Concrete Leveling Can Fix Common Slab Displacement Issues

When you have a concrete slab out of place, concrete leveling can be a cost-effective way to improve the appearance and walkability of the surface without doing a total repair job. When a sidewalk, step, garage floor, patio, parking lot, or driveway has areas that are not level, it can present tripping hazards that lead to injury and costly liability claims. In addition, the raised areas are unsightly and can make a property appear as if you are ignoring maintenance issues.

How Does Concrete Leveling Help Repair Sunken Slabs?

The process of concrete leveling fills voids under the concrete with a mixture of cement and mud or polyurethane foam. The process is quick and easy in the hands of a professional, who can do it for a fraction of the cost of replacing concrete. A company who specializes in this process drills a series of small holes that they plug with the grout or foam, filling the void and stabilizing the soil underneath the slab so that it is level. Often costing just a few hundred dollars (based on it costing $2-$5 per square foot), the resulting repair may not look brand-new, but it will extend the life of concrete indefinitely.

When to Use Concrete Leveling

When is concrete leveling an appropriate process? As long as the concrete has not broken down into pieces, mud jacking or foam jacking can solve the problem. Professionals recommend that if there is an unevenness of one half inch or more, calling professional concrete lifters is a good idea.

• Uneven slabs. Whether slabs have been subjected to frost heaving or are the result of poor surface preparation before the concrete was laid, the results are the same: an uneven slab that does not settle back into place. Rain water or water from sprinklers can worsen the problem. When the slab involved is a patio slab or any other one that butts up against the house dips too low, water can come into the basement. The jacking process supplements the soil in addition to making the slab level, which prevents the problem from reoccurring as long as the underlying voids were fixed.
• Sunken steps. Slab steps laid on unsupported ground are subject to the same problems as flat slabs and may be even more hazardous. Often when people walk up and down steps, they are conditioned to expect an even rise and a firm surface. Sunken slabs on steps can cause people to lose their footing, especially in the winter when snow makes the disparity in height even less visible.
• Tree roots. When tree roots grow underneath a slab, they tend to raise up the slab, causing the same type of unlevel surface that a poor soil base can cause. While the slab jacking process cannot lower the slab without removing the tree roots, it may be possible to raise the rest of the slab (and perhaps adjacent slabs as well) to even it out.

Fix Your Concrete Today

If you have sunken concrete, arrange for concrete leveling from Lift Right Concrete stabilize your flat surfaces, reduce hazards, and improve their parents.