Every homeowner dreads the idea of dealing with sewage problems. If you have had sewage water back up into your shower or smelled sewage odor, then you understand what it means to have sewer problems. 

Sewer issues have to be addressed as fast as possible. Failure to act quickly exposes you to a whole host of problems, including breathing problems, mold outbreaks, property damage, and diseases. Before you acquire sewer line repair, here are the top causes of sewer line damage.

Tree Roots

Depending on the tree species you have at home, the roots can grow pretty long, searching for nutrients and water. If your sewer line has a minor leak, the tree roots will find their way into the sewer pipe. Once the roots penetrate through the small hole, they'll widen the gap, causing severe issues to develop. 

Tree roots intrusion will cause serious clogs in your sewer line or allow wastewater to drain underground. If this happens, you'll have to deal with pools of sewer water around your yard and the backing up of sewage water into your home.

Old Pipes

Sometimes sewer problems happen because the pipes are getting old. As you well know, aging pipes will become weak, exposing them to a myriad of problems. Old pipes are more likely to crack, break, or develop leaks if you fail to replace them. 

If your sewer lines are made from cast iron, they'll rust and corrode once they start aging. While you might have them repaired to address leaks, you should replace them to avoid problems in the future.

Clogs

Clogged drains are hard to deal with, but the same cannot be said about clogged sewer lines. You have to call a professional plumber to help unclog a sewer line. If you're experiencing sewer problems, chances are your main sewer line is clogged. 

While sewer lines clogs are rare, they can still happen if there is shifting soil around the sewer pipe, heavy traffic above the pipe, damaged pipe joints, corrosion within the sewer pipe, or construction near the sewer line. 

Sagging Sewer Pipes or Sewer Line Bellies

Sagging sewer pipes can cause annoying sewer line problems for homeowners. In most cases, sags occur when the soil shifts. Sometimes bad installations and poor planning can also cause sewer line bellies. Unfortunately, sewer line bellies can cause nasty clogs, slow drains, and major sewage backups.

It's hard to diagnose sewer line bellies unless a plumber conducts a sewer camera inspection. If the plumber confirms that you have sagging sewer pipes, they'll determine the ideal technique to correct the problem. Contact a plumbing contractor for more information.