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Does Concrete Leveling Really Work?

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Does Concrete Leveling Really Work
Does Concrete Leveling Really Work

When it comes to concrete leveling, there is a TON of misinformation out there. Fake News, as some would call it. We here at The Real Seal like to be straight-forward and honest about our services and exactly what they can offer. Below we will break down the Facts vs Myths of Concrete Leveling:

Two Varying Methods

As with anything, people have found multiple ways to level concrete. Fortunately for this service, there are only two major methods to lift concrete slabs:

  1. Mudjacking.
    1. This is accomplished through injecting a Mud slurry underneath the slab in order to lift it up.
  2.  Polyjacking.
    1. Polyjacking is accomplished through injecting an expanding foam underneath the slab in order to lift it up.

While both services attack the same problem, the material they use makes all the difference in the world.

Mudjacking

As described above, Mudjacking is the process of injecting mud underneath a concrete slab. The problem here is simple. Mud weights A LOT. 100 pounds per cubic foot a lot. This means that an area that has already sunk now has even more weight on top of it. What do you think is going to happen?

What generally happens, is as you add more weight, even if you level the slab, the extra weight will cause the slab to sink again. Imagine you are on a beach and your feet sink into the sand. Now have your friend get on your shoulders. Do you sink more? *Lightbulb Moment*

The fact of the matter is Mudjacking is the older method used for concrete leveling, and is not the preferred effective method for solving this issue. Not to mention the 2” diameter holes, making the sidewalk look like swiss cheese.

Polyjacking

Now we get into the fun stuff. The new-and-improved method of lifting concrete slabs is referred to as Polyjacking. Instead of 2” diameter holes, 5/8” holes are drilled in order to inject an expanding foam. This results in a more slightly finished product. And that’s just the first benefit.

Beyond the holes, the expanding foam used for Polyjacking only weighs about 6 pounds per cubic foot. Compared to the 100 pounds per cubic foot with mudjacking, that is much less weight! Go back to the beach analogy and instead of your friend on your shoulders, put a few feathers. Doesn’t add much weight, does it?

Polyjacking is the new, preferred method for concrete leveling. It is less invasive, more practical, longer lasting, and more common sense.

Read more about – How Yard Drainage Affects Your Foundation?

Warranties

Alright, alright, Austin. If polyjacking is better, what are the warranties for each? If you’re in the Chicagoland area, Polyjacking tends to come with a 5 year warranty, while Mudjacking generally comes with a 3 year warranty. Ready for the punch line, neither of them make any sense.

The problem with warranties for concrete leveling is the service does not solve the underlying problem. While we can lift the concrete back up, we didn’t fix anything about why the concrete sank in the first place. As a result, the concrete can sink back down if the issues (mainly drainage) are not addressed. Makes sense, right?

But Austin, I have quotes from companies that show their outstanding warranties!! What’s up with that then? Flip that paper over and read all the terms and loopholes they can use to slip out of the warranty. You’ll find many terms similar to:

Warranty void if drainage not issued
If bad soil is determined to be present, the warranty is void (you can never tell bad soil without soil borings. Call them out!!)
Only one re-visit allowed within warranty period (this means that you can only use the warranty one time. So if your 5 year warranty is used in the first 6 months, you just got a 6 month warranty.)
There are all sorts of hidden nuggets to find on the back of warranties. Be sure you read the fine print! Better yet, understand the work so you don’t have to rely on a cheesy salesman to come tell you fairy tales. If you want to learn more, visit our Polyjacking section of our website, from the link below.

Thanks for reading, and as always:

Not Everything’s Better When Wet

WRITTEN BY

Austin Werner

Austin Werner is the Owner of The Real Seal LLC, a basement waterproofing and foundation repair company. Austin believes that having a highly trained and happy team is the key to success. This is reflected through hundreds of 5 star customer reviews his company has received online.

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