Concrete Driveway Repair: How to Fix Cracks, Sinking, and Uneven Surfaces
Driveway damage in Memphis, TN, and nearby areas is often caused by a combination of climate, soil conditions, and everyday wear and tear. If you’re researching why you have driveway sinking, solutions for driveway leveling, how to level a driveway or get a driveway lift, we’ll help answer your questions and explain the effective concrete driveway crack repair.
Understanding the local factors that contribute to concrete driveway damage, recognizing early warning signs, and being aware of the risks of neglecting repairs can help you take proactive steps to prevent costly damage and maintain your property’s value.

What Are The Signs Of Driveway Damage?
- Uneven or sunken concrete slabs
- Visible cracks spreading across the surface
- Water pooling in certain areas
- Gaps forming between driveway sections
- Rough or deteriorating texture
What are the risks if you do not fix your concrete driveway?
- Safety Hazards: Increased risk of trips and falls.
- Worsening Damage: Small cracks expanding into major structural issues.
- Water Damage: Water infiltration leads to soil erosion beneath the slab.
- Curb Appeal & Property Value: A damaged driveway decreases home value.
- Costly Repairs: Neglected issues requiring full replacement instead of simple fixes
What Causes Driveway Damage?
Soil Erosion & Settlement – A Common Memphis Problem
Memphis and its surrounding regions, including Germantown, Collierville, Bartlett, and Southaven, have clay-heavy soils that are highly susceptible to expansion and contraction. When rainwater or poor drainage washes away supporting soil, it creates empty spaces beneath the driveway. Without a solid foundation, the concrete slabs sink, crack, or become uneven, leading to significant driveway damage.
Local Factors Contributing to Soil Erosion:
- High Rainfall & Flooding: Memphis receives around 53 inches of rain annually, significantly more than the national average. Heavy rains wash away the soil beneath driveways, worsening sinking and cracks.
- Expansive Clay Soil: The region has dense, moisture-sensitive soil that expands when wet and shrinks when dry, causing driveways to shift and settle unevenly.
- Poor Drainage: Many homes in Memphis have low-lying driveways or poor runoff management, allowing water to pool and further erode the foundation underneath the concrete slabs.
Freeze-Thaw Cycles
While Memphis is known for its warm climate, winter freezes and cold snaps still occur. During colder months, water seeps into driveway cracks, freezes, and expands, forcing the concrete apart. When temperatures rise again, the ice melts, leaving behind larger gaps and weakened slabs.
How Memphis Weather Affects Freeze-Thaw Damage:
- Sudden Temperature Drops: Memphis winters see occasional nights below freezing, causing trapped water in concrete cracks to freeze and expand.
- High Humidity: The region’s moisture-rich air means concrete remains damp, making it more vulnerable to freeze-thaw damage.
- Ice & Snow Events: Although rare, ice storms and snow in Memphis, Arlington, Lakeland, and Olive Branch can accelerate driveway deterioration when salt or de-icers are used. These products can further weaken the concrete surface.
Heavy Loads – Driveways Built for Cars, Not Trucks
Many homeowners in Cordova, Hernando, and Millington unknowingly accelerate driveway damage by parking heavier vehicles than the concrete was designed to support.
What Causes Driveway Stress?
- Work Trucks, RVs & Large SUVs: The increased weight from commercial vehicles, trailers, and heavy-duty trucks causes driveway sinking over time.
- Frequent Parking in the Same Spot: Constant pressure on specific areas leads to settling and cracking in high-use zones.
- Driveways Not Built for Weight Distribution: Older driveways in historic areas like Midtown Memphis and Cooper-Young may not have been designed for today’s heavier vehicles.
Poor Installation – A Common Issue in Older Homes
If a driveway was improperly installed or built without accounting for Memphis’ soil movement, issues can appear sooner than expected.
What Causes Poor Driveway Construction?
- Insufficient Soil Compaction: Builders in expanding suburban areas may not have compacted the soil properly before pouring the driveway. This causes early sinking and cracking.
- Thin Concrete Slabs: Some local area driveways were originally poured too thin, making them more prone to cracking under pressure.
- Lack of Expansion Joints: Without proper expansion joints, driveways in neighborhoods like Germantown and Lakeland are at a higher risk of developing large cracks due to shifting temperatures.
What’s the Best Way to Repair Your Driveway?
PolyRenewal™ is an advanced polyurethane foam injection method designed for quick and effective concrete repair. This environmentally friendly solution requires only a few small, dime-sized holes to lift and stabilize uneven concrete. Unlike traditional methods, PolyRenewal™ cures in just 15 minutes, allowing homeowners to use their driveways or sidewalks the same day. It is waterproof, resistant to weather conditions, and won’t wash away or degrade like soil, making it a durable, long-lasting solution. Additionally, it is safe for the environment and does not release harmful chemicals into the yard or water supply.
