Concrete is an excellent product for use around your property, and it is common to find driveways, walkways, patios, and other areas made from poured concrete. However, over time, the concrete can move if the ground shifts, and you may need a concrete leveling contractor to lift it back into position.
Settling Concrete
While concrete is a strong material and can withstand a lot of weight and pressure, it is heavy, so it must be supported appropriately. Often sidewalks, driveways, and patios with erosion issues will begin to sag or sink in some areas because that support underneath is slowly being removed.
When the soil under the concrete disappears, the slab can no longer support itself, and the corners or the entire section can crack and settle, destroying the smooth surface that was once there. Concrete leveling contractors can repair the damage and raise the concrete in most cases, and the repair is less invasive than tearing out the slab and pouring new concrete.
It is crucial to consider the drainage in the area when you are going to level the concrete because if the erosion continues, other areas of the concrete slab can be affected down the road.
Leveling The Concrete
When the concrete leveling company arrives, they will look at the damage to determine the best way to level the slab and where to start. Most concrete leveling services use a high-density foam injected under the slab to fill the void and raise the concrete back to its original height.
Small holes are drilled in the face of the concrete, and the foam is injected through the concrete in small amounts. It is critical that the contractor work carefully to ensure they do not put too much foam in the void space, or the slab could be lifted higher than intended and will not be level when the foam cures.
The process of drilling holes and adding foam will continue until the slab is level, and then the contractor will fill all the holes in the slab with cement to seal it against water and restore the smooth surface. The foam used to raise the concrete is far less likely to wash away or erode, but you will need to check with the contractor to determine the repair's life expectancy.
For many homeowners, leveling the concrete and getting a few more years of use before the slab must be replaced is worth the cost of concrete leveling. The service will also help reduce trip hazards and safety concerns that the homeowner may have, and the entire process often takes less than a day to do unless the area is extensive or there is a large amount of damage to the concrete slab.