Orlando Concrete Lifting and Leveling
Residential and Commercial Mudjacking
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Concrete Lifting Orlando
Commercial and Residential Concrete Lifting and Leveling Solutions
Welcome to Spray Pro Concrete Lifting
Are you feeling low because your house is sinking? Do you find stability and function important? Are you wondering what to do about concrete lifting in Orlando? Don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place. In just a few minutes, we can tell you everything you need to know about concrete lifting in Orlando. You’ll also find out how Spray Pro concrete lifting is the right choice for you.
At Spray Pro concrete lifting, we focus on lifting concrete and communities. We are your one-stop solution for all things related to concrete lifting in Orlando. We pride ourselves on our excellent service, matchless quality and customer satisfaction. Our clients include businesses and homeowners alike. If you’re interested in learning more about what concrete lifting is, how it works and what we do, please read on.
About Concrete Lifting Orlando
Let’s start with the basics. What is concrete lifting? It is a corrective measure used to raise concrete that is sinking or tilting. Cracked, sunken, or uneven concrete is an unsightly issue that requires immediate attention. It manifests as:
- Cracked patios and porches
- Sunken steps
- Uneven driveways
- Fractured sidewalks
- Damaged garage floors
- Uneven basement floors
Sunken concrete can lead to other damage beyond just looking bad. The uneven surface of sunken concrete is a safety hazard and can cause injuries. A sinking slab is always worth fixing. Cracks are normally not a cause for concern. However, when concrete slabs crack and sink, it may be telling us that there is a more serious structural issue.
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What Causes Concrete to Sink or Lift (Too Much)
What are the causes of concrete damage? And why should you get concrete lifting in Orlando? Here’s the thing. Your house or building stands on the soil. Soil isn’t stationary and can move because of many reasons. These include:
- A gain of moisture caused by poor drainage, improper plumbing, heavy rainfall, high water table, thawing. When soil gains water, it expands. However, it does not expand evenly. Therefore, some soil will rise and some will not. This uneven expansion will lead to tilted concrete
- Loss of moisture caused by wind or heat. Certain parts of the soil are going to lose more water since they will be more exposed to these environmental factors. For example, the soil directly underneath the structure should be fine. But the soil at the perimeter will be vulnerable to environmental factors. When the soil loses water, it will settle. Therefore, the concrete will settle as well
- Soil erosion. Improper drainage can wash away the soil supporting your driveway. This loss of support will cause tilting or sinking of the concrete floor
- Type and distribution of material beneath the building. Types include loam, expansive clay, and rocks among others. They all have different properties and settle or raise differently
- Tree root growth underneath the building
- No soil compaction. This refers to the process of removing excess air from the soil. Reintroducing the soil without compacting it reduces its ability to support the weight of the building. Gravity eventually compacts the soil used under the concrete. As such, concrete can settle when it eventually does get compacted
Most soil movements are seasonal and cannot be avoided. Your sunken concrete is caused by a combination of these factors. This ends up with you needing concrete lifting in Orlando.
Methods of Concrete Lifting in Orlando
Most of us want to spend as little time and effort as possible and still get the best results. We understand that there are many things that you have to consider when you want to get Orlando concrete lifting. This is why our goal is to find the most convenient solution for you. It should be quick, simple, and environmentally friendly. It must also not ruin the landscape and be minimally invasive and cheap. But most importantly, it needs to work.
There are generally three methods of fixing sunken or tilted concrete slabs. Concrete repair contractors commonly use these methods. These are slab jacking (of which mud jacking is a sub-type), spray foam jacking, and concrete slab replacement.
Concrete Replacement
Concrete replacement as a method of concrete lifting in Orlando is the only thing that can fix crumbled, cracked or crushed concrete slabs. Another reason you may need concrete replacement is if the concrete slab has deteriorated.
Concrete can deteriorate because of its age, lifting heavy loads, or continuous freezing and thawing. This is expensive and time-consuming. However, it is, fortunately, the last resort. Mudjacking or spray foam jacking can fix most sunken concrete slabs.
Slab Jacking
Slab jacking is an engineering technology which uses pumps to lift the sunken concrete in a structure’s foundation. This offers an easier and more time and cost-efficient alternative than complete replacement of the concrete base. This method entails digging small holes from 3/8″ up to 3″ into the affected area. You then pump a variety of mixtures depending on the type of slab jacking into the concrete. This causes the sunken concrete to rise and be level with the rest of the base.
This ‘injecting process’ is less expensive than concrete slab replacement. It also saves a lot of time as the building is ready to use within hours of slab jacking. This is in comparison to the requirement of days to cure by other methods. However, we need to consider some things before opting for this method. Sometimes, if unseen cracks are present in the concrete slab, slab jacking might cause them to appear on the surface. Concrete replacement may be the only option if the base is too damaged itself.
