OT - Outside sewer line connection question

odie91

Okay all you smart eggers.    I had to repair my 4" sanitary sewer line externally of the house.    I used the proper metal shielded, outdoor rated, Fernco coupling.    What do you suggest I do (if anything) to also help prevent tree roots from finding their way into the line through the coupling?   Wrap with some copper material?    Put some tar on it?   Would it be a bad idea to actually pour cement over the connection? (IMO it's pretty easy to break up the cement if I need to reaccess it, but any other reasons would cement be a bad idea?).

Gulfcoastguy

Kill the trees? 

fishlessman

ice and water shield for roofing from home depot, cut it in strips and wrap the joint. if you know a roofer, they can give you some scraps as its pricey.  i believe you can find a heavy flashing tape though for not much money

odie91

You aren't joking man that stuff's expensive. Maybe save the leftover for a good April Fool's joke?

Gulfcoastguy

I could have scavenged some ice and water shield back in September when they were roofing my house. It is all at the dump now except an irregular shaped sample piece that I kept.

alaskanassasin

Should be fine in your lifetime!

MCRyan

+1 on tree removal.  I’ve had nightmares with simple irrigation lines and tree roots.   Can’t even imagine sewer lines.   Unless it’s some historical/established tree with lots of special value...  it’s worth getting rid of if it’s causing proximity issues.    

SemolinaPilchard

MCRyan said:

+1 on tree removal.  I’ve had nightmares with simple irrigation lines and tree roots.   Can’t even imagine sewer lines.   Unless it’s some historical/established tree with lots of special value...  it’s worth getting rid of if it’s causing proximity issues.    

Not just for issues with pipes. If a tornado or storm tears off someone's roof, they have my sympathy. If a tree in their yard ends up in their living room, especially if it is a tree they planted, not so much.

Gulfcoastguy

Yep, my Dad planted a Live Oak about 10 feet from the septic tank and 20 from the house. In 1983. As you can imagine it was well fed and well watered and thus grew into a very hefty size. He has had to pay to have the septic system worked on 3 times and to have limbs the size of trees removed once. 

Jonnysouth

How deep is your pipe? Most city codes call for that type of repair to be encased in concrete to support the weight of dirt on top and to prevent the pipe and fernco from being pushed down or off causing additional drain problems. Good luck.

odie91

It's five feet below.   The pipe seemed to have cracked when the ground settled.  Switched out the cracked cast iron peace with PVC.  

it's not so much tree roots that I'm concerned with, rather the front of the house has some bushes and I think it would look weird if I tore all the bushes out

YEMTrey

If you trim the bushes it will make the house look bigger.  Or, so I heard.......