Ever encountered a sinking front step or a sloping garage floor? Sinking concrete, often resulting from water damage, can be an eyesore on your property and may create tripping hazards or structural instability. You should get it repaired immediately to preserve the structure of your home and avoid safety issues. The most common options for concrete repair are concrete lifting and leveling or concrete replacement. These options not only restore your home’s stability but also add to its curb appeal. However, before you pick the best method to fix your concrete, it’s important to understand the differences between these techniques, their pros and cons, and their cost. Explore this article to find out the best approach for repairing sinking concrete with concrete leveling and replacement.
What Is Concrete Lifting and Leveling?
Concrete lifting and leveling secures sunken concrete surfaces by raising the slab until it is back to its original level position. This method boosts the concrete’s stability and functionality and prevents the need to replace the slab entirely.
How Does Concrete Lifting and Leveling Work?
There are different types of concrete lifting and leveling methods, each following essentially the same steps. However, the key difference lies in the materials used during the process. For instance, mudjacking uses a thick slurry, while foam jacking uses a polymer. Have a look at the steps for both below:
Step 1: Drilling – Concrete repair professionals methodically drill small holes throughout the uneven concrete surface. The size of the holes depends on which material is being used.
Step 2: Installing Ports – Ports are installed into the drilled holes, which act as channels for the polymer or slurry to be injected into voids underneath the concrete surface.
Step 3: Injecting the Polymer – A lightweight polymer or mudjacking mixture is injected into the holes to fill the gaps.
Step 4: Leveling – The injected polymer/slurry fills the voids underneath the concrete, lifting and leveling the concrete slab and correcting any unevenness or sinking.
Step 5: Clean Up – Once the polymer or slurry has cured, the drilled voids are sealed. Lastly, the leveled area is cleaned up to look as good as new.
Concrete Leveling and Lifting Types
SafeBasements provides concrete lifting and leveling using the polyjacking method. Using a special type of polymer called polyurethane, polyjacking, or polylifting, is the most convenient yet efficient method of fixing sunken concrete. Professionals inject lightweight polyurethane into the voids underneath the concrete surface to fix it. Polyjacking requires minimal intrusion while taking less than an hour to cure. We offer a 2-year warranty on all our concrete leveling and lifting services.
Pros and Cons of Concrete Lifting and Leveling
Pros
Let’s have a look at some pros of concrete lifting and leveling:
- Cost Effectiveness: Polyjacking is far more affordable than slab replacement. We can repair the sunken concrete slab on your property instead of replacing it. Concrete lifting via polyurethane injections can save you approximately 70% of the money that you would have spent on concrete replacement.
- Less Curing Time: Our concrete leveling solutions use a lightweight polymer that takes less than an hour to cure. This means that you can walk or drive on the concrete again within a few hours of the repair process.
- Enhanced Visual Appeal: Replacing slabs and trying to match the previous construction can be difficult. Concrete leveling allows you to keep the original slabs, leaving no noticeable differences.
- Fills Unseen Voids Underneath the Concrete Surface: Polyurethane is compact and expands once it reaches the voids and cracks. It can fill cracks and voids as small as 1/32″.
- Erosion-Free: Polymer solutions are resistant to water damage and, therefore, last longer than mudjacking slurry. This helps ensure that the repair is durable and maintains stability long term.
- Helps Compress the Soil: Once the polymer is injected, its expansive force allows it to fill any voids and compact the soil surrounding the affected area.
- Less Intrusive: Polymer injection only requires drilling very small holes, around ⅝ inches, whereas other concrete lifting methods, like mudjacking, require larger holes, at least 1 inch.
Cons
Concrete lifting and leveling have a few cons as well, which are listed below:-
- No repair of chipped, cracked concrete: Concrete lifting does not work in cases of extensive damage or severely chipped concrete surfaces. Replacing the slab with a new one is the ultimate solution in such cases.
- Does not affect visual appearance: Although concrete lifting does not damage your concrete surface, it also cannot enhance the damaged slab’s appearance. For instance, it will not hide discoloration or chipped concrete.
For most homeowners, the pros of concrete lifting outweigh the cons, and that is why it is the most suitable option for fixing sunken or uneven concrete. The good news is that the experts at SafeBasements can quickly assess the condition of your concrete slab and recommend the most effective solution.
How Much Does Concrete Lifting and Leveling Cost?
Concrete leveling costs vary depending on factors like:
- Method of leveling being employed
- Area to be repaired
- Level of damage
- Labor costs
Contact us today for a free inspection and quote!
What is Concrete Replacement?
Concrete replacement involves removing the old concrete slab entirely and pouring a new one in its place. Replacing concrete becomes necessary when the damage is irreparable or the concrete is chipped in too many places. It is a more lengthy procedure and is also the more expensive option, but it does provide long-term stability and restore the curb appeal of your home.
Concrete Replacement Steps
Concrete replacement is a lengthy and labor-intensive procedure that involves the following steps:
Step 1: Excavate – The first step is to prepare the area to be repaired and remove the damaged slab. Then, the area is excavated to clear a level space for the new slab.
Step 2: Subgrade Preparation – Following excavation, contractors compact the soil subgrade and add a layer of crushed stones to provide support for the new concrete slab.
Step 3: Formwork Installation – Next, they install wooden formwork around the area where the slab must be placed to ensure precise alignment.
Step 4: Slab Placement – Concrete is then poured into the prepared area and left to harden.
Step 5: Clean Up – The gaps left behind are sealed using an appropriate sealant. Any debris is removed from the work site, which is then inspected for stability and evenness.
Concrete Replacement Pros and Cons
Pros
Concrete replacement seems to be a daunting task. However, it has numerous advantages. Some of the benefits of placing a new concrete slab include the following:
- Long-lasting: New concrete slabs are uniform, clean, and free from cracks or chipping. They are sealed from the beginning and, therefore, last longer than other concrete fixing methods.
- Customizable: You can design the new slab to match your home or to your liking, preserving its visual appeal and physical integrity.
Cons
However, there are some cons of the process as well that have been discussed below:
- Highly Intrusive: Concrete replacement is a highly intrusive process that requires excavation of the area.
- Time-Consuming: Removing the old slab and fitting in a new one is not a matter of a few hours. New concrete can take as many up to 28 days to be fully cured.
- Settling: New concrete exerts pressure on the underlying soil and has the potential to settle again within a few years of installation.
How Much Does Concrete Replacement Cost?
Concrete replacement costs can vary depending on several variables, including the following:
- Size of the slab
- Labor costs
- Thickness of the slab
- Site condition
- Difficulty of removal
Concrete Leveling vs. Lifting vs. Replacement: Which is Right For You?
Concrete lifting and leveling is an effective repair method, while concrete replacement involves replacing the entire concrete slab. Concrete replacement can cost a hefty sum of money, but concrete lifting and leveling is cost-effective. Concrete lifting and leveling with SafeBasements is a very quick repair that comes with a two-year warranty, is erosion-free, and enhances the curb appeal of your home.
Additionally, the concrete replacement process is much more lengthy, intrusive, and labor-intensive than lifting and leveling. Therefore, the experts at SafeBasements generally recommend concrete lifting as the ultimate solution for any concrete sinking and settling.
Conclusion
SafeBasements provides you with a comprehensive solution to address all concrete-related problems. There are different options for fixing settling concrete slabs, such as concrete lifting and leveling or replacement. Based on curing time, project cost, and durability, concrete lifting is the best method.
With SafeBasements, you’ll get the best concrete lifting and leveling solutions, covered by a two-year warranty. We address all your concrete problems with efficiency and precision. Contact us today to restore your home’s appearance and safety!