Properly Lifting and Leveling Concrete for Sparland, IL Home

Tuesday, July 25th, 2017 by Melissa Kremer

Challenge

A few years ago, Stephen had a company come in and lift his sinking concrete with a mud jacking technique. At the time, he thought he was permanently fixing his issue, but soon realized he did not. The weight from the lifting solution had only put more pressure and weight on the soil, causing it to compress even more, resulting in uneven and sinking concrete again. Large voids became present causing cracks in his driveway to form and his front stoop to sink away from his home. He was unhappy with the idea of having his driveway and walkway mud jacked again, and replacing the whole area would cost him too much.

Solution

PolyLevel was introduced to Stephen. It provides similar mud jacking technique with more effective and permanent results. Small 5/8-inch holes are drilled into the concrete to inject the PolyLevel, where mud jacking holes can be as wide as 2inches each. The polyurethane material is injected into the concrete where it fills the voids, and then expends to lift and level the concrete. The quick reaction time of the PolyLevel allows for a precise lift, so no under- or over-lifting takes place. The lightweight material offers 4lbs of weight per cubic foot, where mud jacking slurry weighs 120lbs per cubic foot, resulting in more pressure and weight to the already weak soil under the concrete. PolyLevel is a waterproof material that will not wash away, providing a permanent hold, and has a quick cure time. With mud jacking, it can take days, some times a week to fully cure before the area can be accessed. With PolyLevel, the injected area can be accessed within 15 minutes of application. Appling a NexusPro Joint Sealant along the concrete cracks (man-made and stress cracks) not only provides extra protection to the injected areas, but can also provide protection to areas that have not be treated, preventing future sinking. NexusPro acts as a waterproofing sealant that prevents water from seeping in between the cracks, preventing soil washouts. With PolyLevel and NexusPro Joint Sealant, Stephen now has a treated driveway and walkway that can stand to last many more years than traditional mud jacking.