When You Having Sinking Concrete: The Benefits Of Mudjacking
If you have sinking concrete, it is costly to remove the concrete slab and pour new concrete to repair the problem. It's even harder to match the sinking slab of concrete you need to repair with the rest of the concrete in the space. The better solution to provide concrete leveling, or raise up a sinking concrete slab is called mudjacking. This is a process where the slab has holes drilled into it in order to reach below the surface of the concrete slab to lift it up. This solution works, but you have to first determine why the slab is sinking in the first place to make sure it doesn't continue.
Why Sinking Concrete Slabs Occur
There are a number of reasons a concrete slab will start to sink. Poor drainage below the slab can cause the ground underneath to become flooded, no longer able strong enough to hold the slab up. Soil can wash away when there is too much water, and this will leave holes that cause the slab to sink. Soil that expands when it gets wet is going to shrink again when it dries. This expansion and contraction of the soil commonly cause the soil to destabilize. Tree roots can grow into the concrete, pushing the slab out of place.
The Basics of Mudjacking
Mudjacking is a process that is used to lift sunken concrete using a liquid cement slurry. This can be used on sidewalks, driveways, or patios to get a concrete slab back in place. The cement slurry is a mix of cement, soil, and water, and it is pushed below the slab through drilled holes in order to push the slab back up into place. It doesn't take long for this process, and the work can be done in a couple of hours. Mudjacking is also used to help lift foundations, but can only be used on concrete slabs if the slab is not damaged.
The benefits of mudjacking include:
- It's cheaper than taking out an old slab and putting in a new concrete slab.
- Mudjacking is done much faster than replacing an existing slab.
- No big equipment needs to be used for mudjacking, and it can be done by a couple of people.
When you need to repair sinking concrete, it's time to learn more about the process of mudjacking. If you have an intact concrete slab that needs to be lifted, mudjacking is the answer.
