Although landscaping can significantly impact your home’s curb appeal, it can also affect your plumbing lines. From trees to irrigation systems, you must make thoughtful decisions before planting or installing anything in your landscape. You do not want to cause damage to your plumbing lines while creating a perfectly green oasis.
Pure Plumbing & Air in Las Vegas, NV, wants to help you avoid plumbing disasters when upgrading your landscape to create a thing of beauty.
Understanding the Underground World of Plumbing
Much of your home’s plumbing lines run underground. Your water supply lines bring clean water into your home, while the sewer lines carry wastewater away from your home. Drainage systems, including French and storm drains, manage rainwater and help protect your foundation against water damage. Each of these plumbing components is vulnerable to damage caused by landscaping features.
Because underground pipes are out of sight, you cannot check them for problems like those inside the home. Therefore, underground pipes are more susceptible to developing problems, and these problems may go unnoticed until the damage becomes severe and manifests outwardly.
Tree Roots and Sewer Lines
One of the biggest threats to your underground plumbing lines is the intrusion of tree roots. Some tree roots are more invasive, but they all have the potential to cause damage.
Roots grow down and outward in search of water. Older pipes can develop small openings that allow water to leak into the soil. Tree roots detect moisture, grow toward the source, and can eventually infiltrate your pipes.
Once inside, tree roots can clog the line, causing plumbing backups. Additionally, they can grow so much that they break the pipe, especially those made of clay. Though less common, invasive growth can also damage PVC and concrete.
To avoid these issues, avoid planting trees near your sewer lines. Moreover, you should choose trees with smaller, less aggressive root structures, such as Japanese maples, dogwoods, or crabapples.
Soil Types and Plumbing
Not all soils behave the same when exposed to water and temperature changes. Expansive clay, for instance, swells when it’s wet and contracts when it’s dry.
Clay and hard caliche are the two most common soil types in Las Vegas. Both expand and contract with moisture changes, leading to the potential for shifting pipes.
Sandy soil, also common in Las Vegas, can erode easily, removing the support under your pipes and leading to damage. You must account for your landscape’s soil type before digging, adding features, or planting. Failure to do so can lead to structural stress on your underground plumbing.
Heavy Landscaping Equipment and Plumbing Lines
Installing some landscaping features requires heavy equipment. Machinery used for grading, installing driveways, and building patios can place extreme pressure on your buried pipes. Additionally, workers walking over the same areas constantly during construction can cause issues.
PVC and older materials, like clay, can crack under immense pressure. Before digging, contact your local utility service. Marking the lines’ locations ensures you avoid them during landscape construction.
Water Drainage and Grading Mistakes
Grading plays a vital role in directing water away from your foundation. Poorly planned slopes or improperly installed hardscapes can cause water to pool around your foundation or flow to the cleanouts and access points.
Improper drainage saturates the soil, increasing hydrostatic pressure that can force water into your sewer cleanouts or vents. Over time, the added stress of water pressure can weaken pipe joints. Additionally, excess water pressure can lead to underground soil erosion, which can cause pipe sagging and potentially block the pipes.
You can prevent these issues by hiring a professional grader to grade your yard so water flows away from your home. You can also install swales, French drains, or dry wells to manage water runoff. Additionally, you must ensure your hardscapes have the proper slope.
Irrigation Systems and Underground Plumbing
Installing a drip irrigation system or sprinkler can keep your lawn healthy and lush, but it may also damage your plumbing lines. Improperly placed irrigation pipes can contact sewer or water supply lines, increasing the risk of shifting soil and damage.
Before installing irrigation or sprinkler systems, it’s essential to map out all underground utilities. Always hire professionals to ensure installations are completed at the correct depth, preventing damage to plumbing lines that will require sewer repair service.
Retaining Walls and Underground Pressure
Retaining walls not only add beauty to your yard but also provide protection. While they are functionally important for protecting against soil erosion, they can exert pressure on underground pipes.
Poor drainage against retaining walls can increase the likelihood of pooling water and soil compaction. Over time, this can lead to pipe cracking, joint damage, and sinkholes.
If you plan to install retaining walls, make sure they have proper drainage behind them. You should avoid installing walls over known pipe routes and use perforated pipes or weep holes to help relieve water pressure. If you have already experienced pipe damage, our expert plumbers at Pure Plumbing & Air can help.
Swimming Pools and Water Features
Swimming pools, fountains, and ponds require significant excavation and water usage. Improperly planned installations can disrupt your plumbing lines and cause problems.
The weight of a filled swimming pool can compact the soil underneath and alter the underground water flow. If improperly installed, even the smallest water features can cause constant soil saturation.
Work with professional contractors before adding ponds, swimming pools, or fountains to your landscape. As with other landscape projects, always verify the location of your underground plumbing before excavation. You should also create proper drainage routes to handle any overflow or runoff.
Consider having your soil type tested before embarking on any landscape projects. You should also pay attention to the weather so you can avoid overwatering. If you have expansive soil like clay, we can advise you on installing flexible plumbing materials.
How to Protect Your Plumbing with Landscaping
You can avoid damaging plumbing with thoughtful planning and still have a beautiful yard. Here are some tips to help:
Call 811 Before Digging
In the United States, dialing 811 before digging connects you with local utility locators. They will come and mark the location of your underground lines.
Use Professional Landscapers
Professionals understand how to plan your landscape properly. They can help you avoid accidental damage that becomes expensive to repair.
Install Root Barriers
Root barriers are physical barriers that help redirect tree root growth so it does not impact your plumbing lines. These work best when installed at planting.
Choose the Right Plants
Select native plants that have shallow root systems. Avoid placing invasive trees, such as silver maples or American elms, near underground plumbing.
Professional Sewer Line Inspections
It is important to have your sewer lines inspected and flushed regularly. We offer camera inspections to determine the lines’ health. These inspections allow us to find minor pipe damage before it becomes severe and causes backups.
We also provide hydro jetting services to keep your sewer lines clear. Hydro jetting uses high-powered water to clear the lines of blockages. It is powerful enough to clear tree root growth. You need these services every two to three years or more frequently with invasive tree growth.
When to Call a Professional Plumber
If you notice frequent clogs, gurgling drains, or slow water flow, your landscape could be the problem. We can perform a camera inspection to find the issue and determine a targeted fix. Depending on the damage, we can sometimes offer repairs without digging a trench in your landscape.
Pure Plumbing & Air opened our doors in 2013 as a small one-truck operation. We now have 24 fully loaded trucks. We offer various plumbing services, including leak detection, camera inspections, sewer line repair, and sewer line replacement services. Our team also provides hydro jetting services.
Call our expert plumbers at Pure Plumbing & Air if you need plumbing services in Las Vegas. We are happy to schedule your appointment!
