Historically, concrete repair has involved a lot of excavation, either to fix problems beneath existing concrete or to tear out and entirely replace uneven concrete. In recent years, no-excavation concrete leveling solutions like polyjacking have made restoring and repairing concrete easier, safer, and more affordable.
Excavation in Concrete Repair
Excavation is more commonly used to prepare a site for construction by establishing a level base on which to build the foundation. Before better options were developed, this same practice was applied to concrete repairs to level the ground beneath a concrete slab or make space to insert pillars or other leveling equipment.
Many traditional foundation and concrete repair methods still involve excavation to this day, including:
- Pressed pilings
- Push piers
- Helical piers
- And underpinning
Here are some of the issues excavation presents when used for concrete repair:
Excavation is Disruptive
Have you ever noticed how noisy construction sites are? That’s because excavation is an extremely loud and disruptive process! The amount of noise pollution caused by excavation is enough to drive any neighbors crazy, and that’s not the only thing that’s disruptive about excavation.
Excavation also disturbs the soil and may leave it less stable than before. This noise and environmental disruption combination means excavation is not an eco-friendly concrete repair option.
Excavation is Time-consuming
If you’re looking for a quick and effective solution to your concrete problems, you won’t find it with excavation. Any concrete repair option that uses excavation will require the excavation to be complete before the repairs can even start. Once the pillars or piers are in place, then the excavation has to be undone, filling back in wherever the area beneath the concrete was dug out for repairs.
Excavation is Expensive
Excavation involves a lot of equipment and manpower to complete, and that adds up to a significant chunk of change compared to concrete leveling options that only require one or two professionals and easily portable equipment.
Excavation is Dangerous
Excavating for concrete repair is a seriously risky business, as you’re often digging out the area beneath an existing structure. To avoid structural damage or collapse, excavation must be done with extreme caution. Too much weight on the concrete before pillars can be installed can easily lead to a worse situation than you began with.
Five Benefits of No-Excavation Concrete Leveling
There are only two concrete leveling solutions that don’t involve excavation: polyjacking and mudjacking. We’ve talked plenty about why polyjacking is superior to mudjacking in every way, so for our purposes here we’ll focus on the benefits of polyjacking as a no-excavation concrete repair method:
1. Polyjacking is Cost-Effective
A single concrete repair technician can perform polyjacking, so you won’t have to pay the bills for multiple contractors when you hire a concrete leveling team that uses this method. Polyjacking also uses very minimal equipment—you don’t need to worry about us hauling an entire excavator or cement truck to your home!
2. Polyjacking Quick and Nondisruptive
Most polyjacking repairs take no more than a few minutes to complete. We simply locate the problem area, drill a dime-sized hole to create an injection site, and shoot polyurethane foam beneath the concrete slab until it is raised and leveled. This whole process makes very little noise, doesn’t harm the environment, and leaves your concrete ready to use again within a few hours at the most!
3. Polyjacking is Safe
Polyjacking won’t put your structure at risk and significantly minimizes safety risk compared to excavation methods that require a lot of heavy, dangerous equipment.
4. Polyjacking Stabilizes Soil
Not only is polyjacking nontoxic and completely safe for the soil beneath your foundation or driveway, but it also supports and stabilizes the soil! As the foam is injected, it flows like water to weave its way into every void, nook, and cranny before hardening into a formidable yet lightweight substance that locks your concrete and the underlying soil in place, preventing future problems from soil instability.
5. Polyjacking is Permanent
Some excavation methods may require future excavation and repair, either to replace deteriorated pillars or to install more pillars underneath. Even mudjacking isn’t exempt from the lack of permanency, as the cement-and-mud mixture used to level concrete slabs tends to weigh them down over time (We said we wouldn’t talk about it, but it had to be said!) Polyjacking, by contrast, fixes your concrete for life, preventing future settling or sinking, making it the best choice for long-term concrete repair.
Polyjacking is a No-Excavation Concrete Leveling Solution!
If you want a concrete repair and leveling solution that is safe, affordable, permanent, and won’t disrupt your day, what you need is polyjacking! Contact us at Pro Polyjacking today to make an appointment and get a free quote.