Concrete Lifting and Stabilization

There is no single force that can be blamed for the failure of concrete around your property. There are, however, certain players that have more of an impact on concrete’s overall structural integrity than others. These include: 

Hydrostatic Pressure 

When in doubt, you can look to high levels of humidity, heavy rain, and hydrostatic pressure when your patio or driveway begins to heave. This kind of pressure, brought against your concrete thanks to the buildup of water in and around your lawn, can change the size of concrete on a molecular level. Not only that, but concrete is a surprisingly porous material. It can absorb sitting water and retain it for an extended period of time, adding to the hydrostatic pressure it’s already facing. 

As that hydrostatic pressure builds and your concrete begins to change sizes, your compromised structures can develop stress cracks. If the temperature starts to drop outside of your home, then the water that your concrete absorbed can even freeze, causing those aforementioned cracks to expand at a rapid rate. Not only will you have to contend with cracks, but you may also find yourself facing sinkage and concrete crawl that causes your concrete to appear uneven. In short, water’s work against your home is varied, but all of it poses an immediate threat to the appeal and safety of your property. 

Other Forces 

Of course, it isn’t just hydrostatic pressure, standing water, and moisture that can destabilize and de-level the concrete structures around your property. Animals and tree roots can also do significant damage to those same structures. For example, trees that have been planted too close to your home can spread their roots out and underneath the concrete structures you’ve poured. In turn, those roots can leave gaps in the soil behind them as they grow. Your concrete can then sink into those gaps, causing it to buckle on the surface. 

Animals, too, like to dig burrows beneath the structures that they think will keep them safe in the long run. Rabbits, for example, and groundhogs can leave behind burrows that are up to 45 feet long. Your concrete structures can sink into those burrows, buckling as they go down. With those different sources of damage in mind, you’ll want to try and determine why it is that the concrete structures around your home have succumbed to damage. The sooner you’re able to identify a cause behind your slippage, the more effectively you’ll be able to act when investing in repairs and future preventative measures. 

Uneven concrete may not seem like an immediate threat when it appears on your property. That doesn’t mean, however, that you should let this kind of damage go unattended for long periods of time. Uneven concrete can put your home’s market value and your family’s health at risk if you let it continue to sink or otherwise fester. 

Uneven Concrete and Your Home’s Market Value 

Uneven concrete falls victim to what is known as concrete creep and crawl. Concrete that expands and contracts on a molecular level ends up doing so on a more visible level, as well, the longer it’s allowed to sit. Not only may you find yourself contending with problematic concrete, but the walls and floors of your home may begin to sag or otherwise show signs of strain. As the structural supports throughout your home begin to show signs of wear, your home will actively become less safe to live in. Not only will this put your family in danger, but it will also make future homebuyers less likely to purchase your home. 

Realtors will not be able to list your home for as much as it was originally worth. If you let water-damaged concrete continue to buckle on your property, you risk losing up to 30 percent of your home’s market value. 

Uneven Concrete and Your Family’s Health 

Uneven concrete presents a two-fold danger to you and your family. On a superficial level, uneven concrete is difficult to walk on. Any family members who have trouble getting from one place to another, or even family members who don’t, are at a higher risk of tripping and falling when you don’t actively maintain the concrete structures around your home. 

Damaged concrete can also, however, serve as an incubator for all manner of molds. If you find yourself contending with a mold-infested pool deck or front porch, you’re going to want to reach out to area mold removal professionals as soon as you possibly can. All manner of molds can aggravate a person’s allergies or elicit new ones in a person who has never experienced allergies before. Exposure to toxic molds in the long term can cause respiratory problems that last far beyond the mold’s removal from your property. 

When it comes to fixing damaged concrete around your property, you’ll want to work with area professionals to either see those uneven elements lifted back into place or replaced entirely. Do not try to replace these structures on your own or invest in your own repairs. While DIY work can seem appealing from a financial standpoint, it can often cost you far more to try and repair uneven concrete on your own. Furthermore, you risk doing additional damage to your home and property if you don’t have the experience needed to lift these damaged structures back into place. 

