Concrete Leveling

Why Concrete Slabs Sink and Settle

Uneven concrete is more than just an eyesore. Sunken slabs create trip hazards that can lead to injuries and liability concerns. Water pools on uneven surfaces instead of draining properly, which accelerates damage. Your property looks neglected and loses value. Many homeowners assume that sunken concrete means expensive replacement, but concrete leveling offers a better solution in most cases.

Concrete slabs sink when the soil beneath them shifts or compresses. This happens for several reasons. Poor compaction during original construction leaves voids that eventually collapse under the weight of the concrete. Water washing away soil from under the slab creates empty spaces. Soil naturally compacts over time, especially clay soils that shrink as they dry. Tree roots can also disturb soil and cause settling. The concrete itself remains structurally sound in most cases. The problem is not the concrete but the lack of support beneath it.

You will notice settling most often in driveways, sidewalks, patios, and garage floors. The section near your home foundation often sinks first because water tends to accumulate there. Individual slabs settle at different rates, creating uneven joints and trip hazards. Once settling starts, it usually continues and gets worse over time. Addressing the problem sooner rather than later prevents further damage and more expensive repairs down the road.

How Concrete Leveling Works

The Leveling Process Explained

Concrete leveling, also called slab jacking or mud jacking, lifts sunken concrete back to its original position. The process is straightforward. We drill small holes through the concrete slab, typically 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Then we pump a specialized material under the slab through these holes. As material fills the voids beneath the concrete, it lifts the slab. We carefully control the lifting process to raise the concrete to exactly the right level.

The lifting material depends on the specific application. Traditional mud jacking uses a mixture of soil, cement, and other materials. This mixture is heavy and effective for large slabs. Polyurethane foam injection is a newer method that uses expanding foam to lift concrete. The foam is lightweight, expands to fill voids completely, and cures quickly. Each method has advantages. We recommend the best approach based on your specific situation, the amount of lifting needed, and your budget.

Advantages Over Replacement

Concrete leveling costs far less than removing and replacing concrete. You typically save 50 to 70 percent compared to full replacement. The process is much faster too. Most leveling projects take just a few hours rather than days or weeks. You can use the concrete again almost immediately, usually within 24 hours. There is no waiting for new concrete to cure.

Leveling creates less mess and disruption. We do not need to remove the old concrete, bring in heavy equipment for demolition, or haul away debris. Your landscaping stays intact. There is no dust and noise from breaking up concrete. Because we keep your existing concrete, there is no issue with trying to match the color or texture of new concrete to old. The holes we drill are patched and become nearly invisible once complete.

What Can Be Leveled

We can level most types of concrete slabs including:

• Driveways with sunken sections or trip hazards
• Sidewalks and walkways that have settled
• Patio slabs that slope toward your house
• Garage floors that are no longer level
• Pool decks with uneven surfaces
• Basement floors that have sunk
• Commercial flatwork and parking areas

Concrete must be in reasonably good condition to be leveled. Extensive cracking, crumbling, or other serious damage may mean replacement is the better option. We inspect your concrete to determine if leveling will work or if other repairs are needed first. The goal is to provide the most cost-effective solution that gives you lasting results.

Limitations of Leveling

While leveling works great for many situations, it has limitations. If your concrete is badly cracked or broken into multiple pieces, it may not hold together during lifting. Very thin slabs might crack when lifted. Concrete near trees with active root problems may settle again unless the roots are addressed. We honestly assess whether leveling will work for your situation or whether other solutions like replacement make more sense. Our goal is to recommend what actually solves your problem, not just sell you a service.

Our Concrete Leveling Process

Inspection and Assessment

We begin with a thorough inspection of your sunken concrete. We measure exactly how much settling has occurred and check for other problems like cracking or void spaces. Understanding why the concrete sank is important. Is it poor drainage washing away soil? Was the base inadequately prepared? Are tree roots involved? Identifying the cause helps us prevent future settling after we lift the slab.

We discuss the leveling options with you and provide a detailed estimate. The estimate includes the method we recommend, the number of holes needed, and the total cost. We explain what results you can expect. In most cases, we can restore concrete to within 1/4 inch of level. For severely sunken slabs, we may recommend lifting in stages to avoid cracking the concrete.

Lifting the Concrete

On the scheduled day, we mark the locations for injection holes. These are strategically placed where lifting is needed most. We drill the holes using specialized equipment. The holes are small enough to be unobtrusive but large enough for the pumping equipment. Next, we insert the injection ports and begin pumping material under the slab. We monitor the slab carefully as it lifts, using levels and measurements to ensure accuracy.

The lifting happens gradually. We work systematically across the slab, raising it evenly to avoid stressing the concrete. This takes skill and experience. Lifting too quickly or unevenly can crack the slab. We know exactly how to control the process for best results. Once the slab reaches the target level, we stop pumping and allow the material to set. This usually takes just minutes for foam and a few hours for traditional mud jacking material.

Finishing and Cleanup

After the material sets, we remove the injection ports and fill the holes. We use a concrete patching compound that matches your slab color as closely as possible. The patches are troweled smooth and blend with the surrounding concrete. Within a few weeks, the patches weather to match even better. We clean up all equipment and materials, leaving your property tidy. You can typically walk on the leveled concrete immediately and drive on it within 24 hours. The result is level concrete that looks good and functions properly again.

Frequently Asked Questions