Why Is My Backyard Sinking?
As the weather warms up and we head outside to prepare our yards and gardens for Spring and Summer, we may see concrete slabs in our backyard sinking.
Although concrete is a durable and economical building material, it is susceptible to cracking, chipping, crumbling, or even sinking.
Why Does Concrete Sink?
Concrete built over a weak base increases the chance that over time it will sink. A weak base could include one that is not compacted enough or the wrong material was used to create the slab.
There could also be water erosion happening under the slab that affects the stability of the base soil.
Why Should I Fix My Unlevel Slab?
There are many good reasons why you should fix your sinking, unlevel concrete slabs now.
Once a slab has cracked or begins to sink, it will only get worse over time making the fix more expensive. It can also add structural damage to windows or doors that may be resting on the slab.
Not only is the structure compromised, but it looks ugly. It’s also a safety issue as the uneven surfaces become a tripping hazard.
Finally, you want to fix your concrete slab is to eliminate water intrusion and pooling. Cracked concrete is the perfect spot for water to pool which, in cold weather, turns your concrete into an ice rink. Additionally, the cracks let in moisture which can damage areas you live in.
What Repair Options Are There?
Mudjacking is an old fashioned method to level concrete involving drilling holes throughout the slab. Mud or cement is then pumped below the existing slab to fill the missing base soil or sand. This method is quite messy and the materials filling the void are quite heavy and take many days to dry.
You could completely replace the sunken or broken slabs. A jackhammer breaks up the existing slabs and then the pieces are removed from the site. As these pieces are quite heavy, machinery such as a backhoe would remove the debris. This equipment often causes major damage to landscaping and your lawn. The problem with this solution is that it doesn’t address the original base issue that caused the slab to sink. It also takes quite some time for the new concrete to dry.
Polyurethane material is the most advanced approach to repairing sinking concrete. It combines mudjacking with modern technology, using high-density polymers to return the slabs back to their original level. the polyurethane material is lightweight and won’t result in mismatched concrete colours.
Case Study
Check out our post Raising Concrete Slabs, where we shared a case study of how we repaired a client’s concrete driveway.
Contact Us
We can effectively assess and fix your uneven, cracked, or damaged concrete. Contact us today to stop your backyard from sinking.