Concrete leveling aka slabjacking is a special concrete repair method that has been used in North America for many decades to repair cracked, sunken or uneven concrete slab. In this post, I am going to share with you how it works and how long you can expect a repaired slab to last.
How concrete leveling works
Many people think that the only way to deal with a badly sunken or cracked slab is to replace it with a new one. However, through slabjacking, such a slab can be repaired quickly and inexpensively. Concrete leveling essentially involves creating small holes into a damaged slab using a drill and injecting cement slurry into them. This helps to repair slabs because most slab cracks are caused by changes to the underlying soil that result in gaps or voids being created underneath the slab. Without the support, these slabs usually then degrade or crack. So injecting cement slurry into the holes fills the gaps and voids beneath the slab stabilizing the soil underneath. The injection will also bulge the soil underneath the slab and lift it up and back to its original flat position if done right. This is where the name concrete leveling comes from as this process levels concrete slabs. When the drill holes and the crack lines are caulked after concrete leveling, slabs usually look as good as new. It is usually very difficult to tell if they have been repaired.
How long you can expect a repaired slab to last
When you replace a cracked or sunken slab with a new one, the new one will probably crack or sink just like the old one. This is especially true if you do not deal with the soil underneath and make it more stable. This is why those who know about concrete leveling prefer it to replacing concrete slabs because it stabilizes the underlying soil and it is easier to do than to replace cracked or sunken slabs entirely. Repaired cracked concrete slabs usually last longer than new ones because the underlying cause of damage is dealt with during the repair. Concrete leveling works brilliantly and is cheaper than replacing cracked concrete. Contact us today to ask any questions about slabjacking.
