Just one little tree root...

This is a story about tree roots and how powerful they can be - even when they are tiny..... Here's a picture of a drain repair we had to have done at home, because tree roots got into the drain and stopped it draining. The plumber had to break the old pipe that had been layed in the dug out area, and replace it, and provide appropriate connections at each end to the existing pipe network.

This is a close up of the problem area. I've put a tennis ball there to show the scale. It is tucked under the tree roots that caused the problem. There were 3 of them. None thicker than my little finger. It seems they began by finding a tiny gap between the pipe and the rubber joining link between the white pipe, and the drain.... you can see the replacement rubber joining link...

Anyway. This picture shows part of the pipe section that was taken out, and the bits of tree roots. They found a small gap between this clay pipe, and the rubber seal connecting it to the white plastic pipe.

The drain layer had to cut across this section of plastic pipe. The cut is just over a metre down the pipe from where the roots entered the drain. What is interesting is that the roots inside the pipe, have completely filled the cross section of the pipe.

Here you can also see the thickness of the root mass inside the pipe. No wonder the drain was blocked!

And for completeness I show here the root growth that the drainlayer found actually going up the pipe and inside the house. I know you might not be interested in drains and stuff. But I thought this was pretty interesting. You have to love sewage, sewers and drains to be a real councillor! And, by the way, I recommend this Drain Layer: Trevor Allen 445 6543.