Concrete Lifting Orinda, CA
Are you looking for concrete lifting in Orinda, CA? If so, you’ve landed on the right page. We’re Bay Area Underpinning and we’ve been fixing sunken sidewalks, driveways, pool decks, and other types of concrete slabs in Orinda since 2005.
You know they’re a safety hazard and a liability if you’ve ever tripped and fallen on an uneven concrete slab. If someone gets injured, it could even lead to a lawsuit. So, don’t put this repair on the back burner. Contact us today and schedule an inspection and free repair estimate.
If you don’t have the time to read all the way through this page, scroll down to the bottom and check out our customer reviews!
Sunken Concrete is Both a Safety Hazard and a Liability
Sunken, uneven concrete sidewalks, driveways, and pool decks aren’t a pretty sight. They’re an eyesore. However, they’re also a trip hazard that could lead to a lawsuit if someone gets injured.
At Bay Area Underpinning we’ve been lifting sunken concrete slabs in Orinda, CA for the past 20 years. We can lift and level…
Request your free estimate
Concrete sidewalks and other types of walkways
Concrete driveways
Interior concrete floor slabs
Concrete pool decks
Concrete patios
Benefits of Concrete Lifting via Polyurethane Foam Injection
The benefits of concrete lifting via polyurethane foam injection – also known as ”slabjacking” – include:
- It’s a repair you only need to do once. Unlike the heavy cement slurry used in mudjacking, polyurethane foam is extremely lightweight. If a slab is sinking because the soil under it can’t support the weight, adding even more weight to the soil via a cement slurry isn’t going to solve the problem. In fact, it could make the slab sink even faster and then you’d need to repeat the repair using another method.
- It’s a cost-effective solution. Lifting a concrete sidewalk, driveway, pool deck, or other slab via polyurethane foam injection is less expensive than digging up the old slab and pouring a new one.
- The repair usually only takes a few hours. Also, you can start using the slab again about 15 minutes after the repair is complete. There’s virtually no downtime associated with polyurethane foam injection.
- Polyurethane foam is super lightweight. It’s able to lift and level a concrete slab without adding extra weight to the soil.
- Polyurethane foam is a green solution. It won’t release harmful chemicals into the soil. Therefore, it’s an environmentally-friendly fix you can feel comfortable using.
- Level concrete just looks good! Sunken, uneven concrete is an eyesore.
What Causes Concrete Slabs to Sink or Become Uneven?
Concrete slabs sink and become unlevel for a variety of reasons including…
Drainage problems leading to too much water under the slab. If there’s too much water under the slab it will wash away the soil and leave behind voids.
Weak soil that can’t support the slab. Not all soils are alike. Some aren’t strong enough to support the weight of a concrete slab.
Expansive soils. These are soils that swell considerably as they absorb water and then shrink considerably as they dry out. Over time, this seasonal movement in the soil – expanding and shrinking – can cause a slab to sink and become unlevel.
Invasive tree roots. Who hasn’t seen examples of tree roots pushing against a slab.
What are The Different Ways to Lift a Concrete Slab?
There are three main methods for fixing a sunken concrete slab: mudjacking, replacing the slab, and polyurethane foam injection. Traditionally, the first two methods were used. However, they have some serious drawbacks as you shall see. Today, polyurethane foam injection is the best way to lift a concrete slab.
Mudjacking
Mudjacking is a repair solution that involves injecting a cement slurry – made up of water, soil, and cement – under the slab in order to lift it back up again. The main problem with mudjacking is the fact that the slurry is heavy because it includes cement. If the slab was sinking because the soil wasn’t able to support it, adding even more weight to the soil in the form of a cement slurry isn’t going to help. In fact, it could cause the slab to sink even more.
Concrete Replacement
Another solution is simply digging up the sunken slab and replacing it with a new one. This is a time-consuming repair option. A newly poured concrete slab takes time to dry and harden. This means there’s a certain amount of downtime where you won’t be able to use the slab. However, there’s another problem with this method: If the soil wasn’t able to support the old slab, it won’t be able to support a new slab either.
Don’t even think about pouring new concrete onto the slab in order to ”even it out”. You’ll only be adding additional weight to the slab and this will cause it to sink even more into the soil.
Polyurethane Foam Injection
Polyurethane foam injection is similar to mudjacking in that it involves injecting something under the slab in order to lift it back up. The difference is that polyurethane foam is extremely lightweight while the cement slurry used in mudjacking is heavy. The repair only takes 2-3 hours (usually) and as soon as it’s done you can use the slab again. No downtime and it’s less expensive than replacing the slab.
Concrete Lifting Services In Orinda, CA
We’ve been repairing foundations and concrete slabs
in Orinda, CA since 2005. Our mission is to make sure lifting your concrete slab is a stress-free event that provides a cost-effective, permanent fix.
For a free concrete lifting inspection and repair estimate, fill out the contact form at the top of the page.,
