Imagine pulling into your driveway after a long day at work only to experience a bumpy ride as you attempt to pull into your garage. Unfortunately for many Houston homeowners, this is a daily occurrence because of driveways that have experienced settling for one reason or another. There are many ways to remedy uneven driveways, and in today’s post, we’ll review a few of the more common techniques and which one may be most beneficial.
The concrete levelers at Tilted Concrete Solutions offer innovative and affordable solutions for settled concrete slabs. If your driveway has an unsightly tilt to it, or if you have a tough time entering and exiting your garage, we are here to help. Call today to request a free estimate for our industry leading concrete leveling services.
Four Uneven Driveway Solutions
As you begin to explore your options with regard to your sunken driveway, you’ll notice there are several different techniques that contractors use to remedy the problem, including replacing the concrete, mudjacking, grout releveling, and polyjacking.
Replacing Concrete
Depending on how severely your driveway has sunk and the subsequent damage sustained by the slab, it may be necessary to completely demolish the existing slab and replace it with a new one. Before other more efficient techniques came around, this was the go-to solution for driveways that had cracked, settled, or otherwise shifted from their original location. Although it can be tempting to start from scratch with a structurally sound slab, the process is not as efficient — new concrete slabs can take several days to cure and harden.
Mudjacking
As an alternative to replacing the driveway, mudjacking is the process in which a mortar-based compound is pumped beneath the sunken concrete slab in an effort to raise it back to its original height. The process relies on the right combination of sand, dirt, and Portland cement to provide enough hydraulic pressure to lift the slab. Because of the large access holes, this process can be quite invasive. Additionally, the newly lifted slab is susceptible to sinking again if too much weight is put on it too soon.
Grout Releveling
While mudjacking raises the existing slab, a process known as grout releveling aims to correct the issues of a sunken slab by leaving it in place. With this technique, a skim coat layer of cement or grout is placed right on top of the old surface, giving the appearance of a level slab. While this can be a viable temporary solution, the new top layer may not properly adhere to the lower layer of existing cement, resulting in unsightly cracking and chipping. Additionally, the extra weight of added material can cause the initial settling problem to worsen.
Polyjacking
Thanks to technological advancements in materials and procedures, polyjacking is another technique used by concrete levelers to restore driveways to their smooth and even original appearance. This type of slab leveling is very similar to mudjacking in that it relies on hydraulic pressure to lift the slab back to its rightful position. However, it is slightly different in that it relies on a self-expanding foam to level the driveway. Polyjacking can be used for a wide variety of applications, including sidewalks, patios, foundations, and swimming pools.
Do you have a sunken driveway in the Houston area? You don’t have to put up with unattractive, unsafe concrete surfaces! The expert concrete levelers at Tilted Concrete Solutions would love to speak with you. Contact our team today!
Why Polyjacking is Superior
Of these four uneven driveway solutions, polyjacking has the clear advantage in most cases. Both residential and commercial property owners can expect the following benefits from this innovative process:
- Minimal downtime — polyjacking provides a much faster sunken concrete solution, reaching 90 percent rigidity within 30 minutes.
- Lightweight materials — the foam used in polyjacking is lightweight, minimizing unnecessary weight that is added to unstable soil conditions.
- Minimally invasive — the access holes for polyjacking are much smaller than those required for mudjacking.
- Erosion prevention — because the foam used in polyjacking is waterproof, it prevents future occurrences of re-erosion.
- Eco-friendly process — when the existing slab is raised and not demolished, less waste is generated.
As you begin to gather bids from concrete levelers, be sure to ask what types of materials and processes they use in their concrete leveling services. Understanding the concrete lifting process in full will help ensure you receive the best possible result.
Houston Polyjacking Concrete Leveler
If you’re ready to restore the beauty and functionality of your driveway, Tilted Concrete Solutions is here to help you. We use a high-quality expanding polyurethane foam that is specifically designed for temperamental Texas soils, and we offer an industry-leading two-year warranty on our work. Discover the benefit of our innovative concrete raising services for yourself — call today to get started!
