Concrete Lifting

Many homeowners believe that concrete is indestructible. Although used for virtually every building, driveway, and sidewalk, concrete is still a porous material. This means that it has thousands of tiny pores within it that water can easily flow through and cause damage. When water sits on top of concrete for a prolonged period it can cause it to crack and become uneven. The same goes for your home’s foundation. When water sits around your foundation, whether in the soil or around the base, it can cause severe structural damage. 

In the majority of cases, there’s not much that a homeowner can do to fix concrete cracks, sinking slabs, and uneven concrete surfaces.  

Why Concrete Lifting is a Specialist Job 

When working with professionals, rest assured the tools and products needed to lift the concrete were selected by licensed professionals after years of experience on the job. Even smaller and cosmetic changes will require a specialist to use the proper process, tools, and techniques. It’s not an easy task or something homeowners would want to worry about.   

Most concrete-related issues faced by homeowners in Michigan are a product of the local weather conditions and local professionals operate with this in mind. Michigan gets 38 inches of rainfall at the most. Southern parts of the state are the wettest and the northeast is the driest. June is usually the month with the most rainfall. These weather conditions are caused by proximity to the Great Lakes and they are enough to cause the soil to erode. That in turn causes concrete slabs to sink, shift, and crack.  

Save Yourself Time and Money 

A lot of the time the homeowners want to fix their own properties in order to save money. This is reasonable and it often works since repairs are expensive. However, this isn’t one of those cases. The damage that the amateur can cause can often be more expensive than the repair done by the experts. Trying to fix the sinking foundation yourself will actually cost you more than calling a professional right away. 

The same goes for the time spent. A lot of time and effort is needed to diagnose the problem in the first place. Doing so means that you can’t start the repairs until you’ve figured out what’s caused the damage. It’s a waste of time therefore and you would have been better off letting the free inspection find the source of the problem and provide you with ideas on how to solve it. This shouldn’t be an issue of pride but of efficiency and choosing what’s best for your home. 

There are cases in which the only way to go is to replace the damaged concrete. But that’s a rare occasion. If there are other options such as lifting and repairing the concrete, you should consider that instead of replacing it. 

Replacing Concrete May Be Expensive 

Replacing the concrete altogether is one of the most expensive repairs you can do. This sort of repair will disturb your home life and cause a mess in your home and yard for at least a while. It’s also important to note that simply replacing the concrete won’t fix the underlying issue that has caused the slab to crack in the first place.  

When you compare the costs of replacing the concrete with that of fixing it, you’ll see why no one wants to do it unless they absolutely have to. Contact the professionals and let them provide you with a range of other options. Don’t hesitate to try them out before replacing the concrete. 

The Underlying Issues Need to be Addressed 

It’s important to note that the cracks and chips in the concrete are just a symptom and it’s not enough to fix them unless you fix the cause of the problem. That’s also the case when you remove and replace the whole concrete slab. That underlying issue is often about the soil and climate surrounding your home. 

When the cause of the cracked concrete problems is found in the soil you’ll need to put in place measures that will help you fix the underlying issue first. Sometimes that means that you’ll have unplanned expenses to cover as well, but that’s the price of having a long-term solution.  An expert will help you plan for those expenses and take you through the repair process step by step.

A lot of the time homeowners wait too long and don’t fix the issues with their concrete cracks right away. That’s sometimes because it seems it’s a minor problem and sometimes because the repairs seem to be too expensive or too tiresome. It’s a mistake to wait too long since that will only make the problem worse and the solution more expensive. 

Waiting Is A Bad Idea 

The mistake in waiting to start the repairs is in the fact that it isn’t a guarantee that things won’t become worse. It could get worse, and the concrete won’t be salvageable at all. If that happens, there’s no way to fix it but to replace it altogether. This is a much more expansive solution and one that’s more intrusive and more of a burden on your home life, once it’s underway. 

The Benefits of Acting Quickly 

There are numerous benefits, however, in not waiting too long, but acting quickly as soon as you notice that the cracks are something to worry about. The most obvious advantage is in the fact that the repair will be faster and less expensive. Acting quickly also means that you don’t have to go into difficult repairs such as replacing the whole concrete. 

On top of that, the problems with the structure of your home can also cause the foundation itself to be damaged. If you do not act quickly this can happen and you’ll end up having to repair the foundation itself rather than just the concrete on top of it. It’s much more expensive and difficult and you would do best to avoid it by acting right away.

No homeowner likes to dig around their home and pouring chemicals into the ground doesn’t sound too fun either. However, it’s usually the best way to get the job done, and the tools used to do it have changed greatly. PolyRenewal is the tool we at the Foundation Systems of Michigan use and it’s the best one we got both in terms of efficiency and its effect on the soil. 

Environmentally Friendly 

Polyurethane is the main component of the PolyRenewal foam and it’s non-toxic enough to be a standard part of any construction project. The solution was tested and proven to be safe without any negative effects on the environment in which it’s used. The substance is also durable and easy to mold based on the needs of a particular job site. 

It’s a safe substance to use around the soil since it won’t affect it in any way. Sometimes it can get in touch with the water supply but it won’t affect it either. Humans or animals are equally safe around the substance and it won’t react with the soil that makes up the garden of your home. The foam shouldn’t get into your eyes and you shouldn’t eat it, but that’s why it’s installed by professionals with the proper safety equipment in place.

If you cannot decide between replacing your concrete and repairing the damage, here are several perks of concrete lifting you should know about. 

It Is a Money Saver 

As you probably know, replacing concrete doesn’t come cheap. It is estimated that concrete repair is 33% of the cost of concrete replacement. Now that gives you something to think about! 

In addition, concrete lifting is an eco-friendly option. It is a renewable method since less cement is needed. Furthermore, your landscaping will remain intact. In other words, your lawn and your plants won’t have to be replaced after the project is complete. 

It’s Durable 

With concrete lifting, you will be able to be at ease knowing that you have invested in a durable solution. Not only that you won’t have to worry about concrete settlement again, but your repaired concrete will actually be much stronger than it originally was. 

Also, the whole process is much quicker than replacement. To replace your old concrete you will first have to remove all the pieces. With concrete lifting, contractors will inject the polyurethane foam which cures very quickly. Afterward, you will be able to use your concrete surface like nothing happened.