There comes a point when concrete structures suffer a drop in level due to erosion, water, chemical pressure, vibration, or seismic activity. Over time, this can cause cracking, chipping, and displacement.
In some cases, replacement or extensive repair may be the only option. But when budgets are tight, it’s worth considering a more cost-effective alternative: concrete lifting foam.
Concrete foam injection provides a durable and great option for an expansive replacement or mud jacking. This method utilizes a unique, two-component polyurethane foam to raise and stabilize the slab.
Whenever material components get mixed, the reaction results in material expansion. Such expanded foam fills the void beneath the slab and lifts the concrete. Additionally, the materials used are considered to be permanent, eco-friendly, and never lose its density. Hence, whenever discussing fixing concrete sunken, most people refer to the concrete lifting procedure.
Repairing sunken concrete leaves you with two options: either replace the entire concrete, which sometimes takes too much time and money or use a concrete lifting foam.
Raising concrete with foam is considered to be a cost-effective option. Aside from extending the life span of your concrete, it is also faster and more efficient compared to other traditional methods.
After the foam injection, it hardens in a matter of minutes, allowing you to walk on the slab shortly after. It also helps reduce your environmental footprint. The lifting system typically lasts longer where the polymer is light in weight but is extremely strong making resettling work pretty well.
How Does Concrete Lifting Foam Work?
Soil that comes below the concrete must be firm and compacted enough to keep up the slab in its original position and form. If there’s an absence of compaction, the soil begins to settle or be displaced, which leads to concrete sinking.
To restore the original level of your slab, a two-component foam is injected into the ground beneath or around the area of damage. The foam expands and fills up any void below the concrete and raises it back to its initial position.
Concrete lifting foam has many names like poly-leveling, poly lifting, poly jacking, foam jacking, slab jacking, and polyfoam injection.
Besides, the process of concrete lifting works in three easy steps:
- Dime-sized holes are drilled in the concrete first.
- Polyurethane foam injection is done underneath the slab.
- Later on, the foam expands beneath the concrete which results in lifting up the concrete.
That’s it – your concrete is now back to its original level. This method is also done to help stabilize loose soil. Even if the soil shifts, the concrete foam injection creates a strong foundation that won’t sink or settle.
The results are excellent for smooth level surfacing of concrete. Though dime-size holes are used for injecting the polymer, they are not easily noticeable. Besides, it brings many benefits with its durability and longer life span.
The Benefits Of Concrete Lifting Foam
Concrete lifting offers many benefits, such as:
Permanent Solution
Concrete lifting foam is the perfect and the most reliable way to ensure you never need to repeat those repairs. Poly jacking works excellently when combined with the primary causes of concrete failures – water and weight.
Because it has a long-lasting life span, and the procedure is fairly easy to perform, this method is considered to be the best and most effective solution in terms of fixing sunken concrete.
Fast-Acting, Strong, And Lightweight
Once you inject foam, you can begin walking or driving on the concrete surface again within 15 to 20 minutes. Concrete lifting foam also creates a strong foundation and is lightweight, so it won’t cause any extra stress on the concrete surface.
The foam weighs about 2.5 to 4.0 pounds every cubic foot compared to 150 pounds per cubic foot for slurry. The foam creates an impermeable base without adding weight to the unstable ground.
Proven to be Effective
Polyjacking has been in use by municipalities and D.O.T. since the 70s and is a proven effective method of concrete lifting. The strength of the material allows it to lift, level, and fill in voids underneath any type of concrete slab. Such a proven method is available to value-minded homeowners who want the permanent fixing of concrete problems.
Eco-Friendly And Cost-Affordable
Concrete foam is inert, which means it lacks the potential to move. Besides, it also does not react with moisture or soil. It would not leach any harmful chemicals into the ground or poison your grass.
Being environmentally friendly, it comprises 39 to 49 percent renewable recycled materials. Without any harmful chemicals, it becomes as safe and secure as your cushions on the couch.
Replacement of concrete includes:
- Hauling away debris.
- Chipping the old slab.
- Waiting for the new slab to dry.
- Pouring the new concrete.
All these expenses add up quickly. Hence, raising concrete with foam injection becomes the perfect option for those looking for cost-effective, permanent fixing.
Waterproof
Concrete foam fills up all tiny voids and creates a waterproof base layer to raise and stabilize your concrete surface permanently. It does not get washed away, such as mud-jacking slurry or earth slurry. It stays in a solid foundation and forms a barrier against the new damage caused by water.
Cons Of Concrete Lifting Foam Explained
Although concrete lifting has its benefits, it also has some disadvantages. These disadvantages usually come into play when the basic problems haven’t been briefly checked. There are minor details that need to be investigated, and failure to do so can show its effects on the foam lifting method as well.
For instance, if you’re not aware or if you can’t find what causes your concrete to sink, yet you continue with the lifting process, the result won’t be as effective and as lasting. Hence, it is always recommended to diagnose the issue first and then take action accordingly.
Final Thoughts
Concrete lifting foam is the perfect and most reliable solution for sunken concrete. It is fast-acting, strong, lightweight, eco-friendly, cost-effective, and waterproof; all these features make it an economical way to repair damaged or sunken concrete quickly.
Though there are some limitations to this method as well, it is still a great choice to go for when it comes to permanently fixing your concrete problems.
