The end of summer is a great time to do a once-over of your property, checking for things that should be repaired before fall and winter arrive. Getting your uneven or cracked concrete repaired before the weather starts getting colder and harsher is a great way to prevent further issues and create safer walking surfaces. However, is getting concrete leveled or replaced the best option for you?
Continue reading to learn how concrete repair and concrete replacement differ, the pros and cons of each, and the processes for determining which option is right for your needs and budget.
What is Concrete Repair?
Concrete often shifts or breaks away from the ground beneath it, washing away due to erosion. Sometimes concrete cracks due to issues during pouring: the wrong strength may have been used, it dried too fast, control joints were placed in the wrong areas, there were issues pouring concrete, tree roots weakened the foundation beneath the concrete, or the ground wasn’t properly compacted.
Concrete repair includes fixing concrete that’s cracked, uneven, or breaking as the soil underneath the concrete slab shifts over time. There are a few concrete repair methods, including DIY concrete leveling, mudjacking, applying a concrete crack filler, or polyjacking. DIY concrete leveling is dangerous as it comes with safety risks, uneven leveling, miscalculations, and soil destabilization.
The best concrete repair method for long-lasting concrete leveling is polyjacking. It uses the same concept as mudjacking, but is much less invasive and more durable. It’s a much faster concrete leveling method that involves injecting lightweight polyurethane foam into the problem areas, filling every void before expanding to lift your concrete and lock it in place.
What is Concrete Replacement?
Concrete replacement differs from concrete repair as it involves removing the old, cracked, damaged concrete and pouring new concrete. As you can imagine, concrete replacement is an invasive process that involves several steps, including removing the old and pouring the new material. Concrete replacement is messy, sending clouds of dust into the air, noisy with many different machines to remove the old concrete, and isn’t as eco-friendly as concrete repair.
Why Get Concrete Repaired or Replaced?
Your uneven, cracked concrete is an eyesore, but replacing or repairing concrete goes beyond looks. Unsafe concrete causes unnecessary safety hazards at home or work, allowing the problem to lead to more extensive damage over time. There are more hidden costs of neglecting concrete leveling, including:
- Trip hazards
- Legal ramifications
- Creates inaccessible areas
- Hinders business
- Water damage
Getting your damaged concrete repaired or replaced is paramount to keeping the general public and your loved ones safe and helps to prevent further costly damage.
Which Option is Best: Concrete Leveling or Replacement?
So, should you invest in concrete replacement or concrete leveling? First, determine if your concrete is salvageable. If your property is less than 50 years old or not severely cracked or sunken, it’s probably best to get polyjacking done to restore it to its original position. However, if it’s crumbling, severely sunken, or uprooted because of tree roots, it’s likely time to replace it.
Polyjacking is almost always the best option when fixing uneven or cracked concrete for many reasons. For one, it’s a more eco-friendly option compared to concrete replacement (and mudjacking). It’s more eco-friendly for a few reasons: there’s less disturbance to the surrounding environment compared to concrete replacement, it’s maintenance-free, and polyurethane foam is environmentally safe.
Next, polyjacking is a more wallet-friendly, faster option and costs much less than concrete replacement, restoring your concrete to its original position and lasting for many years. Polyjacking is also a great, cheaper alternative to replacing a foundation; replacing a concrete foundation can take months and requires homeowners and business owners to vacate, whereas polyjacking a foundation is often completed in a few hours or days.
Restore Your Concrete with Polyjacking from Pro Polyjacking
If you need sunken or cracked concrete repaired, hiring Pro Polyjacking is the best solution, especially compared to other concrete repair methods or concrete replacement. We have over 30 years of industry experience and have been serving Kansas City homeowners and commercial property owners for decades. We’re a woman- and family-owned local business with positive reviews and thousands of satisfied customers. Below are some of our customer reviews:
Pro Polyjacking can help with all commercial and residential concrete leveling needs in and around Kansas City, including residential concrete leveling, commercial and industrial concrete leveling, concrete sealing and cleaning, deep injection, joint and crack repair, and farm silo polyjacking. Get started by requesting a quote today!