Spring has sprung which means many of us have a green thumb that’s itching. Not only do landscaping projects give your home curb appeal it also gives you a chance to be out enjoying the beautiful weather. Adding decadent trees and shrubs throughout your property is a great idea. However, it’s important to be mindful of your home’s plumbing structure in order to avoid causing damage. Unfortunately, there are some trees and shrubs that can cause plumbing issues and structural damage. Here are a few landscaping choices you should avoid to help prevent costly damage.
Willow Trees
Willow trees are absolutely gorgeous and come in a wide variety. While adding a sleeping willow may be on your landscaping to-do list you may want to rethink it. These tree roots can cause extreme plumbing damage to property. Willow trees natural habitat is very moist and nutrient habit and because most yards don’t have the adequate amount of nutrients it needs, it is constantly searching for them.
Mighty Magnolias
Who doesn’t love the fragrant smell of a magnolia tree? However, that smell can be quickly overridden when the trees invasive roots cause a plumbing issue. Magnolia tree roots are known for growing along the Earth’s surface rather than in the ground. Often times, the roots can make their way into pipes.
Boxwood Shrubs
Boxwood shrubs are commonly used in landscaping projects due to their aesthetic appeal. While these shrubs definitely add appeal to properties, their large shallow roots are known for causing plumbing problems. Over time, their roots spot weak points in a plumbing system and will burrow into them. Once they burrow, the plumbing damage gets increasingly worse because the roots continue to grow away from the center of the shrub.
Ivy Plants
Ivy plants are typically planted close to commercial and residential buildings because they help to cover gaps. While extremely lovely, these plants grow at an alarming rate posing a huge threat to your sewer system. Many homeowner associations have banned Ivy plants because of their ability to grow so quickly.
How Roots Actually Get Into Pipes
Roots don’t drill into pipes the way it sometimes sounds. They find moisture. Even an intact pipe carries small amounts of water vapor through joints and along the outside, especially in warm soil. Roots in the area pick up on that and grow toward it. Once they reach a hairline crack or a slightly loose joint, the smaller feeder roots slip in and start branching once they reach the open space inside the pipe.
Once roots are inside, they keep growing as long as there’s moisture and waste flowing through. They form mats that catch toilet paper, grease and other debris, and the line slowly clogs from the inside. The first sign is usually a slow drain or a backup at the lowest fixture in the home. By that point, the roots have often been working for years.
Other Trees Worth Avoiding Near Plumbing
The list above isn’t complete. A few other species are well known for causing plumbing trouble:
- Sycamore trees grow large surface roots that lift driveways, walks and any shallow plumbing in their path
- Silver maple roots are aggressive and shallow, and the species is one of the most common offenders for sewer line invasion
- Poplars and cottonwoods have water-seeking roots and grow fast, doubling the rate at which they reach buried lines
- Live oak trees, beautiful as they are along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, develop massive root systems that can stretch out three times the width of the canopy
- River birch roots actively seek moisture and find any weak point in a sewer line
- Bamboo spreads laterally underground at a remarkable speed and is one of the hardest landscape plants to control once it’s established
Any of these can be a great tree in the right spot. They just shouldn’t go in the strip of yard between the street and the foundation, where the sewer line and water service usually run.
How to Plant the Trees You Do Want
The right answer isn’t never plant trees. It’s plant them in the right place. A few rules of thumb:
- Find out where your buried lines actually run before you dig. Most utility companies offer a free locate service if you call before any planting
- Plant large trees at least 20 to 30 feet away from any buried plumbing
- Smaller ornamental trees can be closer, but still 10 to 15 feet from a sewer line
- Plant fruit trees, which tend to be smaller, between the buried line locations rather than directly over them
- Use slow-growing, smaller-rooted species near the foundation, things like dogwood, redbud or smaller varieties of crape myrtle
The cost of planting in the right spot now is nothing compared to the cost of removing a mature tree later because its roots are wrecking your sewer line.
What to Watch For After Planting
Even with careful planning, roots can find their way into older lines over time. Watch for these signs once your landscaping is in:
- Drains that started running normally but now drain slowly
- Gurgling sounds in toilets when other fixtures drain
- A patch of yard near a tree that stays unusually green or soft
- A faint sewer odor outside near the cleanout cap
- Water backing up in a tub or low fixture when the washing machine drains
If any of these show up, a camera inspection of the sewer line tells you what’s going on inside. Roots can be cleared with cutting tools if caught early. If the damage is more extensive, a plumber can talk through repair options including spot fixes, lining or full replacement.
Coastal Climate Considerations
Climate along the Mississippi Gulf Coast supports fast tree growth most of the year. Mild winters, ample rainfall and humid summers mean roots have more opportunity to spread than they do in colder climates. That works for the landscaping, but it also means a tree planted in the wrong spot can reach buried lines faster than the same tree would in other parts of the country.
Hurricane season adds another factor. Major storms can shift soil, wash out the ground around buried lines and stress mature trees in ways that send roots searching for new sources of moisture afterward. Anytime the yard goes through a major storm, it’s worth checking drains over the following weeks for any new slow points. Catching root intrusion in the first month or two beats finding it during a backup six months later. Homeowners across Gulfport, Biloxi, Long Beach, Pass Christian, Ocean Springs and Bay St. Louis run into this often, especially in older neighborhoods with mature trees.
If landscaping is on your list of things to do this spring, be sure to do the proper research prior to planting any new trees or shrubs around your property. Not only will it help you have a peace of mind throughout the project it will also help to prevent any costly plumbing issues in the future. If your plumbing needs to be repaired, contact ASAP Plumbing today at 228-865-2727 or visit www.plumbinggulfportms.com and request a free estimate! We can handle all your plumbing needs including installation, repair and full water heater replacement.