When Do You Need Concrete Leveling?
If you're wondering whether or not your concrete needs a little TLC, you've come to the right place. A-1 Concrete Leveling specializes in lifting up settled slabs and protecting concrete from future damage.
First things first, let's define concrete leveling. Simply put, it's the process of drilling strategic holes in a settled slab, then injecting a specialized compound through to lift it back up and create a new stable base. But how do you know if your concrete needs leveling?
Well, if you have sections of your concrete that are no longer the same level as the slabs next to them, then you'll most likely need concrete leveling. On the other hand, if your concrete is looking smooth and level, then you're in the clear!
In this article, we'll dive deeper into the signs that your concrete needs leveling, and we will also explore when alternative solutions may be a better fit for your needs.
When to Choose Concrete Leveling
Here are some instances where concrete leveling is a good choice:
- Your concrete is sunken or settled, causing trip hazards and eye sores
- Your concrete is mostly intact, with minimal cracking throughout the slabs
- You have issues with water pooling around your home or entering your basement
- You want to avoid the hassle and risks of concrete replacement
Concrete leveling is a great solution to uneven concrete in most cases, but if the concrete is severely damaged and unable to be lifted back into place, replacement is likely your best bet.
Common Concrete Leveling Locations
There are several areas we typically look for when it comes to leveling. Here are just a few:
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Concrete walkways or sidewalk slabs
These can be dangerous areas for unlevel concrete. Kids flying down your sidewalks on scooters. Folks going in and out of your place of business, maybe with their hands full. Even small levels of unevenness can catch a toe, causing someone to stumble and fall.
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Concrete driveways and aprons
Areas next to garages are prime locations for sunken concrete. These areas often have issues based on backfill against the garage foundation settling over time.
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Steps next to your porch
It may come as a surprise, but our skilled technicians have the expertise to lift concrete steps, whether it's just one or an entire flight.
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Concrete patios next to your house
Poor drainage around house foundations is often the culprit behind water issues in basements. Concrete patios that have settled next to the house can direct water toward the foundation, leading to all sorts of problems.
Voids
There are times when it isn’t clear that you have issues. Voids can develop under slabs without any apparent issues. Here are some things to look for:
- Does a slab rock when driven over?
- Does it sound hollow if you tap on it with a rubber mallet?
If you suspect you may have a void under your concrete, give us a call right away. It is much simpler to solve the problem before the concrete slab settles than after.
When is Concrete Leveling Not the Right Solution?
If your concrete is cracked in too many places, with all the pieces being smaller than a foot or two square, then concrete leveling is probably not right for the project.
To level the concrete properly, the compound must be pumped underneath the slabs and if there are dozens of pieces that need to be all lifted to the same level, the desired results will be very hard to achieve.
In cases like this, your only option is to tear it out and pour new concrete. Read more about when concrete is too far gone for concrete leveling.
This is a good example of concrete that is too far gone to be leveled by our concrete repair process. Besides tearing it out and replacing it, there's not much that can be done to fix it.
Up Next
Want to know more about concrete leveling? Check out the following resources from our Concrete Academy:
- Top 4 Problems with Concrete Leveling
- Can you level concrete in bad weather?
- Your Concrete Leveling Appointment
You can also click the link below for a free consultation and estimate from one of A-1 Concrete Leveling's expert team members!
A-1
DES MOINES
Featured Team Member
Dan is the owner, along with his wife Cathy, of A-1 Concrete Leveling Des Moines. He is often out about town doing estimates, or just as frequently on a job helping the leveling or foundation crews complete their work to the quality that customers expect.
I contracted with Andrew Gray of Keystone Foundation Repair to come lift our sunken front porch slab, and was told that it would be a relatively easy and routine job to lift the slab about 8 inches. It wound up being a nightmare situation, but not because of anything that the workmen did. In fact, the crews spent two full days valiantly trying to lift the slab using first foam and then composite, but to no avail. (They had easily and successfully lifted a sidewalk of ours without issue, but the porch slab would not budge.) Andrew apologized profusely and said he would not charge us a single dime for the two days of work, including the unrelated sidewalk repair, because he hadn't been able to accomplish what he promised, even though it was due to circumstances beyond his control. Furthermore, he personally came back to our house a number of times after that, at zero expense to us, to make us whole--scrubbing, cleaning, and power washing on his own time. He handled the whole situation extremely professionally and scrupulously, striving to make sure we were completely satisfied. I would definitely recommend Andrew and his company to anyone who needed foundation repair! This company is most certainly trust-worthy and notable!