Finally won the battle against invading tree roots

I get where you’re coming from, but in my experience, trenchless liners aren’t always just a band-aid. Had a rental with a root nightmare - liner’s held up five years now, no issues. That said, if the clay’s totally shot or collapsed, yeah, you’re digging regardless. Just depends how bad things are under there.

I’ve always wondered if trenchless liners would really hold up long-term, so hearing five years with no issues is encouraging. Did you have to do any prep work before the liner went in, like jetting out roots first? I’m tempted to try it myself, but worried about hidden collapses in my old clay lines...

Did you have to do any prep work before the liner went in, like jetting out roots first? I’m tempted to try it myself, but worried about hidden collapses in my old clay lines...

Yeah, you definitely want to clear out the roots first - jetting or even mechanical cutting if it’s bad. I learned the hard way with one rental where they skipped a thorough inspection and the liner ended up sagging into a hidden void. Clay pipes are notorious for those sneaky collapses. I’d say get a camera down there before you commit, just to be safe. The liners are good, but they’re not magic if the pipe’s already caved in somewhere.

Honestly, I wouldn’t even think about lining old clay without a camera inspection first. Those pipes can look fine until you find a spot where the bottom’s just gone, and then you’re in for a headache. I had a buddy who thought he could just jet out the roots and slap a liner in - ended up with a liner that basically folded into a sinkhole. Total waste of money.

If you’re set on doing it yourself, at least rent a decent sewer cam. Sometimes the roots are just the tip of the iceberg... you might find cracks or offsets that need patching before you even think about lining. Jetting works for most roots, but if they’re thick, you’ll probably need a cutter head. Just don’t rush it - clay lines are notorious for surprises, and fixing a botched liner job is way worse than dealing with roots in the first place.

That’s a good point about the camera - those old clay pipes are like a box of chocolates, never know what you’re gonna get. I’ve seen liners go sideways when folks skip the inspection step. Out of curiosity, has anyone tried those flex-shaft cutters for thicker roots? I’ve heard mixed things... some say they chew through anything, others claim they just get stuck and make a mess. Wondering if it’s worth the extra hassle compared to a regular jetter.