Although we don’t add concrete for driveway repair, the poly process is simple and non-invasive to repair your driveway. First, small holes are drilled into the affected concrete areas. Next, injection ports are inserted to transport the PolyRenewal™ foam beneath the surface. The foam expands and fills voids, lifting the concrete back to its original position quickly and mess-free. Once the injection is complete, the small holes are sealed and smoothed, leaving the surface looking as good as new. With added support that resists weak soil, PolyRenewal™ provides a permanent solution for sinking concrete, ensuring stability and longevity.
Concrete Driveway Repair Before and After


What are the benefits of professional repairs?
- Cost Savings: Professional repair is more affordable than full replacement.
- Efficiency: Quick solutions like PolyRenewal™ allow same-day use of the driveway.
- Durability: High-quality materials ensure long-term results.
- Aesthetic Improvement: Restores driveway appearance and enhances curb appeal.
- Prevention of Future Damage: Professional sealing and leveling prevent further deterioration.
How to get started with Groundworks
If left untreated, small cracks and uneven slabs can quickly worsen in the Memphis climate. Between heavy rainfall, clay-rich soil, and seasonal freeze-thaw cycles, driveway issues can become severe in just a few months.
Professional driveway repair, including concrete leveling and crack sealing, helps homeowners in Memphis and surrounding areas prevent further damage and maintain their property’s curb appeal and safety. Our team of experts at Groundworks hopes you now understand how to repair a concrete driveway.
Our experts know the unique challenges of the region, from shifting clay soils to extreme weather conditions, and are ready to fix your concrete driveway. Schedule your free inspection today!
Regular maintenance includes cleaning, inspections, and ensuring proper drainage to prevent future sinking.
Concrete leveling can take a very long time or a relatively short time. It all depends on what you’re using to level the concrete. Slabjacking and mudjacking tend to take more time than polyurethane foam injections, which is another reason that you might want to opt for the more modern polyurethane foam injections.
- Slabjacking and Mudjacking
Slabjacking and mudjacking have a relatively short installation time; most jobs will see installation taking less than a day. Of course, this does depend on the number of slabs that are affected by settlement and the size of each slab as well as their overall condition. A professional will be able to give you a rough estimate for installation times, so be sure to ask about this when you contact them for a quote!
The main problem is the time it takes for the concrete slurry to set once the installation is complete. This process can take up to 48 hours to start to harden, depending on the weather, ambient temperature, and several other factors. The biggest issue is that it can take around two weeks for the concrete to be entirely set and stable. Having to stay off a slab of concrete for up to two weeks isn’t even possible for lots of areas, including driveway leveling.
- Polyurethane Foam Injections
The process of installation for polyurethane foam solutions is roughly the same as mudjacking. Like slabjacking, this process will generally take less than a day. It could take as little as a few hours, but that does depend on the area being treated. Unlike slabjacking and mud jacking, however, polyurethane foam sets rapidly and is ready for use very quickly.
Polyurethane foam will start to harden immediately after injection into the void between your slab and the ground below. Part of this is the process of expansion that lifts the slab. You can start to walk on the leveled area within about 15 minutes from the time the expert initially pumped in the polyurethane foam and it will have reached 90% rigidity within 30 minutes. This is another reason concrete leveling with polyurethane foam injections is one of the best options; you don’t have to wait a long time for any concrete to harden and you can instead start using the area nearly immediately.
If you currently have a sunken concrete driveway, there’s no need to worry too much. There are a variety of fixes that you can use for sunken concrete driveways. These fixes are a great way to maintain your concrete driveway as effectively as possible. Here are a few things to consider when it comes to sunken concrete driveways.
- Polyurethane Foam Injections
Polyurethane foam injections are one of the best options for sunken concrete driveways. They’re immensely effective, but also easy to add to your home. They’ve been a crucial part of commercial concrete lifting for many years now. Even if you’ve never heard of polyurethane foam injections before, chances are that your concrete repair expert will suggest it.
With polyurethane foam injections, an expert will inject a foam mix underneath the concrete. It will swell dramatically in size, hardening within just a few hours and allowing you to continue using the concrete with no problems. In most areas, homeowners can start using the lifted concrete within just a few minutes, which is much better than many older fixes that required days or weeks of curing time.
- Other Unique Options
Of course, other options might work well for your unique situation. If you’ve waited too long and your driveway is nothing but cracks, you might need to repour the concrete slab. There are also other fixes for concrete sinking that might work best for your driveway.
Whether you opt for polyurethane foam injections or you try a different concrete lifting process, you can rest assured that you’ll be able to get your concrete driveway back up and running as quickly as possible. It all depends on who’s able to work with you to achieve a solution. Just talk to a concrete repair expert to make sure you’re getting the best option for your unique problems.