Concrete lifting is considered a cost-effective way of raising concrete in your basement or garage, as well as outside spaces such as driveways and patios. If you find sinking in an area that is carpeted or has other floor finishes over the concrete, you may fear a hefty price tag to first fix the concrete subfloor and then replace the floor covering.
The good news is that it is often possible to have the concrete raised without disturbing the floor covering, assuming that there is no damage from flooding or other issues that could impact the floor covering.
What concrete jacking does addresses the reason that concrete sunk in the first place. Usually, concrete falls in a garage or basement when the floor has settled due to improper backfill placement. Before the floor was laid, utility lines were set in place and covered with dirt, stone, or sand, and then compacted. If the ground is not compacted enough, it settles over time, which causes voids to develop under the concrete slab, resulting in splits and sunken areas.
You will know that the floor has settled in several ways:
When the floor shows signs of settling, a concrete jacking firm will come out and assess the situation. If there are signs of sewer line or other plumbing problems, they may suggest that you bring in a plumber to check lines under the floor or handle any drainage problems first. If there are problems deep in the soil, you may need to have helical piers installed; alternatively, a chemical grouting process can solidify and strengthen soil to eliminate the need for adding piers.
Once other issues have been ruled out, the concrete leveling company will drill small dime-sized holes in the floor so that they can inject foam jacking materials. For tile, the holes are drilled where tiles intersect on the grout line, while on carpeted floors, the company will cut back small squares of carpet or even roll up the carpet and re-lay it once the floor is repaired. During the process, the furniture can even stay in place on most jobs.
Unless there are other problems that raise the cost, concrete lifting is a much better solution than removing the floor covering and replacing the concrete subfloor. Excepting other issues that must first be resolved, the process can cost as little as $7 per square foot.
If you have concrete floors that are sinking, call Lift Right Concrete today for an analysis and information about concrete leveling to help you without removing floor coverings.
