FIELD STUDY – IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD: RESIDENTIAL MAIN LINE
A homeowner in the Observatory Park neighborhood of Denver called us when the drains in his historic home started backing up. When we inspected the sewer line with a camera, we found that, like many older homes throughout Denver, this home had significantly aged clay pipes with severe root intrusion.
We sometimes call these gigantic roots horsetails because, well, they look like horse tails! You can imagine the damage these beasts can do inside of a clay pipe. These dated pipes are susceptible to root intrusion due to their male/female connections, which cannot be fully sealed. Tiny roots will creep their way into the smallest of cracks seeking water. Once they find what they’re looking for, they call all of their root friends and a messy, destructive root party begins. If maintained well with regular cabling services, clay pipes can function properly, but once the damage is done, they need to be replaced. We replaced this line with new plastic pipes that have heat-fused connections and are much more resistant to root intrusion.