Concrete Repair Methods

Sinking, uneven, cracking concrete slabs are unpleasant to look at, but more importantly, they are dangerous tripping hazards. However, you don’t have to live with sinking and uneven concrete.

Regarding concrete repair, homeowners have a few options, including polyurethane foam injection, which outperforms traditional repair methods such as mudjacking and concrete replacement. This page explores these methods in more detail.

Traditional Concrete Repair Methods

Mudjacking

Mudjacking is an old-fashioned method for lifting concrete. It involves drilling a series of soda can-sized holes throughout a concrete slab and then filling them with cement and/or mud in an attempt to raise the sunken slab. Although mudjacking has been around for a long time, this concrete repair method is plagued with many challenges.

One of the biggest drawbacks to mudjacking is that it is very invasive. The high-pressure grout used in the mudjacking process is very messy. In fact, often times the mud and cement used to fill the holes spews out of the holes, making a large mess that is almost impossible to clean up.

Concrete Replacement

Concrete replacement is a very invasive and intensive process. To replace concrete, the existing concrete slabs must first be removed. Heavy-duty equipment like jackhammers, backhoes, and skid steers must remove and haul the concrete debris away, which can cause significant damage to your landscaping and lawn.

Not only is concrete replacement expensive and disruptive, but it does not address the real issue at hand: the weak soil. The weak soil underneath your concrete slab is the reason your slab is sinking and uneven. Think about it: When you install the new concrete slab over the same unstable soil, your new concrete slab will sink just like the old one!

Modern Concrete Repair Methods

Polyurethane Foam Injection

Due to its many benefits, polyurethane foam injection is the preferred concrete lifting method over concrete replacement and mudjacking. Polyurethane foam injection is a two-part urethane that expands into a rigid foam to stabilize and lift concrete.

The Benefits of Polyurethane Foam Injection

Quick Cure Time

Unlike concrete replacement, which takes days to cure, polyurethane foam injection takes roughly 15 minutes to cure.

Non-Invasive

Polyurethane foam injection only involves drilling a few penny-sized holes into the concrete slab, making your concrete repair project less messy.

Waterproof

Polyurethane foam injection is fully waterproof and can stop a variety of infrastructure leaks.

Lightweight

Polyurethane foam injection weighs between 4 and 6 pounds per cubic foot, compared to 120 pounds with traditional methods.

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