In tree-lined suburbs like Buffalo Grove, roots are the number-one cause of sewer blockages. They don't break in — they slip through joints thinner than a hair and then grow fat on the nutrients inside. Here's the full picture.
Clay tile lines have a joint every three to four feet, and each joint is a doorway. Root hairs enter at the crown of the pipe, then thicken into a mat that catches paper and waste. Even PVC isn't immune if a joint was poorly glued. The process takes years, which is why the first backup feels sudden even though the invasion is old.
Recurring backups that return 6–18 months after each cleaning, gurgling fixtures, and slow drainage that affects the whole house. A camera inspection confirms it definitively — you'll see the root mass on the monitor.
Specialized root-cutting heads on a sewer machine or hydro jetter shred the mass and restore flow. Typical root removal runs $200–$600. It works — but cutting alone is temporary, because the roots grow back from the same entry points.
Foaming root treatments applied inside the line kill fine regrowth without harming the tree. Applied after cutting, they extend the clear period significantly. Some homeowners schedule treatment every couple of years as maintenance.
Eliminate the entry points. Trenchless pipe lining ($80–$250/ft) seals every joint with a seamless new surface — roots can't enter what has no openings. Full replacement does the same by removing the old tile entirely. If you're paying for root cutting every year, do the math: lining often pays for itself.
Cutting roots inside the pipe and treating regrowth inside the line doesn't harm the tree above. And lining or replacement doesn't require removing the tree either. The tree stays; only its access to your sewer ends. Questions? Call (833) 713-2101.
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