Sinking concrete can be repaired many different ways but left alone and unaddressed it can result in costly concrete repairs to your home. If the concrete in or around your home has major cracks, has sunk dramatically, or is seriously deteriorated, you should have it inspected. If the ground beneath the slab is shifting considerably from season to season, foundation repair may be necessary.
An older approach to lift sunken or settled concrete is called mud jacking. This process lifts a settled concrete slab by pumping grout through the concrete and pushing it up from below. A dense, finely crushed limestone aggregate is combined with water and forced into holes drilled in the concrete. The material fills any voids that have been created beneath the concrete slab by soil compaction or water erosion. Once the void is filled, further injections will begin the lifting process for this common method of concrete repair.
Alternative Concrete Slab Repair
Polyurethane foam injection is another method of concrete slab repair. We sometimes recommend this process in conjunction with pilings on older homes. This process uses a closed cell polymer foam to lift concrete slabs. A hole approximately 5/8″ in diameter is made, a port is fastened in the hole, and the two parts of the foam are injected through the hole down separate hoses, passing through the port and slab in liquid form to mix in the nozzle. The reaction between the two parts of the foam — an expansion of air bubbles in the foam below the slab – is how the slab is lifted. One of the benefits of the expanding foams is that it follows the path of least resistance, finding low spots and expanding in all directions. The foam retains its shape and volume which reduces the probability of any new voids forming unless the soil around the foam continues to settle or washes out.
It is always best interest to have a professional take a look at your sinking concrete to determine the best approach to repair it. A professional foundation repair company like Advanced Foundation Repair can spot issues before they become major problems and provide you with an affordable solution. No one matches our lifetime transferable warranty or friendly customer service. Contact us today at (214) 333-0003 for a free consultation and let us take care of all your concrete repair.