Mudjacking
Slab jacking has three types. All three have differences in the material injected and the pressure used. Primarily, there is mudjacking, which utilizes topsoil ingredients and portland cements to create a blend. Movable pumps then inject this blend into the concrete. The holes dug for the insertion process are between 1″ and 2″ in diameter. Combinations of materials like sand blend and local soil, mixed in cement in water are pumped inside the concrete.
Other materials are included in the mixture to provide greater hold and lubrication. These materials ideally range from lay/bentonite, pond sand, masonry or crushed lime. Some advantages of using mud jacking to hydraulically lift the concrete are that the lifting is done at low pressures and with more consistency. This makes sure that the base is completely evened out. It totally fills the space left after lifting.
Filling the space leaves no air pockets, eliminating the penetration of water, animals, and insects. Mudjacking generally has more compression strength compared to other types of slab jacking. The work can be done in a matter of hours and is time efficient. There is little or no disruption to the landscaping or the day to day activities of the building.
Mud jacking also stabilizes the subsoil and solves the problem at the root. You’ll never have to worry about sunken concrete again after you choose mudjacking for concrete lifting in Orlando.
Some things that may limit the time efficiency in this process are that it is very difficult to move all the equipment and materials. Also, larger holes are drilled into the concrete for this procedure, which may ruin the appearance of the concrete slabs. However, they are filled with color matching grout in the end. This leaves a smooth finish.
Spray Foam Jacking
Polyurethane foam jacking is another name for spray foam jacking. It is a very popular and inexpensive method of concrete lifting in Orlando. It involves the use of specialized, high-density polyurethane foam to raise the sunken concrete slab. This process is almost exactly like mud jacking and obtains the same results. The only difference is in the material that is used as the slurry.
The trailer rig contains the equipment. The rig also has a long hose capable of reaching directly to the concrete slab location. Contractors drill holes smaller than 3/8” in a special pattern into the concrete. This optimizes lifting with minimal visual impact.
The foam creates pressure under the slab as the materials mix and expand. The foam expands and hardens rapidly which lifts and stabilizes the sunken concrete and levels it. The drill holes are then refilled with polymer concrete or cement after the injections are complete and the concrete has been perfectly leveled and stabilized.
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Advantages of Spray Foam Concrete Lifting
The advantages of spray foam jacking are numerous. It is more environmentally friendly than other methods of concrete lifting in Orlando. It also leaves less visible marking on the concrete. Spray foam jacking requires far fewer and smaller drill holes to be drilled into the concrete than the concrete injections. This preserves the aesthetic sense of your building.
Polyurethane is a great material because it rapidly expands after being injected into the concrete. This ensures that it fills the void that is causing the sunken concrete. Then, it cures into an incredibly strong material. This strong compound works great for offering long-lasting and stable support to your building. The properties of the polyurethane foam also make it so that the foam creates a built-in moisture barrier, guaranteeing you protection from soil upheaval and settlement caused by moisture.
Most importantly, spray foam jacking does not require a lot of time and does not cause significant disruption. The foam cures within minutes, which means no waiting for days, as in mud jacking, or even weeks, as in concrete slab replacement.
Cost of Concrete Lifting Orlando
Now for what we’ve all been waiting for. How much is it going to cost? In comparison to the cost of concrete replacement in residential and commercial buildings, concrete lifting costs one-half or one-third as much. Nevertheless, we should never consider the money spent on concrete lifting Orlando as money wasted.
The importance of concrete lifting to maintain the functionality and appearance of your building cannot be overstated. If we want our buildings to withstand the test of time and look good while doing it, we need to invest money by leveling our concrete floors.
The cost of concrete lifting in Orlando depends on how much material will be required for the lifting. How much of the concrete is damaged, what kind of damage is it, the size of the damaged area, etc tell us how much material will be required. Approximately, concrete raising can cost between $2-$5 per square foot. The typical range is around $548 – $1,340. Online sites are available that tell you how much it might cost you to mud jack or level concrete slabs for concrete lifting in Orlando.
DIY Concrete Lifting
If someone wants to try a DIY method of concrete lifting, it may cost even more. The downside of attempting to level concrete yourself is that there is a very high chance that something could go wrong. You could never be truly confident that the quality of the job was up to par.
The process is unsafe for everyone involved and all the people around them as well. Nonprofessionals cannot employ all safety precautions. By attempting to level the concrete themselves, they may also cause more harm than good if they damage the surface and lower its quality.
The equipment required may not be available, and it may just be a temporary solution to a more permanent problem are two other disadvantages of trying to lift concrete yourself.
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If you don’t have experience in concrete lifting in Orlando, it can be hard to judge if the slab needs to be replaced or if repair is an option. If you do decide to get repairs, it’s another battle deciding what method you should use. Since every case is highly individual, the considerations are different too. Therefore, it is best to consult experts before you choose how to proceed.
At Spray Pro Concrete Lifting Orlando, our skilled team of professionals can help you make this decision. We come to your home, perform thorough checks, and analyze the damage. Only then do we recommend a course of action. We keep your interests in mind and suggest a plan that would help you in the long run. Our primary concern is your satisfaction. Just like your concrete, we never let you down.