What’s the Difference Between Polyjacking and Mudjacking?

Jun 27, 2017 | Mudjacking Houston

Many people use the term “mudjacking” to encompass any type of concrete lifting operation, however, this can be misleading because not every application uses mud to raise the slab. Relying on a strong and eco-friendly expanding foam, polyjacking is the competitive counterpart to mudjacking and is quickly becoming the leading choice for contractors raising sunken concrete slabs. As Houston’s trusted concrete leveling company, the pros at Tilted Concrete Solutions know a thing or two about the differences between mudjacking and polyjacking, and we’d love to discuss what options you have for restoring your cement slab surfaces. Contact us today to discover more about our services, and read on to learn about the main differences between these two popular applications.

Invasiveness

Regardless of whether you’re preparing to mudjack or polyjack a surface, proper preparation is needed, and this includes drilling access holes into the slab so that the technician can pump the lifting materials into the void beneath. For homeowners looking for a minimally invasive concrete raising solution, it’s important that these access holes not create a secondary unsightly problem once the slab is lifted.

With traditional mudjacking, access holes may need to be as big as 1 to 1 ½ inches in diameter to accommodate the dense concrete slurry mix. If there are a lot of access holes needed, having too many of these holes can be an eyesore and impact the integrity of the slab. Because of the unique expansive properties of the polyurethane foam our company uses, fewer injection holes are required and they only need to be as big as a penny, providing a less invasive, more attractive concrete leveling solution.

Cure Times

When you’ve got a front walkway, driveway, or patio that’s sunken, your property presents a liability exposure to friends and other guests because of the tripping hazard created by uneven surfaces. The quicker you can remedy the problematic area, the better. Because of this, homeowners and businesses prefer a concrete lifting application that has minimal cure times.

In addition to being more invasive and heavy, standard mudjacking procedures come with a long cure time as the concrete slurry solidifies and dries beneath the slab. It can take anywhere from one to three days for the mixture to set, and that’s not beneficial for anyone. Our innovative, self-expanding foam provides a fast solution with minimal curing time, reaching 90 percent rigidity in as little as 30 minutes. It doesn’t get any more convenient than that!

Weight

Let’s face it: concrete is heavy stuff! This is part of the reason it is so susceptible to sinking in the first place! Our great state of Texas has many beautiful qualities, including being so close to the ocean. However, our shallow water table contributes to unstable soils, which is often a large contributor to sinking sidewalks, driveways, and pool decks. When you have uneven surfaces, the last thing you want is to add to unstable soil conditions.

Unfortunately, the mudjacking process relies on a heavy mortar-based compound that can weigh upwards of 100 pounds per square foot. While this can be very beneficial for supporting the significant amount of weight produced by a concrete slab, it also adds unnecessary weight to soil that is already unstable. Weighing in at less than five pounds per cubic foot, our expanding polyurethane foam provides a lightweight solution for concrete raising. Contact our friendly team today to learn more!

Tilted Concrete Solutions wants you to know that you don’t have to put up with uneven, sinking concrete surfaces that create a safety hazard on your residential or commercial property! We offer customer-focused concrete raising services backed by an industry-leading two-year warranty. If you’re a resident of our expansive southeast Texas service area, contact us today to get a free estimate! We look forward to serving you!


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