Concrete Levelling

June 29, 2018 By Concrete Slab Jacking

Mud Jacking – The Two Biggest Issues

Before I talk about mud jacking, I have to remind you we do poly foam jacking, so we have a bias.

But we have that bias for a reason, we definitely, positively, absolutely believe that using foam is a better solution than mud jacking, and here’s the two biggest reasons why!

Mud Jacking Issue One

From a curb appeal standpoint the biggest challenge of mud jacking is the patches that are left behind.

Especially with older concrete!

The actual hole size for injecting the mud is only around 1 5/8″, but when you’re dealing with drilling concrete there is inevitably some chipping at the entry point which makes the hole slightly larger. If the concrete is older, it can often lead to even more chipping on the surface which leaves you a patch almost four inches across, like in this image.

Now, if this is a driveway in your backyard, or a sidewalk that’s rarely used down the side of your property it might not be an issue.

If however, it’s right out front and is your main access to your home it does become a bit of an eyesore. Additionally if it’s a full concrete slab it will likely need three, four, maybe even five or six of these holes allowing the mud to be injected evenly.

When you compare this to the injection holes when using polyurethane foam which are only 5/8″ you can see why we prefer poly from an aesthetics viewpoint.

Mud Jacking Issue Two

The second issue we have with using a mud/concrete slurry to raise or level your concrete is the weight of the product.

The main reason your sidewalks or driveway is sinking is normally due to the ground underneath not being stable. Often, especially around new home builds, the ground isn’t packed in sufficiently and over time it settles into place creating voids underneath the concrete.

If the voids underneath the concrete slab are closer to the corners or the ends of a slab, this can lend a slab to tilting as the ground shifts under that area due to the weight of the slab. As the one end dips down, the other end of the slab starts raising upwards or in some situations starts to crack as the weight becomes to excessive.

Neither of these situations are good for your property!

Which brings up this point, if all this settling is exasperated due to the weight of the concrete slab, why would you want to add more weight to the situation?

The mixture of mud and concrete used in mud jacking ends up weighing around 100 lbs per cubic foot. If you’re dealing with a large void, you’re dealing with a ton of extra weight (not to be confused with a tonne of weight as in the measurement, but more of an expression of a lot!),

Compare this with polyurethane foam which weighs in at 2 lbs per cubic foot (hence our favourite hashtag #2lbfoamislife) and you can see why we prefer foam!

This weight issue is such a problem it’s very common for mud jacking to have to be repeated within a couple years as the additional weight leads to additional settling which leads to additional mud being required. What a predicament!

So, Foam Or Mud?

We’ve outlined a couple reasons why we’re big fans of foam jacking versus mud jacking, but as we mentioned we’re biased.

Ultimately the choice is up to you, the customer, which product you’d prefer. The priority being getting your uneven concrete fixed as soon as possible of course.

So to help with that, we’d absolutely love to come out and give you a free quote on getting your concrete sidewalk, driveway or patio levelled.

Why not find out your options. We’ll come out, do some measurements, inspect the surrounding area and typically be able to give you an estimate while we’re there. We can even come by while you’re at work and email it to you later in the day!

To get started, simply follow this link, Foam Jacking Quote and we’ll contact you as soon as possible to coordinate a site visit and update you on your options. So don’t wait, contact us today!

June 19, 2018 By Concrete Slab Jacking

Foamjacking VS Mudjacking

Why Foamjacking VS Mudjacking?

We often have people ask if we do mudjacking and we have to explain that we use a similar service called foam jacking.

While there are many differences between using foam (a specialized formula of polyurethane foam to be specific) and using mud (more like a slurry of concrete, gravel and fine particles) to jack or raise and level concrete, there are a few key benefits we often end up pointing out.

To help explain the key reasons we believe using foam is a better solution for levelling your uneven concrete than mudjacking, we’ve put together this handy infographic to walk you through it.

Mudjacking

Now to be fair, there are some benefits to using mud instead of foam. It is cheaper than foam which might be a consideration for some people.

Also, there are far more companies around that provide the service of levelling concrete using mud than there are using polyurethane foam to raise concrete. So it’s easier to find people providing the mud services.

However, those benefits don’t seem to outweigh the positives that foam jacking has for most people.

If you’d like to read more about the positives about foam jacking and learn more about the process of raising concrete, be sure you check out our article, What is Slab Jacking.

