One of the most distressful things for a homeowner to notice is that the concrete on their patio, driveway or sidewalk is beginning to sink. While this isn’t an uncommon thing to happen to a home after many years, it can still be an expensive repair. However, there’s more than one way to lift a slab. Here’s how polyurethane slab lifting can be a cost-effective solution for slab lifting and settlement issues.
To understand how polyurethane slab lifting can help homeowners, it's necessary to know what causes concrete slabs to settle. Terra firma isn't as stable as we tend to think. The soil that a concrete slab sits upon can erode or sink. Many processes can cause this erosion to happen, such as water damage from leaking pipes, storms and flooding, earthquakes, tree root growth and more. Whatever the cause, once this erosion occurs, the ground can no longer hold the weight of the concrete, and the remaining land is compressed. The result is sinking and cracking slabs of concrete.
The issues caused when a concrete slab settles go beyond the look of the pavement. If not addressed, a sinking concrete slab can lead to severe damage to the foundation of your home. It's vital for building owners to get the voids that cause concrete settling fixed before they lead to more extensive damage.
Polyurethane slab lifting is a cost-effective way to address concrete settlement issues by filling voids with new material. Poly Foam is injected through a few small holes that are drilled into the slab. The two-part foam mixture expands when the ingredients are combined. The expansion of the mixture will raise the concrete slab and fill the voids that caused the issue in the first place.
One of the advantages of foamjacking using polyurethane is that it's a cleaner process that other forms of slab repair. The equipment containing the polyurethane foam is mechanically connected and sealed to the repair area; this means it's less likely for loose material to be spilled. Another advantage is that polyurethane slab lifting can be done more quickly and quietly than the mudjacking technique that has been used since the 1930s.
Polyurethane slab lifting also has the advantage of using a more lightweight material compared to the cement-based slurry used in older mudjacking methods. Polyurethane foamjacking reduces the burden on the unstable soil that led to the concrete sinking, which means the concrete slab is less likely to resettle in the future. In contrast, the heaviness of the mudjacking slurry can compact the unstable soil within a few years, leading to the problem resurfacing.
If you need help with polyurethane slab lifting or encapsulation services for your home, Volunteer Home Services in Chattanooga can help. With more than a decade of experience, Volunteer Home Services is your local provider in Hamilton County and the Greater Chattanooga Metro area for crawlspace moisture, water, and air quality management.
If you have a question about slab lifting, crawlspace air quality or moisture removal, send us a message online, or call us at 423-682-0260 to schedule a consultation.