Concrete repair solutions
You may notice over the years your driveway, sidewalk, foundation floor, patio, steps or porch is sinking or cracking. A typical lifespan of a concrete driveway is 25-30 years. This is also dependent on maintenance and care over the years. Cracks and damaged concrete can cause trip hazards. Falls are the leading type of accident, and you don’t want to be held liable if someone trips or hurts themselves. Whether you are selling your home or want your home to look good for a first impression, curb appeal is essential. You may need to get concrete repair or leveling to keep your concrete slabs from deteriorating more and keep your home looking good. So, what are your options?
Concrete replacement
Ripping out and replacing the concrete is very costly and time consuming. From the demo and removing all the old concrete, getting the new driveway installed, staying off the concrete until cured, watering the new concrete, not driving on it until it is fully cured, and adding sealant after it is cured. This process altogether can take over a month.
Concrete Mud jacking
Mud jacking is a short-term option for repairing concrete, this can take a full day to cure also and require staying off for 24 hours. Mud jacking works however this repair process is not without its challenges. Be aware of all the mud jacking challenges, before selecting this repair solution and why the use of polyurethane foam is now the preferred method for lifting concrete. The materials used are not waterproof and not ideal for Iowa weather. The material will break down over time and can cause concrete to sink again. The material used is going to be rock solid after 24 hours, that is a good thing however it’s going to be extremely heavy, about 100 lbs. per cubic foot. Being this heavy is going to add additional weight over the top causing more settling to occur. Mud jacking requires large holes to be drilled to pump the material in. Along with being an eyesore, large holes compromise the integrity of the concrete and can cause cracking.
If you have been thinking about ripping out and replacing the slab or getting it mud jacked, you may really want to consider the better option!
The better option is Poly-lifting
Poly-lifting is used to stabilize the soil and lift the concrete. Polyurethane concrete raising is longer lasting and a quicker repair. Poly is stronger, waterproof, flame resistant, non-polluting, weighs a lot less than mud jacking material and can reach areas that are inaccessible to mud jacking equipment. Weighing significantly less at only about 2 lbs. per square foot, will not cause any additional settling of concrete over time. It is also able to hold 7200 pounds per square foot. Foam injections cure in 15 minutes compared to a full day for mud jacking, so it is ready to use immediately! It’s less invasive because it requires smaller (nearly invisible) and fewer holes.
BAM basements and Masons of Des Moines believe that you deserve only the best. The poly foam we use is environmentally friendly, consisting of 39-49% renewable and recycled materials. BAM’S poly foam is top of the line material, designed specifically for different concrete applications. Our concrete lifting solution allows us to easily adjust our approach to solve problems for our customers’ homes or businesses.
Hi there. Upon discovering that it would take at least two days for a mud jacking process to show some results, I became slightly curious. This is because my brother talked about the exact same thing with me last night where he intends to re-level his concrete pavement some time this year. I’ll surely ask him to check this article out before taking any action soon.