Concrete is at the literal foundation of our lives, from the sidewalks and driveways we use daily to the concrete structure of buildings and the flooring of warehouses and garages. Unfortunately, concrete often cracks, breaks, or becomes unlevel as the ground beneath shifts with time. When this happens, the best way to handle your concrete restoration is with polyjacking!
What is Polyjacking?
Polyjacking is a method of concrete repair and concrete leveling that injects polyurethane foam into the cracks and beneath unlevel concrete slabs to return them to their former glory. Polyjacking has rapidly overtaken its predecessor (mudjacking) as the must-do method for concrete restoration because of its strength and durability that lasts a lifetime.
What is Polyurethane Foam?
Polyurethane foam is synthesized from organic materials for a wide range of applications. It can be used for soft, malleable products like mattresses, or it can be synthesized into an injectable foam—like we use for polyjacking—that expands into something extremely dense and resilient while still retaining its lightweight quality that’s vital for not weighing down already compromised concrete! While this durable foam can be purchased over the counter for basic home repairs, these spray cans don’t pack enough of a punch to get the substance underneath your concrete.
What Equipment is Used for Polyjacking?
The polyjacking pros use a few tools for polyjacking, including a drill and an injector. A drill is used to create the injection site by drilling small holes into the concrete near the problem area, then the injector is used to insert the polyurethane foam through the drill site, filling in underneath the concrete and through the cracks to hold the entire slab secure and stable. While you can acquire these tools and attempt the concrete repair yourself, this may result in further damage, so we recommend contacting a professional polyjacking business.
How Does Polyjacking for Concrete Leveling Work?
When you work with concrete repair professionals like Pro Polyjacking, the entire process from when we arrive to when we leave you with your freshly restored concrete is only four simple steps—and the last step, the polyurethane foam does itself!
1. Initial Assessment
The first step of any concrete repair is to assess the damage and determine the solution. If concrete slabs are sinking and uneven, we will use our expertly trained eye to track down the “void area”—the place beneath the slab where soil has shifted and created a space that the slab is sinking into. We look for signs of the most likely problem areas before any drilling begins, aiming for the least amount of drilling through your concrete possible.
2. Drilling and Injection
Once we’ve determined the ideal drill sites, we will begin drilling very small holes to act as the injection sites. These holes are so small, polyjacking is actually considered a noninvasive concrete restoration method! When we finish repairs and patch up the holes, you’ll hardly notice them, even if it takes a few drills to find the right injection site.
Once the drilling is complete, we inject the polyurethane foam underneath the slab to raise it, strengthen it, and repair it. Polyurethane is extremely durable and immovable as well as moisture resistant, so once it has a hold on your concrete you can rest assured that slab isn’t going anywhere! Polyurethane can also be used to repair cracks and fortify individual slabs against future breakage.
3. Sealing
Now that your concrete is smooth and level once more, the last thing we need to do is seal up any holes that were drilled during the concrete repair process. Again, these holes are already so minute, once they’re sealed they become virtually indistinguishable from the rest of your concrete slab.
4. Expanding and Curing
For this final step, we simply let the polyurethane foam work its magic. As soon as it’s injected, the foam quickly expands to fill all the gaps and cracks in the concrete and begins to harden and cure. The curing process for polyurethane foam takes no more than a day, then your concrete slab is back in business with a super strong polyurethane foundation to hold it steady!
Polyjacking Reduces Need for Concrete Repair
Because of the unbeatable strength polyjacking lends to concrete, it virtually eliminates the need for future concrete repairs! Polyjacking is an incredible concrete restoration solution because it involves very minimal, lightweight equipment and materials but packs a huge punch as far as results are concerned!
If you have concrete in need of a little TLC, contact Pro Polyjacking and see how we can whip your concrete back into shape!