Tree Roots in Your Sewer Drains

Tree roots in basement sewer drains have been a big problem for homeowners for more than a century, and technology has only recently advanced to a point that actually cleaning out a drain can be done without any kind of serious excavation. The sewer drain snake, which is a rotating auger affixed to a flexible cable, was invented many decades ago, but it's only in recent decades that it has evolved to such a useful and amazing tool.

When it comes to basement waterproofing, there are few enemies that can do as much damage--and cause as many leads and floods--as tree roots. The reason why is simple: your basement footer drains that surround your foundation and move ground water away from the home are susceptible to being clogged and damaged by roots. Once small roots find their ways into your footers, they continue to grow larger until they completely block the flow of water.

As problematic as tree roots are in basement footer drain tiles, however, they can be even more damaging to main sewer lines. It's here that most tree roots find their way and cause serious clogs, feeding off of the nutrient-rich, wet environment inside the pipe. Your basement floor drain only serves its intended purpose of draining excess flood water if the main sewer line is clear... and it might not be if you have serious root problems.

It's a good idea to call a drain cleaning company and schedule a yearly sewer line maintenance session if you've had problems with sewer roots in the past. Remember, the roots aren't necessarily killed for good when they are removed with a drain snake auger, so future maintenance might be necessary to make sure that there aren't any new blockages.