Depending on what caused the fissures to develop in your concrete, it may be possible to halt the damage and begin repairing it with concrete lifting. This is a process best done by professionals who have years of experience and the right equipment. A local expert can inspect your home, determine the factors that caused the issue, and then apply one of two solutions:
Mudjacking
A rather invasive process, mudjacking requires drilling holes into the concrete that are roughly over an inch in diameter. Once the process is completed, the expert will then inject a concrete slurry that will begin to set up underneath your concrete. In a few days, once it’s hardened, it will provide your concrete with the support it needs to bear heavy loads and stop collapsing under its own weight. Of course, this does not resolve issues in the soil, and that can make it non-viable for some homeowners.
Aside from the defacement of the concrete being fixed, mudjacking is also a lengthy process. The material used to inject at the bottom of the concrete slabs can take up to days to fully cure, leaving homeowners in a tight spot. If the fix is being applied to the driveway or walkway, those areas may be avoided for some time, which isn’t always doable.
Polyurethane Foam
Ohio Basement Systems uses an innovative PolyRenewal injection to bring life back into sinking concrete slabs. An immediate benefit to this type of injection is the small sites needed to inject the foam, making it a less invasive solution. The polyurethane foam works to stabilize the concrete slabs and lift them up into their original position. As a plus, it’s extremely lightweight, so it’s unlikely to make soil issues worse.
PolyRenewal also comes with waterproof properties, allowing it to withstand many more years of wear and tear. It can repel water rather than absorbing it, unlike concrete, and it cures in as little as 15 minutes. This allows homeowners to use it right away, without the need to put their driveways, sidewalks, or basements out of commission for long stretches of time.