Concrete is a common surface for driveways, basements, and home foundations in Oklahoma. And with our constantly changing weather and shifting clay soil, cracks can leave these surfaces uneven, unsightly, and unsafe.
But does that mean you need a completely fresh concrete pour? Not always! Sometimes, all you need is a cost-effective repair material known as High Density Polyurethane Lifting Foam.
Here’s how this creative solution works, and how our team goes about determining whether your concrete is a good candidate for it.
What Is High Density Concrete Lifting, and Why Does It Matter?
Over time, a concrete surface can become broken, cracked, and uneven. When this happens to driveways and basements, you’ll find yourself having a hard time walking and driving on these areas safely.
Underneath your home, uneven concrete can be related to settling, but it can grow worse over time if not addressed. And that puts your entire house structure at risk of further damage, which lessens your property value.
Concrete lifting is one way that your driveways, walkways, and home foundation can be restored to an even surface, ensuring your property is safe, attractive, and valuable.
How Concrete Lifting Works
Once your concrete company assesses your property, you’ll receive a thorough report on what’s happening and recommended solutions. Often, high density (HD) polyurethane lifting foam is appropriate as a remedy, especially when the damaged surface is caught early.
If so, the team will drill small holes into the concrete and inject the foam into them, where it will get underneath the concrete surface, fill voids, compact the soul around it, and create a solid base that allows your concrete to become level and secure.
Why Foam Lifting Is a Handy Solution for Concrete Repairs
Using HD polyurethane lifting foam to address uneven, cracked concrete is beneficial for several reasons.
Cost-Effective
Getting a full replacement for a concrete surface is obviously a pricier endeavor than a lifting repair because a new slab installation requires more material, more labor, and more workmen. Using high-density polyurethane lifting foam is simpler and faster, so it’s typically half the cost of a fresh concrete pour.
Lasting
HD polyurethane lifting foam not only raises the concrete, but effectively fills in spaces in the soil in an enduring way, creating long-lasting results. It’s a more permanent fix than other repair methods such as “mudjacking” (a technique that essentially pumps mud underneath the surface to fill in voids, but works only temporarily).
Convenient
The technique of concrete lifting with HD polyurethane foam essentially involves drilling holes, injecting the foam, and letting the foam expand. It doesn’t require a lot of people and equipment, and it cures fast (literally within minutes of application), so there’s no significant disruption to your everyday activities. If you’re using it on a driveway, for example, you can start using the surface again almost immediately (instead of waiting a few days).
Moisture-Resistant
High-density polyurethane lifting foam is waterproof. This is an important quality, as moisture is the enemy of concrete. In fact, excess moisture in Oklahoma’s clay is one reason concrete cracks. Water makes cracks worse too. Fortunately, lifting foam will stand up well to moisture, so you don’t have to worry.
Precise
If repairs are being made to a concrete slab foundation, precision is especially vital. You want your slab to be as close to level across its entire surface as possible, because that’s what ensures the structure is stable. What’s great about injecting HD polyurethane foam is that you can raise the concrete to within 10/1000th of an inch of its ideal position, giving the surface amazing stability.
Eco-Friendly
HD polyurethane lifting foam is made of anywhere from 39% to 49% recycled materials. In addition, by helping to restore and rehabilitate existing concrete, this technique keeps concrete materials from unnecessarily being added to landfills.
Versatile
The HD polyurethane foam lifting technique can be used for a wide variety of concrete surfaces — including driveways, sidewalks, patios, porches, foundations, pool decks, roads, garage floors, and warehouse floors.
Get Lasting Solutions for Your Concrete Needs
If you’re noticing cracks and sagging in your Tulsa area concrete surfaces, don’t let the problem grow worse. Call on our team at Edens Structural to do a complete, friendly assessment. We’ll let you know what your property needs — and only what it needs — so you’re making only the repairs that are necessary to give you a property you’re proud of.
Discover how our convenient, cost-effective High Density (HD) Polyurethane Foam Lifting may be the right approach to get you lasting concrete surfaces that are smooth, even, and good as new.