Or, we can also come out and inspect your sinking or uneven concrete slab and provide a free quote to level it. To arrange that simply call us at 403-640-7444 or use our online quote form to send us a request.

You can find the quote form here, Concrete Levelling Quote

May 28, 2018 By Concrete Slab Jacking

Concrete Levelling In Calgary

Are You In Need of Concrete Levelling in Calgary?

Poly Boss provides concrete levelling in Calgary for both residential and commercial properties. We raise and level uneven sidewalks, driveways, patios, concrete floors and more using the latest foam jacking techniques and products.

When your concrete sidewalk is sinking it can lead to a multitude of potential problems and issues. These range from hazards such as tripping over uneven concrete to drainage issues when a concrete slab leans towards a foundations.

Either of which could leave you with huge potential expenses due to liability issues or foundation problems.

Fixing Uneven Concrete

So how do we fix your concrete problems? We use a process called polyurethane foam jacking.

This involves slowly injecting a specially formulated foam compound underneath your concrete slab that spreads out under the surface of the concrete and eventually starts raising your concrete slab until level, for a fraction of the cost of replacing it!

This sounds good, but I’ve heard concrete levelling in Calgary is just a short term solution, is that true?

Well maybe, but that depends on what the original reason initiated the concrete sinking.

If the reason the concrete is sinking is due to the ground underneath simply settling, there may be some additional settling over time and it may require a future injection to keep the concrete surface level.

If the issues is water flow eroding the current concrete footing and making the concrete slab unstable, then before any type of repair work gets started, the water problem needs to be resolved.

If the water issue can be redirected or minimized, then the polyurethane foam not only provides a stable base for the concrete, but it’s also extremely water resistant which creates a near permanent foundation to support the concrete.

Call Us For Concrete Levelling In Calgary

We do provide free quotes, so if you have a concrete problem related to uneven concrete why not give us a call?

We can do an initial walk through of your concrete problem over the phone and set up a time to come view and assess how we can resolve your issue.

Our hours are 9-5 weekdays (although we often do quotes in the evenings or on weekends), so call us today at 403-620-7444, or use our handy contact form which you can find here, Concrete Levelling Quote Form to leave us an email and we’ll follow up as soon as possible!

May 22, 2018 By Concrete Slab Jacking

Calgary Concrete Lifting

Concrete Lifting Services

Calgary concrete lifting is the main service that Poly Boss Inc provides, but many people ask us, Should we be lifting our concrete, or replacing it?

That’s where our 18 years of experience in the local Calgary concrete industry can benefit you!

While we specialize in lifting concrete we also understand there may be other options for your specific concrete issue and in many cases lifting your concrete may not even be the best option.

We want you to be happy.

But not just today, we also want you to be happy next year and the year after.

That’s why if we believe jacking up your concrete isn’t the best solution, we’ll tell you!

Should We Level Concrete, Or Replace It?

This is one of the most common questions we hear from people and there isn’t a one size fits all answer unless we can see your concrete and can determine

a) why your concrete is sinking and
b) if we level your concrete will it fix the problem or just be a temporary solution?

If the concrete is sinking due to backfill settling under the concrete and causing the concrete slab to move, using polyurethane foam to lift the concrete may likely be the best solution.

If however the concrete is sinking due to issues like water runoff jacking the concrete may end up being a temporary solution. Until the underlying issue gets resolved, the problem will just keep repeating itself.

Our extensive experience in the industry allows us to identify potential problems like this and to guide you appropriately.

In other situations, if the concrete has extensively cracked in numerous areas due to years of settling and the underlying footings shifting, we’ll be very upfront and often suggest you look at replacing your concrete.

Again, this varies from site to site and depending on how far gone the slab may be.

This isn’t a service we provide (although we can provide referrals to concrete companies we are confident about referring our clients too), but ultimately it will make you happiest and be the most cost effective long term solution.

Poly Boss does provide free quotes in Calgary & Area,
click here to arrange your free Concrete Lifting Quote

Calgary Concrete Lifting Challenges

When we talk about our Calgary concrete lifting challenges one of our biggest challenges always ends up being the underlying footing for a concrete slab or sidewalk.

The footings or surface the concrete gets poured on is what provides the long term stability for the slab. In Calgary it’s not uncommon for these footings to shift over time.

