Sunken Concrete Steps: Slabjacking or Replacement?

Are sunken concrete steps tripping you up, putting your family and visitors at risk? If so, slabjacking could restore your entryway and make it safe again – but, then again, so could slab replacement.

Sunken Concrete Steps

So, what’s the best way to repair your sunken steps? Should you get slabjacking, or just replace the steps?

In most cases, concrete repair experts recommend slabjacking over replacement. Here’s why.

What Causes Sunken Concrete Steps?

All kinds of issues could be to blame for your sunken steps, including:

  • Soil settlement due to wintertime freezing and thawing
  • Soil washout from flooding or plumbing leaks
  • Erosion as a result of improper grading
  • Water runoff from ineffective gutter drainage
  • Inadequate foundation preparation

Those are just a few of the reasons steps sink and, often, homes with sunken concrete have more than one of these issues.

Why Sunken Concrete Steps Are a Problem

Sunken steps aren’t just unattractive – they’re unsafe. Anyone could trip and fall while trying to reach your front door. If someone gets hurt, you could end up legally and financially liable for their medical care, lost wages, etc.

Also, if the sunken concrete is left unrepaired, the stability of your house foundation could even be threatened. Water can easily enter the underlying soil through the cracks and open areas, which can compromise your foundation’s integrity.

Finally, a problem like this can affect the value of your home as well as your ability to sell it. Potential buyers generally perceive any cracked, broken or sunken concrete as an expensive problem that could be a sign of structural damage.

The Costs of Slab Replacement

Concrete slab replacement might seem affordable at first glance. But, when you think about the big picture, you’ll see that pouring a new set of steps comes at a much higher price.

With slab replacement, you’re not just paying for the new concrete – you’re also paying for your old concrete to be demolished and hauled away. You may also have to spring for a structural engineer to solidify the foundation before pouring the slab replacement.

You’ll have to go without using your entryway for some time, as the concrete cures. On top of that, because of the equipment used for slab replacement, you could have landscape damage.

Why Slabjacking Is a Better Fix for Sunken Steps

Slab replacement might be necessary if your steps are severely damaged. Most of the time, however, slabjacking is a better repair approach for sunken concrete.

Slabjacking costs much less than pouring new concrete steps, and the process is not at all messy or disruptive. No harm will come to your landscaping if you opt for slabjacking.

In addition, steps that are stabilized and restored through slabjacking aren’t off-limits for long. In fact, you’ll be able to use them less than an hour after the slabjacking crew leaves in most cases.

To find out if slabjacking can work to lift and restore your sunken steps, talk to the professionals at Lift Right Concrete LLC. As Northern Utah’s leading slabjacking and concrete services company, our team has the expertise to accurately assess your problem steps and recommend the most effective repair approach.

Lift Right Concrete offers complimentary, no-pressure slabjacking repair consultations to homeowners and businesses in the greater Salt Lake City area. Contact us today to see if slabjacking is the right solution for your sunken concrete steps.

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