While having trees on your Victoria BC property can bring many benefits, tree roots can lead to significant problems for your pipes. Tree roots can obstruct the flow of water through your drains, cause waste to build up, and lead to slow drainage in your home. The main reason this happens is because tree roots become attached to water vapour escaping from cracks in your drainage pipes. The roots will continue to grow into the pipe until they have access to the water running through the pipe itself. While it is difficult to notice tree root obstruction visually, there are a few indicators that may be able to tip you off about potential tree root obstruction.

Slow Drainage

If your sinks, toilets, or bathtub are draining slower than usual, this could be a sign of tree root obstruction. Tree roots can cause waste to get caught in the drain, which makes it harder for water to pass through. When this happens, you may notice slower drainage from your home requiring a drain cleaning.

Sinkholes

Depending on the severity of the obstruction, enough water may leak into your garden to form a sinkhole. When the grass becomes too saturated with waste water, the area will likely cave in and smell foul.

Enhanced Green Patches

Although this is not an indicator of tree root obstruction on its own, it may be a good way to confirm your suspicions if you are experiencing other indicators. Take a look around your garden for areas that are greener than others, or perhaps a tree that has grown taller than the others. This could be a sign that one area is getting more nutrients than other areas through a drainage pipe.

Sewer Camera

If you think there may be an issue with your drain, it’s a good idea to ask a plumber in Victoria BC to perform a sewer camera survey in your pipes. This is a great inexpensive way to determine what the issue in your pipes is before it becomes too detrimental to your property. Your plumber should be able to find the exact location of the blockage through a sewer camera.

Once you figure out where the problem is occurring, it’s time to call in a professional to help determine the severity of the issue. There are a variety of techniques that your professional plumber can use to remove tree roots from your drainage pipes, but the most common technique is to cut the roots from the drain and fill the cracks. More intrusive techniques include excavation, and this may be necessary depending on your unique situation.

If you are experiencing any of the above indicators, don’t delay in contacting your Victoria plumbing professional!