Do you have sagging concrete surfaces around your property? As the soil beneath driveways, sidewalks, patios, garages or warehouse floors settles, you can end up with surfaces that aren’t level. Uneven concrete can crack and suffer from sunken or raised spots that pose a tripping hazard. Water may not run off properly, and the area may look unsightly.
In other words, uneven concrete surface can result in costly issues. Fortunately, there’s an effective solution—polyurethane foam lifting. This simple, effective process can return sagging concrete to proper alignment. Here’s how it works.
What Is Polyurethane Concrete Lifting?
Polyurethane concrete lifting is a method to repair sunken or settled concrete slabs. The foam is injected beneath the concrete surface, where it expands, fills empty spots, compacts the soil, and pushes the slab back into place.
How This Method Evens Out Your Concrete
Polyurethane concrete lifting is quick, streamlined, and non-invasive. Your contractors will:
Assess Your Concrete
First, the team inspects your site to ensure this process is a good fit for your concrete. They’ll look for signs of settling, cracks, voids and weak spots that should be addressed.
Drill into the Surface
The repair crew drills small holes at strategic locations in the concrete, using a special drill bit that minimizes the impact on the concrete’s surface.
Foam Is Used to Lift the Slab
Next, polyurethane foam is inserted into each small hole and underneath the concrete. The foam quickly fills all gaps, expands, and hardens into place. This helps soil beneath the concrete to become more compacted, providing secure and even support as the slab is raised back into place.
Careful Monitoring of the Results
The concrete technicians caring for your property will keep a close eye on the foam, using a system of measurements to be sure the slab returns to its original location. If your slab has multiple sections, these pieces can be lifted one a time to create the best results. The process will also be done at a slow, steady pace to prevent the surface from cracking.
Restoration of the Concrete Surface
Once the slab is fully back into its proper alignment and the foam is completely in place, the injection holes are patched and smoothed out with a trowel to create a finished appearance. The area is cleaned up and left looking as good as new.
How the Process Compares to Other Slab Repair Methods
At Edens Structural Solutions, we assess your property to determine what it needs—including the best solution to give you lasting results. When possible, we recommend using polyurethane foam injection because it’s quick and minimally invasive.
Fast Results
Compared to installing piers, which can be time-consuming, foam lifting can be done relatively quickly—sometimes in two hours or even less. And because the foam solidifies rapidly, your concrete surface can be ready for normal use as soon as 20 minutes after the process is completed. That’s fast!
Minimal Inconvenience
With polyurethane foam lifting, there’s no need for lots of heavy equipment and complicated excavation, like pier installation requires. If foam injection is a good fit for your concrete slab, you’ll have results with less mess.
Affordable Option
Because polyurethane concrete lifting is a streamlined process, it tends to be a bit more affordable than methods that require more materials and labor, such as pier installation. And it’s longer lasting and more reliable than mudjacking, which uses a cement-based mixture instead of more durable foam to raise the surface.
Proper Evaluation Needed First
Cost and timing are not the only factors to consider. If your concrete is severely uneven, foam injection may not be enough to solve the problem.
Also, it’s only appropriate for specific areas, such as sidewalks and driveways. But if the entire foundation requires attention, you may need the heavy-duty, long-term stability that piers give you. A reliable team (like ours!) will assess your property to determine what would serve you best.
Get Smart, Targeted Solutions to Address Your Sunken Concrete in Tulsa
Polyurethane foam lifting is an effective, streamlined approach to repair sagging concrete—so if you’re wondering about your concrete’s uneven appearance, wonder no more! Whether the issue is soil settlement, cracks, or water damage, our team at Edens Structural Solutions will do a thorough assessment and give you honest answers.
If foam injection is right for your property, we’d love to assist you. Learn more about the ways polyurethane foam lifting can restore your concrete.
