Buying a home in the Chicagoland area—with our beautiful mature trees and historic neighborhoods—is an exciting milestone. However, those same majestic oaks and elms often have thirsty roots that find their way into aging clay or cast-iron sewer lines. If your recent home inspection or sewer scope revealed root intrusion, don’t panic. You don’t necessarily need to dig up your new lawn or driveway.
By combining Hydro-jetting and Cured-in-Place Pipe (CIPP) lining, you can achieve a permanent, “no-dig” repair that protects your investment for decades.
The Two-Step Solution for Root Intrusion
- The Clean Slate: Hydro-Jetting
- Think of hydro-jetting as a high-pressure “power wash” for the inside of your pipes. While a traditional drain snake might just poke a hole through a clog, hydro-jetting uses water at up to 4,000 PSI to pulverize tree roots and clear out years of grease and scale buildup.
- The Result: Your pipe is restored to its original flow capacity, providing a clean surface for the next step.
- The Permanent Shield: CIPP Lining
- Once the roots are gone, the “wounds” they left in your pipe (cracks and joint gaps) are still there, and the roots will return if those openings aren’t sealed. This is where CIPP lining comes in.
- How it works: A flexible liner saturated with epoxy resin is inserted into the cleaned pipe. It is then inflated and “cured” (hardened) to create a seamless, structural “pipe within a pipe”.
- Why it’s a long-term fix: This new inner pipe has no joints for roots to penetrate and is highly resistant to future cracks.
Why This Matters for New Chicagoland Homeowners
- Preserve Your Property: You won’t have to tear up your landscaping, porches, or sidewalks to fix the issue.
- Decades of Peace of Mind: CIPP lining is a structural repair with a life expectancy of 50 years or more.
- Cost-Effective: While the upfront cost may be higher than a simple rodding, you save thousands by avoiding future backups and expensive property restoration.
- Protecting Your Investment
If you’re in the process of buying or have recently moved into an older Chicago home, a sewer scope inspection is the best way to catch these issues early. Identifying root intrusion now allows you to implement this two-step trenchless solution before a major backup occurs, ensuring your new home’s plumbing remains trouble-free for a lifetime.