We found sewage backing up into the basement two nights ago. It turns out that the neighbor’s trees, which border our driveway, have roots which have grown into, blocked and broken our sewage pipe. The driveway had to be sawed into, a trench dug 11 feet deep, and the pipe replaced. To the tune of over $6K, depending on how far they have to continue to excavate. Our Farmer’s Insurance homeowner’s policy doesn’t cover it because it wasn’t a sudden event. The plumbers said that is always the case with these types of repairs, so it’s not just us that has a shitty policy. Though, if the sewage in the basement had damaged the house, that damage would have been covered. I’m pissed off.
Aaah, welcome to the first year I owned my house!
Is it a Weeping Willow? They have massive root systems. I’m sorry that bites.
Mine is a maple and it’s my own damn tree. We rented the router and cleared the pipes ourselves and now I’m chasing tree companies to get someone - anyone to deliver a damn quote to take the tree down.
Please Og don’t make me dig up the newly paved driveway to replace the pipes.
There’s a cherry tree, a magnolia tree, and maybe a spruce tree. The plumber had to leave the trench open all weekend until the city inspectors come by on Monday. It’s kind of smelly, like decomposing vegetation, but at least it’s not too sewage-y. Thank goodness I had checked out plumbers a few months ago when we needed a big trenchless pipe replacement job done. I had 5 quotes, and these guys were the lowest priced and the fastest to start the job.This time around I didn’t have the luxury of shopping around for quotes since we had sewage backing up into the basement and no bathroom facilities.
Just so you know, it’s unlikely it "grew into, blocked, and broke’ the pipes. I can see why you want to believe that, but it’s not really how it happens.
What happens is, the pipe (if it’s old, it may well be ceramic) cracks with age and stress, the leaking water draws the roots from any near by tree to it, they get into the pipe through the cracks, grow, expand, block and, eventually break the pipe. A somewhat different scenario than you’ve described but with, unfortunately the exact same out come.
And besides, ultimately he’s no more responsible for where the tree roots head than you are.
Still, I know it must suck to have to pay to repair it so you have my sympathy for that. Where I live a willow tree nearly doubles your home insurance premiums for this very reason.
That’s cute, how you said leaking “water”. I have some extremely healthy, well-fertilized pecan trees in my yard.