Concrete Leveling
Fix sunken and uneven concrete surfaces quickly and affordably without the cost of full replacement.
Why Concrete Sinks and How We Fix It
Your driveway, sidewalk, or patio might have been perfectly level when installed, but over time you notice sections have sunk or settled. This creates uneven surfaces that look bad, create trip hazards, and allow water to pool where it should not. Sunken concrete is a common problem in the Brookline and Boston area, but the good news is you often do not need to replace the entire surface.
Concrete settles when the soil underneath it compacts, washes away, or shifts. This happens for various reasons including poor soil compaction during installation, erosion from water flow, freeze-thaw cycles that disturb the base, or natural soil settling over time. The concrete itself is usually fine, it just needs to be raised back to the proper level. That is where concrete leveling comes in.
Concrete leveling, also called slabjacking or mudjacking, lifts sunken concrete back to its original position. The process is faster and costs much less than removing and replacing concrete. Most leveling projects are completed in a few hours, and you can use the surface again within 24 hours. For homeowners dealing with uneven concrete, leveling offers an effective solution that extends the life of existing surfaces. Our team evaluates your concrete and determines whether leveling is the right solution for your situation.
How Concrete Leveling Works
The concrete leveling process involves drilling small holes through the sunken concrete slab, then pumping material underneath to fill voids and lift the slab back to level. Two main methods are used today, each with specific advantages. Traditional mudjacking uses a cement-based slurry, while polyurethane foam injection uses expanding foam. Both methods work by filling the space under the concrete and raising it.
With traditional mudjacking, we pump a mixture of cement, sand, and other materials through holes about two inches in diameter. The slurry flows into voids under the slab and hardens, providing support and lifting power. This method has been used successfully for decades and works well for most residential applications. It is cost-effective and uses materials similar to the original concrete base.
Polyurethane foam injection is a newer approach with some advantages:
- Smaller injection holes, typically five-eighths inch diameter
- Lighter weight material that puts less stress on soil
- Faster curing time with surface ready for use in about 15 minutes
- Water-resistant foam that will not wash away
- More precise lifting control for fine adjustments
The choice between methods depends on your specific situation, budget, and preferences. We discuss the pros and cons of each approach and recommend the best option for your needs. Both methods are much faster and more affordable than replacing concrete, and they address the underlying problem of soil voids while restoring a level surface. After leveling, we seal the injection holes so they are barely visible.
When Concrete Leveling Makes Sense
Concrete leveling works well for many situations, but it is not the right solution for every problem. The concrete itself needs to be structurally sound. If your concrete is badly cracked, severely deteriorated, or crumbling, leveling will not help and replacement is probably necessary. However, if the concrete is in decent shape and the only problem is settling, leveling is usually the smart choice.
Typical applications where leveling works well include sunken driveway sections, settled sidewalk slabs that create trip hazards, tilted patio sections that direct water toward your house, and uneven garage floors. The settling should be fairly uniform rather than severe differential settling where one part of a slab has dropped dramatically compared to adjacent areas.
We evaluate your concrete to determine if leveling is appropriate. This includes assessing the condition of the concrete, understanding why it settled, and determining if the underlying issue can be addressed. Sometimes we need to improve drainage or stabilize soil before or after leveling to prevent future settling. An honest evaluation helps you make the right decision about whether to level or replace your concrete.
Preventing Future Settlement
After leveling your concrete, you want it to stay level. The best way to prevent future settlement is to address what caused the original problem. If water erosion washed away soil under your concrete, we need to fix drainage issues. If the base was poorly compacted originally, the leveling process helps by filling voids and adding support. Understanding the cause guides our approach.
Proper drainage is critical for preventing concrete settlement. We look at how water flows around your property and recommend improvements if needed. This might include extending downspouts, improving grading, or adding drainage systems. Keeping water away from concrete edges prevents erosion and soil movement that lead to settling.
The leveling material itself provides improved support compared to whatever voids or loose soil existed before. Whether we use cement slurry or polyurethane foam, the material fills gaps and creates a more stable base than what was there. Combined with addressing drainage issues, leveling often provides a permanent solution. Many leveled concrete surfaces stay level for the remaining life of the concrete. If you need other concrete work like repairs, we can handle multiple projects together efficiently.