer line from the house out to the public main is the homeowner’s responsibility. The exact point where that ends varies, so check with your village or city. Our Skokie page links to the Village of Skokie’s own explanation as an example.
If you suspect roots, send us a message or call (773) 588-1200.