How to Stop Tree Roots Invading Your Drains

Tree roots are drawn to the water, nutrients and warmth inside your sewer and stormwater pipes. Once a root finds a tiny gap at a pipe joint or crack, it grows inside, expands, and gradually chokes the line. It’s the most common cause of serious drain trouble in established Melbourne suburbs.

How roots get in

Older homes often have clay or earthenware pipes with joints every metre or so. Over decades, ground movement opens hairline gaps at those joints, and roots — which can sense the moisture inside — push in. Even modern pipes can be invaded where a joint has shifted or cracked.

Warning signs

• Drains that gurgle or empty slowly.
• Blockages that keep returning, especially after rain.
• A toilet that’s slow to clear or bubbles when you run other taps.
• Mature trees growing near the line of your sewer or stormwater pipes.

What actually keeps them out

• Find and cut them properly. High-pressure jetting with a root-cutting head clears roots far more completely than a basic drain snake, which often just punches a hole through them.
• Fix the entry point. Roots come back unless the crack or open joint they’re using is repaired or relined. A camera inspection finds exactly where that is.
• Pipe relining. For badly affected lines, relining creates a smooth, jointless inner pipe that roots can’t penetrate — without digging up the yard.
• Plant with care. When planting near drainage lines, choose species with less aggressive roots and keep large trees well clear.

Don’t wait for a full blockage

Roots only get worse with time. Dealing with them while the drain is merely slow is far cheaper than waiting until it’s completely blocked — or until a pipe collapses and needs excavation.