How To Fix Uneven or Sinking Concrete
Spring is in the air! This means spring cleaning and home repair.
Uneven concrete is a nuisance all year long. People trip when their sidewalks, driveway or patio are uneven and in the winter, get irritated when shoveling snow and the shovel suddenly comes to a halt mid push. Unfortunately, Concrete Raising is not something that can be done in the winter months as the cold temperatures are not conducive to the materials used. Spring opens the concrete raising season, so you don’t have to worry about these annoying issues again! So, how do you fix uneven concrete?
First, it is important to know why concrete sidewalks, driveways, or even patios sink. There are several reasons that concrete can sink or become uneven, the main and most common reason is soil quality and lack of soil compaction. If the soil is not compact it can easily erode leaving voids underneath the slab. When there is enough of a void the concrete will sink. Other reasons concrete sinks are freeze and thaw cycles which cause the ground to expand and then shrink. Animals can be another culprit, although less common.
Fixing uneven concrete may sound scary and like a big undertaking. The good news, it’s not. It is an easy and economical solution!
What is Polyurethane Concrete Raising or Polyjacking?
Polyurethane Concrete Raising is a simple and quick process that can lift your sunken concrete. The process starts with small holes drilled into the concrete slab. A polyurethane foam is then injected through special ports that are inserted into the drilled holes. Once the material is injected it expands to fill all the voids and spaces under the slab. As the foam expands the slab lifts! Once level, the ports are removed, and the holes patched. It is really that simple.
Polyurethane Concrete Raising vs. Mudjacking
Polyurethane Concrete Raising has many advantages over mudjacking:
• Smaller holes, the size of a dime, in the concrete • Does not add significant weight to the soil under the slab • Fast curing time allows concrete to be put back into service immediately • Material expands to fully fill voids under slabs • Moisture resistant, will not wash out, similar to foundation crack repair material
Disadvantages of mudjacking:
- Typically shorter warranty periods than what’s offered by polyurethane foam contractors
- Requires more clean-up afterward compared to foam leveling
- Holes range from 1−5÷8” to 2” in diameter
- Does not resist erosion or fill voids as well as polyurethane foam
U.S. Waterproofing are experts in Concrete Raising. We provide free consultations and analysis to determine if your concrete is a good candidate for Polyurethane Concrete Raising. One of our qualified Advisors will come out to review the area and answer all of your questions.
