How Tree Roots Damage Drains and the Best Solutions to Fix It  

Have a garden full of trees, or one particularly large tree close to the house? You may not realise it, but tree roots could be causing damage to one of the most crucial parts of your home’s infrastructure – its underground drains. 

But how exactly do tree roots damage drains, and what can you do to stop it happening? Find out below, along with how to unblock a drain and fix the damage if the worst should happen. 

How Do Tree Roots Damage Drains?

You might think of tree roots as being quite large, but in some cases they can be small enough to penetrate even the smallest cracks in your underground drain pipes. If there are any fractures, holes or any other damage at all, especially at pipe joints, this provides an entry point for growing vegetation.

Once inside, tree roots continue to grow inside the pipe, taking advantage of the readily available source of water. It might take some time, but gradually they expand, thicken and multiply until they cause a major blockage. This issue is compounded by the fact that the growing roots will also trap leaves, twigs and other debris that would otherwise flow down the drain. 

All of this can cause blockages which restrict water flow, or in a worst-case scenario – block the drain altogether. And as it’s taking place underground, all of this happens without you being any the wiser. This is of course until you find that your drains are blocked and your garden is starting to flood with foul water or surface water which is unable to drain away. 

How To Spot the Signs of a Damaged Drain

The most obvious sign of a problem is a backed-up drain. The water in your sink or bath may not be draining away properly, or you can see signs of flooding outside the house such as puddles and standing water. 

It may not be the case that tree roots are to blame, as there may be another potential cause. But either way, you’ll need to call in a specialist to carry out a survey and assessment of the situation. We’ll look at how drain blockage problems can be resolved next. 

How To Fix the Problem – Root Trimming, CCTV Surveys and Drain Unblocking

The first thing to remember is that when it comes to issues like tree roots damaging your drains, prevention is far better than cure. The earlier you can spot a potential issue and have it dealt with, the less damage you’ll have to deal with. And hopefully, the cheaper your repair bill will be. 

So if you have any trees that you know to be close to drains, it’s worth having them inspected by a professional as soon as possible. 

If spotted in time, the roots of the tree can simply be trimmed back before they cause any drainage problems. This is a maintenance task you’ll need to keep on top of though. 

If you’re already experiencing problems with backed-up drains though, you’ll need to call in a drain unblocking specialist. They’ll do the following:

• Carry out a CCTV drain survey, where specialist cameras are used to inspect the inside of your drains to identify the problem.
• Unblock the drain using a suitable method (depending on the cause) – such as water jetting or drain rodding. 
• Pump out wastewater and debris to fully clear the drain.
• Cut back any roots and make repairs where needed (as long as drain joints haven’t been fractured by the growing vegetation).
• If needed, excavate and repair/replace any damaged pipes.