How Concrete Leveling Works
If you're tired of constantly warning family and friends about that uneven front step, or you're ready to give your settled driveway a much-needed upgrade, concrete leveling may just be the solution for you.
Concrete leveling is a cost-effective way to quickly lift and restore sunken or settled concrete. Rather than dealing with the hassle of concrete replacement, you can have your concrete lifted back into a safe, level, and good-looking position in a matter of hours.
This article will serve as a guide to how concrete leveling works, explain three of the most common methods, describe the patented A-1 Concrete Leveling method, and provide you with common concrete leveling applications.
How does concrete leveling work?
While different, all methods for leveling concrete essentially involve the following same three steps:
- Strategic holes are drilled through the concrete slabs around the affected area
- A leveling compound is pumped through the holes and under the slab, lifting it up
- Once the area is level, the drill holes are sealed off
The A-1 Concrete Leveling Process
1. Drill Holes
Small holes (1-inch diameter) are drilled through the sunken concrete block at strategic locations.
2. Pump Leveling Compound
A finely-crushed, highly-dense limestone aggregate (sometimes combined with Portland cement), is combined with water in a “slurry” consistency and is then pumped into the holes.
Once any voids under the surface, created by erosion or soil compaction, have been filled, the block will begin to rise. As the slurry begins to flow under the slab, it exerts an even pressure across the entire slab and can easily raise the concrete.
Through strategic placement of the drilled holes, and control of the amount of material injected into each, the block will be carefully raised into its final position.
3. Patch Drill Holes
During the last step, the holes are filled with non-shrinking grout leaving the slab looking nearly new.
Most Common Concrete Leveling Methods
The universal goal of concrete leveling is to take a settled slab of concrete and return it back to a level position, and there are different ways of going about doing it. Foam leveling (or poly jacking), mud jacking, and stone slurry leveling are the most common methods.
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Foam Leveling or Poly Jacking
Foam leveling, which sometimes goes by “poly jacking”, is a method of lifting concrete that uses expanding polyurethane foam. When the foam is injected under the slab, its chemical reaction causes the foam to expand rapidly and lift the settled slab.
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Mud Jacking
Mud jacking is a method of leveling concrete that pumps a soil, sand, and water mixture under the concrete slab in order to lift it up. “Mud jacking” is a well-known name for concrete leveling involving a slurry-type mixture, even though it is distinct from A-1’s patented limestone grout slurry leveling process.
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Stone Slurry Grout Leveling
Created with only crushed agricultural limestone and water, A-1’s limestone slurry grout leveling compound creates a sturdy base that can last for the lifetime of the concrete slab itself.
The limestone and water are mixed on-site, then the compound is pumped directly under the slab slowly enough to fill the entire void and lift the sunken area up with constant, even pressure.
Common Concrete Leveling Applications
Concrete leveling can be an incredibly durable and long-lasting solution to settled concrete when performed correctly by experienced professionals.
The service has many different applications that make it a convenient choice for many homeowners struggling with trip hazards and unsightly areas around their property.
Your Next Steps
Now that you've gotten familiar with how concrete leveling works to bring settled slabs back up to an even, safe position, you're ready to decide if it's an option you'd like to keep exploring for your property.
A-1 Concrete Leveling has been lifting settled slabs for over 30 years, and in this time we've gotten to see just how much of a lasting impact concrete leveling can have.
If you'd like to see what concrete leveling or any of A-1's other concrete repair and maintenance services can do for you, click the link below to request a free onsite consultation and cost estimate!
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