Slab jacking is one way of affecting a concrete slab repair on a sinking patio, driveway, etc. It also works well to shore up sinking foundations and fixing sinking concrete steps. But if you don’t know how to fix a foundation or sinking slab, attempting to do it on your own could create bigger problems.

For all foundation and slab repair jobs in Salt Lake City, we recommend hiring a licensed contractor who employs trained, experienced technicians. Slab and foundation problems are nothing to fool around with. To drive home the point, here are three reasons slab jacking is not a good DIY project:

1. It Requires Specialized Knowledge

Slab jacking requires more specialized knowledge than some other trades. Why? Because there are multiple factors in play. You have the physics of the sinking concrete itself. You also have the underlying causes of the problem. If you do not know what is going on underneath the concrete in question, you will not know how to adequately fix it.

Slab repair via slab jacking is pretty simple in theory. In practice though, getting it right is anything but. Once you affect the repair, it is over and done with. Get it wrong and you are looking at digging up the entire slab and completely replacing it. Suffice it to say that slab jacking isn’t as forgiving as finishing drywall or painting.

2. It Requires Specialized Equipment

Beyond the knowledge required to do it right, slab jacking also requires specialized equipment. Right off the bat you are going to need a heavy-duty pump capable of handling the material you intend to force under the sinking slab. Such pumps don’t come cheaply. Obviously, a DIYer would rent one rather than purchasing one. But rental is not cheap, either.

You also need to know how to use the pump correctly and safely. Break the pump and you could be forced to pay for it. You just don’t need that kind of expense.

You will also need a concrete drill and the ability to use it safely. If you have never drilled through concrete before, it is quite an experience. It is not a job just anyone can do. You need to have considerable strength along with coordination and a bit of know-how.

It Requires Concrete Finishing

Finally, there is more to slab jacking than simply pumping material into the soil underneath the sinking slab. You have to finish the concrete once you are done leveling. That means filling the holes you drilled and leveling them. It is simple enough, but maybe not for someone who has never worked with concrete before.

One of our goals is to conceal the holes we drill as much as possible, so we have learned how to do it. We do not want to leave a concrete slab looking like it’s pockmarked. No job is perfect aesthetically, but we get pretty close. You might not be able to accomplish the same thing without extensive concrete experience.

There are a lot of projects DIYers can tackle by themselves. We support DIY maintenance and repairs when they are appropriate. But from our standpoint, slab jacking is not a good fit for DIY homeowners. If your property in Salt Lake City is suffering from sinking concrete, give us a shout. We will take care of it.

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Determining the viability of slab jacking requires understanding why the concrete is sinking. This is true whether you are talking a slab, steps, or foundation. Every sinking concrete structure is sinking for a reason. Generally speaking, the soil underneath is giving way. But that could be due to any number of reasons – each of which plays into determining whether or not slab jacking is appropriate.

Why Concrete Sinks

Concrete is a very heavy material. There is nothing new there. Understandably, heavy concrete requires adequate support from the soil underneath. If that soil is compromised, it can no longer provide the required support. The concrete sinks as a result.

Underlying soil can be compromised in a number of different ways. First is erosion. If water does not pass through soil at a slow and steady rate, it can erode areas through which it flows faster. Next is poor soil compaction. Soil that is not properly compacted before laying concrete can eventually settle. Lastly, there can be voids well below the surface that suddenly give way, causing soil closer to the surface to sink.

Understanding the Root Cause

Before we can advise on foundation or slab repair, we have to understand the root cause. As such, we may ask a customer several different questions that help us figure out what we are dealing with.

How quickly did the settling occur?

The speed at which a slab or concrete foundation settles gives us a clue as to what might be causing it. Extremely slow settling is generally not cause for alarm. On the other hand, if you were to notice significant settling occurring over just a few days or weeks, there may be a more serious problem under the surface.

How old is the house?

Older homes are more likely to experience sinking concrete due to building practices at the time of construction. Therefore, it is helpful for us to know how old the house is. We have a lot of older houses in Salt Lake City that were built before developers started paying close attention to soil quality.

Do you notice standing water after it rains?

Standing water after a rainstorm tells us a lot about a piece of property. A property may not be properly graded to facilitate appropriate runoff. It could be that downspouts are depositing too much water next to a driveway or slab. There could be any number of issues. Standing water gives us more clues.

What is your soil like?

Sometimes we ask customers if they know what kind of soil they have. Why? Because certain soil mixtures are more prone to sinking than others. Asking about soil types tells us what we might be looking at under the sinking slab or foundation. Then we will know better how to address it.

Slab jacking can be a long-term solution that lasts for as long as a customer owns his/her house. A sound repair lasting 10 to 20 years is not out of the question. Depending on the cause, slab jacking might only last 7 to 10 years. In extreme cases – for which we would not recommend slab jacking – you may get only five years or less out of it. The only way to know for sure is to have a professional come take a look.

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That solution is something known as ‘slab jacking’. Also known as ‘mud jacking’, it is an old technique that has been utilized in the U.S. for more than 100 years. Slab jacking in Salt Lake City is what we specialize in here at the Concrete Raising Company.

Slab Jacking 101

The premise of slab jacking is to avoid having to remove and replace sinking concrete by addressing what is behind the sinking. In every case, concrete sinks because the soil underneath has given way. There is a void underneath, a void that can be filled and pressurized in order to bring the concrete back to level. That is exactly what slab jacking accomplishes.

To fix a foundation or raise a concrete slab, we inject a specialized grout mixture into the void below the sinking structure. Once the void is full, we continue pumping the material in order to pressurize it. Under pressure, the grout acts like hydraulic fluid to push the concrete back up and into its original position.

The best part of slab jacking is that it isn’t limited exclusively to slabs. We can do more than driveways and sidewalks. We can raise concrete steps, foundations, and just about anything else made of concrete.

Why It is Better Than Replacement

It is awfully tempting to think that slab jacking is not as good as removal and replacement. After all, you are not getting a brand-new slab in the process. But concrete is concrete. Why put the money into removal and replacement when you can accomplish the same thing with slab jacking?

We submit that slab jacking is better in most cases. Here’s why:

• Cost – A typical jacking job is about one-third the cost of removal and replacement
• Speed – Raised concrete can be used immediately; there is no loss of use
• Waste – Slab jacking produces little waste. It also doesn’t leave a mess behind
• Weather – The process can be performed in any weather, so scheduling is not an issue
• Aesthetics – Slab jacking does not result in new and old concrete not matching aesthetically.

The final reason slab jacking is better in most cases is the fact that it actually addresses the underlying issue. This is most important. If you do not address the underlying soil and shore it up, you are not really solving the problem.

Why Concrete Sinks

As previously mentioned, concrete sinks because the soil underneath gives way. This could be due to poorly compacted soil, poor drainage, excess precipitation, or a number of other factors. At any rate, removal and replacement requires that the void be filled in with a proper material and compacted accordingly.

Unfortunately, even compacted soil can give way if the rest of the soil around it has not been compacted properly. Slab jacking, on the other hand, relies on a grout mixture that, under pressure, lifts up the sinking concrete to level. The mixture then hardens to create a permanent base for the concrete above.

If you have sinking concrete in Salt Lake City, you can choose to replace it or fix it. We urge you to consider raising that concrete by way of slab jacking. It is an old technique that stands the test of time, a technique that will save you money and save your concrete.

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