New Technology Brings Concrete Repair to a New Level

ST. CHARLES, Ill. - Jan. 12, 2015 - PRLog -- You might not think much about sunken concrete until it causes you to trip or creates water damage in your home. Sunken concrete is a nuisance for homeowners and a liability for business owners and municipalities.  The most common cause for concrete to sink and settle is an improper base below a slab.  Many times contractors neglect to compact the base or don't install one at all, which causes the weight of the slab to compress the base and sinking to occur over time.

The common solution to repairing these sunken slabs without having to rip it out and replace them has been mudjacking.  Mudjacking, also known as slab jacking and concrete raising and leveling, is the process of drilling holes through the concrete and pumping a mixture of sand, water and sometimes cement through them.  The hydraulic force of the material being pumped below the slab lifts the concrete back into place.  Mudjacking is very affordable, about half the cost of replacement, which is why it's been a popular repair method.

Despite it's effectiveness, mudjacking is not without its shortcomings.  Mudjacking requires large holes (1"-2" inch) in the concrete.  While they do get patched, they are still visible, which many property owners don't like.  Also, mudjacking is not always a permanent solution.  The heavy material that is pumped below the slab can cause additional settling to occur over time.   Lastly, since the material contains cement and water, it can shrink and/or break down overtime.

A newer method to raising sunken concrete slabs is through the use of high density expanding polyurethane foam, also known as polyjacking.  A two-part polymer is injected through penny-sized holes typically 5/8" in diameter.  The polymer will expand below the slab, stabilizing weak soils and filling open voids and then causing the slab to rise.   After the polymer cures for 15 minutes it becomes an extremely dense material that does not change shape or get affected by water.  It is also about 50 times lighter than mudjacking material, which reduces the chance of future settling. The technology has been used widely in IDOT applications, such as highways and bridge approaches since the 1980s, however, for the past 10 years it has been becoming more widely used in residential and commercial applications.

Concrete Hero, a concrete contractor located in St Charles Illinois is one contractor that offers polyurethane concrete raising.  "We saw a great need for it here in the Chicago area market.  Many of the estimates we give are for sunken slabs that really don't need to be replaced.  We spent over a year researching different concrete raising methods and found high-density polyurethane injection, also known as polyjacking, to be the most effective and desirable repair method. Our customers are shocked when they see it in action and are very pleased with the small penny-sized holes compared to the larger 1"-2" holes mudjacking requires," explains co-owner Pete Catalano.

A growing number of contractors around the country, like Concrete Hero, are adding polyjacking to their service offerings as an alternative to mudjacking. Polyjacking can cost a bit more than traditional mudjacking, but many contractors say customers don't mind paying a small premium because of all the benefits polyjacking offers.

For more information regarding polyjacking, you can contact Pete from Concrete Hero at 224-653-8944 or visit  at http://www.theconcretehero.com

Concrete Hero
1031 Howard Street
St Charles IL 60174
630-940-2805
http://www.theconcretehero.com