What Is Concrete Lifting?
Cincinnati Concrete Lifting is a repair method that uses your existing concrete slabs to raise them back up to their original position. This technique, also known as mudjacking or slabjacking, is less invasive than new concrete pours and saves you the cost of removing your landscaping and repaving your driveway or patio.
In contrast to concrete replacement, which is an invasive process that causes significant damage to your property and can leave you with uneven and unattractive concrete surfaces, concrete lifting is a quicker alternative. This process is done by drilling holes into your sunken concrete and injecting filler material underneath it to raise it back up. Concrete lifting is also a more cost-effective solution for your budget than getting a new concrete slab installed.
Unlike traditional stone slurry grout and mudjacking, which use mortar-based compounds pumped through the holes, PowerLift uses eco-friendly polyurethane foam for concrete leveling. This foam expands after it is injected, compacting loose soil and raising the sunken concrete. Our polyurethane is also lighter than mud, meaning less damage to your property.
Mud jacking uses a mixture of water, soil, and sand to lift concrete, but it can cause cracking and other problems down the line. Concrete lifting using polyurethane foam (also known as polyfoam) is safer, more accurate, and requires fewer injections because the material has a higher viscosity.
Moreover, this method of concrete lifting only takes a few minutes for the polyurethane to cure. This means your driveway, walkway, or garage floor can be used immediately after the procedure is complete. By comparison, traditional mudjacking methods require a day or two to fully dry. The faster curing time of polyurethane concrete lifting is especially beneficial for road and parking lot repair projects, as traffic control can be removed and lanes reopened sooner after the repairs are made. This allows you to minimize disruptions in your daily life and business.
Less Invasive
Concrete lifting is a method for fixing sunken or uneven concrete slabs that is less invasive than traditional methods such as mudjacking, repouring, and replacing. Injecting a mixture of cement, sand, and water beneath the concrete to lift it is a quick fix for the sinking problem but does not address the root cause of the sinking—faulty or uncompacted soil underneath the concrete.
Mudjacking involves digging large holes to remove and replace the damaged slab. This is not only invasive to your landscaping and lawn, but also costly. In contrast, concrete lifting uses a dime-size hole to inject polyurethane foam that expands and raises the concrete slab, or “jacks it.” The process is known by a variety of names, including slab jacking, concrete raising, and polyfoam injection.
When sidewalks, patios, or driveways become unlevel, they not only look bad but are a tripping hazard for everyone who uses the area. They can even trap the wheels of scooters and bicycles, which is a major safety issue for those with mobility issues. Uneven concrete surfaces aren’t just unsightly but also pose a health risk to children and seniors.
Replacing a concrete surface with new slabs is an option, but that’s often expensive, messy, and time-consuming. It’s also not a permanent solution, as the underlying soil will continue to shift and sink the new slabs, too. A concrete lifting service can provide a quick and long-lasting repair. This type of repair works just as well for smaller areas, like a patio or sidewalk segment that has sunk, as it does for entire driveways and walkways. It’s also a more attractive solution, as the concrete that is lifted remains intact rather than being replaced with a new slab that looks jarringly different from its neighbors.
Less Expensive
If you’re worried about the expense of concrete lifting, keep in mind that it’s far less expensive than pouring new concrete. This is because it takes far fewer resources to perform concrete lifting.
It’s also less expensive than the alternative of tearing up and replacing your concrete slab. This is a time-consuming project that requires removing old concrete, excavating soil, and installing a new slab. And if the root cause of your sinking isn’t addressed, you’ll be back to needing sunken patio repair in the future.
Concrete lifting uses polyurethane foam to fill voids under your concrete and raise it back up to its original level. This foam is lighter than mud and does not lose its density over time, ensuring long-lasting results. Additionally, it does not place stress on unstable soils under your concrete, which can lead to settling and sinking in the future.
The process of lifting concrete is fast and minimally invasive. Technicians drill penny-sized holes in your sunken concrete slab and insert a tapered delivery port into these holes. These ports are then connected to an injection gun that delivers the polyurethane foam into the voids beneath your concrete. This foam expands to lift your concrete and then settles back to its normal position.
With this method, you’ll be able to use your sunken concrete in only a few hours. This is a much shorter turnaround time than other concrete repair methods, such as mudjacking, that take weeks to complete. This quick repair also means that your yard won’t become a construction zone, and you can keep on enjoying your landscaping.
Less Messy
Concrete lifting can save homeowners a lot of money, time, and the mess that comes with other concrete repair methods. The main benefit is that it does not involve breaking up and pouring a new slab of concrete. This is not only costly but also very messy. You will have a lot of dirt and debris to deal with, and you may be required to wait weeks for the new concrete to cure.
Concrete lifting is a process in which a contractor drills holes into the sunken concrete and then injects a stabilizing grout underneath. This filler material, which is called void-filling, raises the sunken concrete back to its original position or as close as possible. Concrete lifting can be used to repair sunken driveways, sidewalks, and patios, but it is also a preventative measure to keep the concrete from sinking in the future.
Other common methods for repairing sunken concrete include mudjacking and concrete replacement. Mudjacking has been a popular solution for decades but is slowly falling out of favor due to its invasiveness. The name “mudjacking” is derived from the mixture of cement and water that’s injected into the ground to raise it. A more modern method, referred to as PolyRenewalTM injections, is much less invasive and uses a different mixture of materials to lift the concrete.
This polyurethane foam is light enough to support the concrete without adding excessive weight to the soil beneath. It also takes less time to install and hardens faster. You won’t need to wait weeks for the new concrete to cure, as you would with mudjacking. There’s also no need to tear out and replace existing concrete, which is far more time-consuming and messy than simply lifting the sunken concrete with a foam injection.
Less Damaged
Concrete is a durable material that is very useful for outdoor surfaces like sidewalks, driveways, and patios. However, over time, it can become damaged due to a number of reasons, including settling, weathering, and heavy loads. This can cause unsightly cracks and uneven surfaces that are not only a safety hazard but also pose additional risks such as trip hazards, water drainage issues, and further damage to the surrounding area.
Homeowners faced with sunken concrete can opt to repour the slab, but this can be a very messy and expensive process. Concrete lifting, also known as slabjacking or mudjacking, is a much cheaper and less damaging option for homeowners. Concrete lifting involves injecting a mixture of cement, sand, and other materials underneath the concrete slab to lift it back into place.
The polyurethane foam used for this process is not only a faster solution, but it’s also less damaging to the surrounding environment than other methods of concrete repair. The slurry used for mudjacking can erode away over time and cause further problems for the surrounding soil, so this method of concrete lifting is not recommended in areas that are frequently exposed to water.
In addition, mudjacking will leave holes in the surface of the concrete that need to be filled in with caulking. This can leave behind a spot that is visibly different from the rest of the concrete, which can be a major eyesore for guests. Concrete lifting contractors will use filler that blends in with the existing concrete to make the repair look invisible. This means that when guests visit, the concrete lift will be inconspicuous and will not stand out as a new addition to your home.