With that in mind, some of the repair and replacement options professionals in your area can make available to you should your home’s concrete structures suffer damage include: 

• Installing overlays. Concrete overlaps help you attend to cracks in your concrete that have developed as a result of a buckle or shift. These cracks may pose a minor threat to the structure’s overall integrity, but that threat should not be so significant as to actively put your family in immediate danger. In these cases, professionals can clean off the surface of your concrete before applying an inexpensive layer of cement over the damaged areas. Aim for a smooth finish, and your damaged walkway or deck will look as good as new. 
• Investing in fills, patches, and resurfacing. On a similar note, contractors can provide you with fills, patches, and resurfacing services if you’re concerned about the overall appearance of your concrete and the structure damage doesn’t appear to be too significant. 

• Piering and underpinning. If you want a comprehensive lift, you can request that the professionals in your area install piers beneath the sinking concrete structure of your choice. You’ll have your choice of piers, all of them ranging in strength and price, but all of them will lift your concrete structure back into its original position. These piers take the weight of these structures off of the soil around your home, preventing most unwanted shifting and better securing your concrete for the future. 
• Mudjacking. Alternatively, you can invest in concrete mudjacking services. Mudjacking sees the professionals in your area inject the ground underneath your sinking concrete structure with some manner of stone or artificial slurry. That slurry then hardens beneath the concrete, lifting it back into place while stabilizing the ground beneath it. This is an extensive and invasive procedure, however. 
• Replacement services. There are times when the concrete structures around your property are simply too far gone to repair. In these cases, you can work with area professionals to see the damaged concrete removed and a new structure poured in its place. While this process can prove to be expensive, you can use this new opportunity to waterproof the structure in question, thereby preventing the kind of damage that did the previous build in. 

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to bring your sunken concrete back into its best condition, then you can take advantage of Foundation Recovery Systems’ PolyRenewal™ Solution. 

Foundation Recovery Systems’ PolyRenewal™ Solution 

Foundation Recovery Systems will implement our patented PolyRenewal™ Solution, a lightweight, strong high-density polyurethane foam pumped beneath your concrete slabs. This foam flows smoothly into even the tiniest cracks. This helps compress the remaining soil underneath and lifts your uneven concrete up again. The best part is that this solution is environmentally friendly and waterproof. You no longer have to worry about the soil washing out and causing cracked or uneven concrete ever again. 

Our solution can be used and cured on the same day, so you can walk around on your concrete driveway, sidewalk, or wherever the moment it dries! 

PolyRenewal™ System Versus Mudjacking 

At first glance, the process of mudjacking your concrete structures and investing in PolyRenewal™ injections may seem similar. In many ways, these two processes are one and the same. However, mudjacking relies on slurry made out of natural resources. The concrete and rocks that get injected beneath your sinking concrete structures are, in many ways, just as vulnerable to hydrostatic pressure and related damage as the concrete itself. 

Comparatively, a PolyRenewal™ System is made up of artificial ingredients designed not only to lift your concrete structures but to stabilize the soil around them. This material, a high-density polyurethane foam, is neither going to absorb the moisture in your lawn nor allow it to carve away at its overall structure. You can rely on this foam to see you through rain, snow, and even flooding. 

Reach Out to Professionals for Guidance 

Contending with any degree of sinking, slipping, or otherwise damaged concrete in your yard or elsewhere on your property can feel like a trial. You’re not the first homeowner to see this kind of damage, however, and you’re not going to be the last. If you want to do your best to bring your home back up to snuff, you can reach out to the professional contractors serving your area. Together, you can inspect the damage already done to your concrete structures and determine what means of repair may help get them back into shape. From there, you can explore what available waterproofing measures may help you avoid this kind of damage in the months to come. 

Get in touch today to schedule a home inspection and for a free quote on any repair or installation services your concrete or any part of your home may need.