Sunken Concrete Slabs
 Sunken Concrete Slabs

You may have wondered how tough materials like concrete may settle down at your structures during construction. Many factors cause these set concrete slabs to sink or tilt over time. Many things are affecting it, ranging from poor workmanship during construction to the improper curettage of the cement. Sometimes, even if the work is done perfectly, it may be the nature of your land's soil that ends up sinking concrete slabs.

In many cases, this natural phenomenon is beyond the control of the homeowners and the concrete workers as a combination of many contributing factors. The roots of trees growing nearby or underground water seepage everything can cause this problem. However, it is possible to fix this issue through concrete lifting procedures, for which you need to find a reliable contractor to do an assessment and give proper suggestions.

Concrete Lifting

Concrete lifting technology has been used in construction for many decades. It is a very cost-effective expert method in home repair. In fact, concrete lifting requires limited time and effort to accomplish, but if you don't do it on time, you may need to do total slab replacement over time, which may be a troublesome affair.

The significant advantage of doing concrete lifting is that it is cost-effective and perfectly reinstates your structure. If you are in a hurry to resolve the issues related to tilted or sunken slabs, then concrete lifting or mud jacking is ideal.

If you are looking for a quick and easy method to recover sunken concrete in your garage or basement, then concrete lifting is also ideal. This process is recognized by the authorities as a reliable repair method for tilted and sunken concrete slabs not only because it is cost-efficient but also because quite a lot of time to accomplish.

In addition to the other alternative methods used for concrete lifting, which were largely unprofessional and unregulated, concrete lifting is a more streamlined process that gives immediate access to the sunken area and does not cause any problems to the adjacent structures. As we know, concrete is an excellent material used to ensure the strength of the construction, but due to this property, it tends to sink over time.

How is concrete lifting done?

The concrete lifting process is similar to how you lift a car at the repair shop. It is done using hydraulic force. The repairing persons may first drill holes into the sunken concrete slabs and then pump in a polyurethane mixture or into these holes. The compound penetrates through the sunken slabs and then exerts pressure, pushing the slab upward. The pumping will be done until the slab rises to the desired height on the ground.

Even though the process is much easier and quicker, it is a subtle process, too, to be handled very carefully. It is all about drilling holes and pumping grout through them, but it requires optimum precision and accuracy to ensure nothing goes wrong. Only expert professionals will be able to accomplish it with 100% perfection.

The planning needed to be done adequately based on the status of the tilted or sunken slabs, and the work also needs to be closely monitored to ensure that the tasks are accomplished as per the plan. You must call in an expert contractor with experience, expertise, and enough tools to accomplish the task well. You don't have to waste time thinking about whether you have to replace the slabs or just need to get them lifted. Try to get an expert assessment of the present situation of the structure and take the advice of an unbiased assessor to take adequate concrete lifting measures.

Step-by-step process

Now, let's dig deeper into the exact concrete lifting process. It may not be the same in all cases, and different contractors may also use other tools to do it. We discuss further a general overview of the step-by-step approach to concrete lifting.
  • Drilling the holes: An adequate number of homes of appropriate circumference needed to be drilled down through which the polyurethane or grout compound will be pumped. The holes and the amount of grout should be strategically measured to ensure optimum accuracy.
  • Pumping of the compounds: Once the holes are made, the pumping of polyurethane compound or grout is carried out. This is done using hydraulic force with which the grout fills the void space of the holes.
  • Lifting slabs: After a few minutes, of allowing the grout to set, the slab will elevate slowly as the spaces get filled. If the pumping is done correctly and the grout volume is correct, you can see a perfect alignment in a few minutes.
You may feel how fast and easy this process is in three steps to resolve the sunken concrete issue. Yes, it is indeed quick, but as we have seen above, meticulous planning and perfect execution are required to accomplish this with ease, which can be done only by an expert contractor.


Finding a concrete lifting contractor

It is all about avoiding mistakes in choosing Raleigh Concrete Company to repair the sunken slabs. If you are suffering from the issues of a sinking or cracked driveway, look for the following things before calling in the contractor.
  • Does the contractor specialize in concrete lifting or general repair service?
  • How long are they in the service?
  • What warranty does the company offer?
  • Whether they possess work insurance or not?
  • What tasks are included, and what is excluded in their concrete lifting project?
It is ideal to use online resources to do adequate research on concrete lifting companies and compare the services of various providers inin your region to find the best. Cost is only sometimes the deciding factor when considering expert services like concrete lifting, but you have to look for the value of the service they offer for the given price tag.