The saying in the local concrete industry isn’t if the surface shifts, but when will it shift.

This is highly evident when you look at just about any concrete walls or floors in basements throughout Calgary.

There are almost always cracks somewhere, some far more serious than others, but all indicative of shifting taking place underneath the ground.

A process like foam jacking (an updated form of mudjacking) can provide a stable base underneath the surface of the concrete and in many cases solve the dilemma of shifting footings, but some times so much shifting has taken place the cost of filling the huge voids with foam simply doesn’t make sense.

It’s situations like this that may require complete replacement.

Part of the challenge being we may not be able to tell how bad the situation is, until we drill one or more holes through the concrete.

April 24, 2018 By Concrete Slab Jacking

What Is Slab Jacking?

Slab Jacking Concrete

Slab jacking concrete is exactly as it sounds. It’s the process of jacking up a slab of concrete.

But much like a sinking concrete slab, what it looks like on the surface isn’t the entire story.

You see, there are many different methods of slab jacking or levelling concrete slabs.

To help streamline this a little bit, we’ll focus on the two main categories, mud jacking and polyurethane foam jacking.

Before we get there though, let’s try and understand why slab jacking your concrete may be required.

Concrete is Heavy

Concrete is heavy sounds rather obvious, doesn’t it? Well all that weight is often why slab jacking is required.

When you’re adding hundreds of pounds of weight to a small area, it can cause the surface underneath to shift over time. In certain areas, like Calgary for instance, much of the ground here is very susceptible to shifting.

The majority of the Calgary region seems to be a layer of topsoil with a secondary layer of clay like material within a few feet of the surface. Due to this, you have a top layer that moves much more than the lower clay like area and when you add several hundred pounds of concrete on top that shifting can accelerate.

Obviously concrete workers aren’t intending to make your sidewalk or driveway uneven, but over time it happens anyway as the ground underneath shifts and moves due to that added weight.

Concrete Is Sort of Water Resistant.

While not entirely true, concrete is much more water resistant than typically what is surrounding it. That’s the ground, the gravel, or the lawn or the flower beds right beside it.

When you get stronger run offs during the spring, or rainy times, the water tends to flow to the areas of least resistance. This would be across (or even under) the concrete and then usually down the sides where it can erode the supporting ground.

Once that supporting ground starts to wash away it accelerates problems like uneven cement.

We already know it’s heavy, and now that you’ve started to wash out the surrounding area, it’s much easier and faster for the ground underneath to shift because you end up with more weight concentrated over a smaller area.

This type of effect can happen very quickly or even unexpectedly after and during harsher winters and springs. Something we’re becoming very familiar with here in Southern Alberta!

Concrete is Strong

Here’s another important yet often forgotten reason why concrete is uneven. When one area underneath the concrete shifts the remaining concrete slab doesn’t tend to flex.

That means the opposite end that isn’t sinking tends to raise up.

Over time, and if the underlying problem isn’t dealt with, and even though concrete is quite strong, due to it’s weight you eventually end up with concrete that cracks. Once concrete cracks, it opens itself up to further problems.

The cracks can allow more water to enter underneath the surface and potentially wash the footing away even faster. It can also allow water to build up within the cracks themselves. During colder nights, this could result in freezing water which either expands the size of the crack, or could break down the concrete itself faster.

Both of these issues are undesirable and can lead to costly repairs. This brings us around to the solution to fix your uneven concrete problem, slab jacking.

Mud Jacking Versus Foam Jacking Concrete Slabs

We already explained the basic premise of slab jacking, it’s jacking up the concrete.

What we didn’t talk about is how it’s typically done and that is usually either by doing what is called mudjacking or polyurethane foam jacking.

Both of these processes involve coring a hole (or multiple holes) in the slab and then injecting either a slurry of mud and concrete mix or polyurethane foam under the concrete.

As the material fills the void under the concrete the pressure forces the concrete to lift and the filling continues until the cement slab levels out.

Now both of these products have their pros and cons. And they can’t fix every issue, but when you compare it to the price of tearing up and replacing concrete they both provide a great solution.

Pro’s of Mudjacking

The biggest pro of mudjacking is it’s very cost effective. Mud and cement slurry are relatively cheap and readily available which makes it often the most affordable solution.

This is what makes it so attractive to individuals with a limited budget or looking for a quick fix.

