An uneven sidewalk is a hazard to have on your property. An elderly person or child could be seriously hurt if they trip and fall on the concrete. A guest, neighbor, or delivery person could easily trip on an uneven sidewalk if they don't realize the sunken area is there. This could make you responsible for their medical bills if they break a bone or need other medical treatment. A concrete contractor can repair your sidewalk by raising the sunken side of the crack. Here's how concrete sidewalk raising is done.
Sunken Concrete Can Be Lifted With Injections
Concrete slabs, both large and small, can be lifted with injections of foam or cement slurry. The concrete contractor chooses the method they want to use and injects the material under the sunken slab. This requires drilling a few holes in the sidewalk to make the injections. The sunken concrete can be lifted with precision so it's even with the higher side, and the trip hazard is eliminated.
This also eliminates the depression in the sidewalk that holds water and creates a breeding ground for mosquitoes in the summer. All of this happens under the ground, so the repairs are invisible from the top. The injection holes are filled in and covered, so they might be a slightly different color from old, dirty concrete. The holes needed for foam injections are usually smaller and less noticeable than those needed for the cement slurry.
Injections Work Fast
Injections are often the preferred concrete sidewalk raising method because they can lift concrete fast and the material used gets hard quickly so you can walk on the sidewalk soon afterward. The cement slurry hardens into concrete and the poly foam expands and hardens, so both provide stable support for the sidewalk once the material is injected.
The material also flows around the soil and fills voids in the concrete so future shifting of the sidewalk is prevented. If you need to have your sidewalk repaired quickly due to a notice from the city or because you're expecting guests, then talk to a concrete contractor about having foam or cement slurry injections.
Injections Are Not Too Disruptive
The machine used to pump the material into the injection hole can be noisy, but if you raise the concrete rather than bust it up and put down new concrete, the work is less disruptive and over much quicker. Also, raising concrete is usually much less expensive than removing the sidewalk and replacing it. Plus, the repairs last a long time, so the injections are a good investment and a good option for concrete sidewalk raising.
For more information about concrete sidewalk raising, contact a local company.
When you want to add a patio, walkway, or even some permanent benches to your yard, you should call a concrete contractor. They can come out, give you a quote, and discuss various options for your project. The process of hiring a concrete contractor is pretty easy, but it is still a good idea to know a little about these contractors and their work. That's something we offer on this blog. The articles we post here will teach you some basics. Having read a little more about concrete contractors, you will be prepared to have concrete poured in your own home.