Why Fix My Sinking Slab?

Timely concrete slab repair can prevent serious problems

A sinking slab of concrete is always worth fixing, whether it’s located in your basement, garage, driveway, or patio. When a concrete slab starts to sink, it signals a possible problem in the soil underneath, often erosion or unevenly compacted soil. Sinking slabs can crack and cause unsafe, uneven walkways, leading to trip hazards.

When you realize your pool deck or front entryway isn’t the attractive feature it once was, it’s time to take action.

PolyLevel® is a fast, effective concrete leveling solution that uses polyfoam injection to raise sinking concrete slabs in and around the home. PolyLeveling not only restores the beauty and safety of sunken concrete but also addresses the underlying factors that caused it to sink in the first place. Contact your local PolyLevel® contractor for a free estimate for concrete slab repair today!

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What causes a concrete slab to sink?

When all or part of a slab sinks, it’s usually due to one of two conditions.

The first relates to the characteristics of the soil under your concrete. Depending on the composition and condition of the soil and how the concrete floor, driveway, or walkway was installed, the soil may compress under the weight of the slabs above it. Uneven compression or settlement leads to gaps in the soil. Since concrete is a heavy material, concrete slabs will always sink when there are gaps underneath.
Soil erosion is a second possible reason for sinking concrete. Heavy rainfall and other water flow can wash away some of the soil under the slab, causing it to sink into the resulting hole or void. In both scenarios, you need a concrete slab repair method that levels your concrete property but also addresses the underlying conditions to prevent recurrence.

Long-term risks of a sinking concrete slab

When a concrete slab begins to sink, what does that look like? You may notice one corner of a driveway sloping or concrete stairs pulling away from your home’s foundation. One or more cracks in a walkway, patio, or sidewalk can be a sign of sinking concrete. The extent of the problem can be subtle or dramatic and can involve one slab or many. Regardless, differences in elevation between slabs make for unsafe walking, biking, or driving. The underlying problem of erosion or uneven soils can worsen with changes in temperature and precipitation, worsening the stability of your concrete.

Without repairing your sinking slabs, the problem doesn’t get better on its own. Over time, sinking concrete leads to:

Serious trip hazards, especially during icy or rainy weather
Unattractive concrete, whether walkways, stairs, pool decks or driveways
Water drainage or pooling, often leading to further concrete cracking or foundation structural issues
A decline in the value of your property

Approaches to sinking slab repair

Concrete Replacement

Sinking slab repair strategies should take into account the cause of your sunken concrete. Some concrete contractors recommend repairing a sinking slab by demolishing the damaged area and pouring new concrete. As a concrete slab repair method, concrete replacement poses a number of disadvantages.

For starters, concrete replacement is expensive and a bigger undertaking: the repair can take at least several days for the fresh concrete to harden and cure before the slab or slabs can be used again. Another disadvantage of replacing the sinking slab is it doesn’t address the problem of weak soil conditions. The soil is likely to compress again under the weight of the new slab. A shortcut repair sometimes involves adding more concrete to even out an uneven slab, but this approach imposes even more weight on the soil. Adding weight without addressing underlying soil issues simply increases the risk that the concrete slabs on your property will sink again in the future.

Mudjacking

Mudjacking, or slab jacking, is a process of pumping a cement-based mixture into and under a slab, filling voids and raising the slab up. While less invasive and expensive than completely replacing the concrete, mudjacking has some of the same disadvantages: it costs more, requires longer curing time before the concrete can be used, and it adds weight around the slab that can contribute to repeat concrete settlement. In addition, mudjacking drilling holes can leave blemishes on your concrete slabs.

Polyfoam Concrete Lifting

Poly foam injection, also called polyjacking or polyurethane foam injection, is a popular method of raising sinking concrete slabs. It's similar in some ways to slabjacking, but this method offers faster installation and curing time and attractive results.

That explains why it is the leading alternative to concrete replacement, mudjacking, and other more invasive approaches to concrete slab repair. The goal is to lift and level concrete slabs while filling voids in the soil to keep the slab from sinking again.

PolyLevel® is a leading polyfoam concrete leveling solution used for fast, affordable, and effective concrete slab repair. And it's long-lasting, since PolyLevel® also addresses underlying soil conditions that cause sinking concrete slabs.

How does PolyLevel® work?

First, the concrete lifting contractor drills one or more small holes in the sunken area of the slab, then injects an expanding polyurethane or "geotechnical" foam beneath the slab. As the foam expands due to a chemical reaction, it fills voids and pushes the slab back towards its original position. The PolyLevel® contractor monitors and gauges the expanding action of the foam, controlling the injection process for just the right degree of slab-raising action.

In less than an hour, with no “down” time waiting for new concrete or mortar to cure, your concrete walkway, patio, or driveway will be ready to use!

PolyLevel® concrete slab repair raises sinking slabs quickly & effectively

Raising cracked or sunken concrete slabs back to their proper level is accomplished quickly with PolyLevel®. Because the PolyLevel® injected polymer material cures quickly, the restored slab can return to its full weight-bearing function within a matter of minutes. The cost of concrete lifting with the PolyLevel® concrete slab repair costs far less than replacing the concrete slab altogether.

If your interior or exterior concrete shows signs of sinking in one or more areas, it’s time for fast, effective sinking slab repair. PolyLevel® is a fast and affordable concrete slab repair technique accomplished by trained and experienced dealers nationwide. Contact your local PolyLevel® contractor today for a free concrete leveling estimate!