There are also plenty of companies who provide this service making it easy to find someone to compete the work. This allows you to get the work completed fairly quickly.

Con’s of Mudjacking

Unfortunately many of the cons of mudjacking outweigh the benefit of cheap costs and fast service.

The biggest issue is that it’s heavy. If the original reason your concrete slab settled or continues to settle is due to the weight of the slab, adding additional weight underneath won’t fix the problem, it will simply aggravate it and accelerate it.

The second challenge is water. If the reason the concrete shifted is due to water runoff or water issues, what do you think that water will do to mud? If you answered wash it away you can already see the problem.

It’s won’t happen immediately as the cement slurry will harden, but it doesn’t harden with the strength of a regular concrete pour, so if the original water issue is still there it’s just a matter of time before erosion re-creates and likely magnifies, your original problem.

slab jacking hole - mudjacking concrete patch — Not your typical mudjacking hole, it appears the concrete broke around the hole requiring an even larger patch!

Another issue people have is the coring holes mudjacking leaves behind. The mud used for this process includes a light gravel to help add stability. Because of the gravel, the holes required to inject the mud need to be larger.

If this is a highly visible area like a front sidewalk or driveway these larger holes can be quite obvious and detract from the curb appeal of your home. If you’re spending money to improve the look of your sidewalk it’s rather counter productive to have multiple twoonie-sized holes all over your concrete.

Of course, if you don’t have any of these concerns or issues, mudjacking may be perfect to get your concrete slab levelled and functional. But then if you do have one or more of these issues, a better option is polyurethane foam jacking.

Pro’s of Polyurethane Foam Jacking

The biggest pro of polyurethane foam is it’s weight. It’s incredibly lightweight, while still remaining strong and long lasting.

One of the original concerns people had about polyurethane foam was it would compress, just like styrofoam, over time and if it was used for something heavy like concrete it would just cause more issues. Well, that’s where technology came in.

The chemists and engineers behind the specific foam used for jacking up concrete understood these issues and devised specific formulas designed not to compress, that would set up rapidly and that can handle large amounts of weight.

Bottom line it doesn’t compress and is pretty well a permanent solution. Permanent enough to outlast the structures on most properties and likely to last well beyond the lifespan of the concrete slab itself!

Being lightweight it solves the problem of increasing the weight on an already shifting footing.

The second pro is it’s it’s impervious to water.

Once the foam sets (which is typically less than 60 minutes) water cannot penetrate it. It simply bounces off.

This means the foam won’t go away and will provide a long term stable footing for the slab. It doesn’t mean you still don’t need to correct the water issue as ongoing water can still wash away the footings the foam is sitting on, but it won’t go away.

Third the chemicals involved in the process of creating the foam are injected through a much smaller hole. The two components are liquids and mix together underneath the concrete where they expand and lift. These holes are just over half an inch in diameter (about 16mm) and blend much nicer creating better curb appeal.

Additional benefits include how quickly it sets up, cures within 60 minutes under normal weather conditions, and work can be completed even if the ground isn’t dry.

Too good to be true? Well there are a couple of things to be aware of when dealing with polyurethane foam.

Con’s of Polyurethane Foam

When it comes to cost, some people might choose mudjacking over polyurethane foam to save money.

Before you start panicking though, we’re not talking two or three times the cost of mudjacking, but rather 20-30% more in most situations. The foam designed to lift your concrete and to provide a basically permanent solution simply costs more than mud and cement slurry. It also provides far more benefits in the long run.

The second challenge you may face is that the equipment to inject the materials under the concrete slab is also much more specialized. That means there are fewer companies currently available to provide polyurethane foam jacking.

As a result, we’re quite busy so if you’re serious about fixing an issue with a sinking concrete slab, driveway or sidewalk, you may want to contact us right away.

FREE Slab Jacking Quotes

It’s hard to make a decision if you don’t know what it will cost you, that’s why we offer free quotes.

So if you understand you have a concrete problem and realize you need to deal with it, you will want to reach out to us and arrange to have us come by and provide a quote. You can use our handy quote form (Click to Arrange a Free Slab Jacking Quote) or you can call us directly at 403-620-7444.

If you’re still unsure if you need slab jacking or to raise or fix your concrete, you may want to read our article about 8 Important Reasons to Raise Your Concrete!