FAQ

What causes concrete to sink or settle?

Concrete settlement is usually caused by two reasons. The first and main reason is if your concrete has been installed on uncompacted loosely backfilled soils. This is common with slabs poured close to your home or building such as concrete pool decks, patios, sidewalks, and garage floors. This is also a huge problem around pool areas. We generally see this while completing concrete slab repair. Settlement will usually cause trip areas or water problems from the slabs being pitched improperly toward your foundation. Complete settlement of your concrete can sometimes take 10 years or more under certain circumstances.

A second cause is poor water drainage such as a down spout discharging next to a section of walkway, or improperly pitched landscape or grading, causing water to collect near your concrete.

What is concrete leveling and how long has it been around?

Concrete leveling, also known as concrete lifting is a process of raising settled concrete slabs by drilling a series of holes through the concrete. A cement grout mixture or foam is then pumped under the slab which raises the concrete back into position.

Concrete leveling has been in use since the 1930’s. The process has been successfully used to save concrete highways, airport strips, and slabs of all weights and sizes. It also frequently used for concrete sidewalk repairs. It has a proven history of success, durability, and permanency.

What is mudjacking?

1. A pattern of 1″ holes are drilled throughout the sunken slab or as needed to inject the lifting material through the slab.
2. A natural portland cement-based grout mixture is then pumped into the drill holes. Once any large voids have been filled, the slab begins to raise the slab.
3. The drill holes are then patched with a quick set high-strength cement, allowing for immediate use of the area in most cases.

What is poly foam?

While the steps are very similar to the mudjacking process, poly foam material is significantly different. While Mudjacking raising concrete by filling voids and floating the concrete slab back into position, the two part poly leveling foam goes through a chemical reaction causing expansion. This expansion process causes the concrete slab to raise.

What is Better? Mudjacking or Poly Foam?

Mudjacking has a time proven, long history of success raising concrete while poly foam is a much newer process.

Poly foam, also know by its chemical name poly-isocyanate is known to come with higher upfront material costs, along with higher separation, recycling and disposal costs at the time concrete replacement. Unlike Mudjacking, the product has a history of flammability and toxicity issues.

Further information on the safety, use, and history of both products have been studied by civil and environmental engineers, along with the Centers for Disease Control and National Institute Of Safety and Health.

Why should I level my concrete instead of replace it?

If your concrete is in good condition and not crumbling, deteriorating, or badly cracked, it would be impractical to spend 2 to 3 times the money or more to have it replaced. Concrete leveling is a durable money saving alternative to costly concrete replacement. Concrete leveling has the following advantages over replacement:

• Saves approximately 50% and to add 75% over having your concrete replaced
• Avoids slab color differences as with replacement
• Can be used in hours instead of days
• Strengthens your existing concrete by filling voids which weaken the stability of the slab and create a bridge effect where concrete can break
• Has a minimal effect on surrounding landscape from not having to excavate, form, or drive large trucks and equipment over your lawn.
• Building permits not normally required which can complicate and delay your repair time.
• Helps protect the environment from not disposing of your concrete: use of more trees for form wood, operating large, fuel burning trucks and equipment which pollutes the air from exhaust emissions

Can you see the holes?

With 1” injection holes, surface disturbance is kept to a minimum. While being such a minor concern to our past customers, the following describes concrete patching and or matching.

Because it is virtually impossible to match new and old cement or concrete, the holes will be visible to a certain extent when new. (Which in comparison to a new bright white slab from replacement, concrete leveling is preferable.) However, as time passes, the holes will weather and begin to blend with your existing concrete.

I have a water problem; will leveling the concrete stop it?

Outdoor concrete should be poured with a pitch. A pitch allows for water to drain away from your home or foundation wall. While raising concrete will return slabs back to their original height, it will not typically correct concrete that was initially installed lacking proper pitch.

However, If your concrete has settled and is causing water to be directed toward your foundation/basement wall or pool, raising your concrete is a great option. While concrete leveling has returned properly pitched concrete back to its original condition, the process cannot always compensate for improper installs.

Settled concrete is known to contribute to basement water and moisture issues. If your concrete is pitched toward your home, it should be corrected sooner than later.

Can concrete leveling be done all year?

While concrete leveling is not as temperature sensitive as pouring concrete, it should not be done when heavy ground frost is present. It is also not recommended to raise concrete on frozen/expanded soil as failure is likely to occur.

Estimates can be provided all year long and a decision to complete work can be made or scheduled around weather.

Cost of mudjacking?

There are several factors that affect job cost such as distance, ease of access, job size and volume of material required. You can expect concrete raising to be roughly half or less the cost of concrete replacement, but there are varying factors.

How long will concrete leveling last?

Concrete leveling has time tested success and permanence and has been used on everything from highways to airport runways since the 1930’s. We have had to return under our standard one year warranty period roughly 1% of the time, so you can be assured that concrete leveling is the smarter, cost-effective approach to concrete replacement.

Why choose the Concrete Chiropractor Leveling Service?

• We return all calls within 24 hours.
• We only specialize in Concrete. It’s our full-time business.
• We have the experience and equipment to do your job correctly.
• We are reasonable, reliable, and insured.
• We come highly recommended commercially and residentially with references supplied upon request.
• We have and want to preserve our excellent reputation and customer base and will do whatever necessary to maintain them.