Tree roots in pipes

Tree Roots in Pipes in Perth: Close the Gap They Use

Tree roots in pipes in Perth get in through old joints and cracks, and cutting them out only clears the way for the next lot. We find where they are getting in on camera, then reline the pipe so the gap they used is closed.

Roots are one of the two causes we find most often in blocked Perth drains

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Tree roots in pipes are sealed out by a liner like this one: three of the crew guiding it from the inversion drum into an open sewer pipe in a hand-dug access hole.

Camera first, quote second

We run CCTV through the line so you see where the roots are before we talk about a fix.

Joints closed, not just cleared

A cured liner runs through the old joints, so the gap the roots used is no longer there.

No trench under the tree

The liner goes in through an access point, so the lawn, paving and the tree itself stay put.

How they get in

How roots get into Perth pipes

Roots do not break through sound pipe. They follow moisture, and a drain leaks a little moisture and warmth wherever its wall is not sealed. On older Perth properties that usually means the joints of clay or earthenware pipe, where each short length meets the next. A fine root finds the gap, feeds on what is inside, and thickens. As it grows it pushes the joint further open and can crack the clay around it.

Perth's sandy ground makes this worse. It moves more than heavier soil, particularly through a dry summer, and that movement works at joints that were never designed to flex. Once a root is inside, it fans into a mat across the bore that catches paper, wipes and grease until the line stops.

What to look for

Signs roots are in your drain

The same drain blocks again months after it was cleared.
Toilets or floor wastes drain slowly or gurgle after other fixtures empty.
The gully in the yard overflows, or smells of sewage.
A lush green strip or a soft, wet patch runs across the lawn over the line.
A large tree or shrub sits close to where the sewer or stormwater runs.

None of these proves it on its own, and several have other causes. For the fuller list, see signs your pipes need relining, or if the drain is blocked right now, start with blocked drains in Perth.

Why they come back

Why cutting and jetting alone lets them regrow

A root cutter or a high-pressure jetter removes what is inside the pipe. It does not touch the root system in the soil, and it does not close the joint. The stub left at the gap is still alive and still has water on the other side of it, so it grows back through the same opening. That is why a root-blocked drain tends to block on a cycle.

Clearing still has its place. It gets the property draining, and it cleans the wall so the camera can read it. It just is not the fix.

Why a relined joint keeps roots out

Left, an open joint in old pipe lets a root into the bore. Right, the same joint after relining: the liner runs straight past it on the inside, so the root has nothing to enter through.

Confirm it first

How the camera confirms it

A CCTV drain inspection puts a camera through the line and shows exactly where roots are entering, how many joints are affected, what the pipe is made of and whether anything has cracked or dropped. You see the same footage we do. That tells both of us whether one length needs attention or the whole run does, and whether the pipe is sound enough to reline at all.

The fix

How relining seals roots out

Once the roots are cut back and the pipe is cleaned, a resin-saturated liner goes in through an access point and is pressed against the old wall, where it cures hard. The result is a new pipe inside the old one, with no joints along the relined length. The gaps the roots were using are sealed over from the inside, so there is nowhere for them to come back through, and the tree can usually stay where it is.

It is not the answer to every pipe. A section that has collapsed may need replacing, and we will say so if the camera shows it. The same team can do that dig. For how the job runs on a house sewer, see sewer pipe relining, and for what moves the price, see pipe relining cost in Perth.

What people ask us about tree roots in pipes

Will cutting the roots out fix the problem?

It fixes the blockage, not the problem. A root cutter or a jetter clears the pipe so it drains again, but the joint or crack the roots came through is still open, and the roots left in the soil outside the pipe are still alive. They find the same gap again. Cutting is a sensible first step to get the line working and to let the camera see the pipe wall; on its own it is maintenance you repeat.

Do I have to remove the tree?

Usually not. Relining deals with the pipe, not the tree: once the joints along the relined length are closed, the roots have no way in, wherever the tree is. Removing a tree is a decision about the tree, its size and where it sits, and it is not something we would push you towards to fix a drain.

Can every root-damaged pipe be relined?

No. Relining needs the old pipe to hold its shape well enough for a liner to go through it and cure against the wall. Roots that have opened a joint or cracked a clay length are normally fine to reline. A section that has collapsed or lost its fall badly may need to be dug up and replaced instead, and the camera run is how we tell you which one you have.

Do root killers poured down the drain work?

They can slow regrowth for a while, but they do not close the gap the roots are using, so the roots come back through the same joint once the effect wears off. They also do nothing for a crack or a displaced joint. If you are dosing the same drain on a schedule, the pipe is the thing that needs fixing.

Is it a sewer or a stormwater problem?

Both lines attract roots, because both carry water. Sewer lines tend to show it first as slow toilets, gurgling and overflowing gullies. Stormwater lines show it as downpipes backing up in heavy rain or soakwells that stop draining. The camera run tells us which line is affected, and both can be relined.

Roots back in the same drain?

Tell us where the property is and what the drain is doing. We will get the camera in, show you where the roots are getting in, and quote to seal it.

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