What Is PolyRenewal™?
Uneven, settled, and cracked concrete slabs aren’t just a safety hazard; they can even compromise your home’s foundation. Traditional repair methods like mudjacking don’t last, while concrete replacement is invasive and expensive. You need a product that addresses the root cause of damaged concrete—the soil under your slabs.
Groundworks has a solution. Our PolyRenewal™ polyurethane foam injection system can efficiently lift and level concrete, resulting in safer and more even surfaces. Learn the benefits of this custom-engineered product and how it works.
How Does Concrete Sink?
Over time, concrete surfaces can begin to sink or crack due to various underlying factors. One of the most common causes is soil settlement or erosion beneath the slab. As moisture levels in the soil change, the soil can expand, contract, or wash away entirely. This causes the concrete above to settle unevenly or crack under pressure. Tree roots, poor soil compaction, and subpar construction can also contribute to surface instability, slowly damaging the concrete over time.
When concrete begins to sink or crack, it can quickly lead to more serious issues. Uneven surfaces become tripping hazards, increasing the risk of injury and liability around homes or businesses. Cracked or sunken slabs can also direct water toward a building’s foundation, potentially leading to basement leaks, foundation shifting, or structural instability. In colder climates, water can seep into cracks and freeze, expanding and widening the damage further.
How Polyurethane Foam Can Help
Polyurethane foam concrete lifting is a modern method used to raise and stabilize damaged concrete surfaces. The process involves injecting a specialized polyurethane foam beneath the slab through small holes drilled into the concrete. Once injected, the foam expands rapidly, filling voids in the soil and gently pushing the concrete back to its original level. As it hardens, the foam forms a durable, waterproof base that stabilizes the slab and prevents future settling.
Groundworks uses PolyRenewal™ to lift and level the following concrete structures:
How Does PolyRenewal™ Work?
Our process for injecting PolyRenewal™ is as follows:
- Drilling penny-sized holes in your concrete
- Inserting injection ports into these holes
- Injecting PolyRenewal™ under concrete slabs
- Sealing and smoothing over the injection ports
PolyRenewal™ cures quickly and reaches its full strength in just 15 minutes. It can also be applied before concrete construction to improve soil strength and stability.
Benefits of PolyRenewal™
PolyRenewal™ polyurethane foam offers a range of advantages that make it an ideal solution for lifting and stabilizing sunken concrete. At just 4 pounds per cubic foot, it’s significantly lighter than traditional fill materials, reducing the risk of adding stress to already weak soils. Once cured, PolyRenewal™ is waterproof and won’t wash away like other materials, ensuring long-lasting results. It’s also environmentally friendly and safe for surrounding soil and ecosystems.
Why Mudjacking Fails
In the past, contractors lifted concrete with mudjacking—also known as slabjacking. This outdated method involves drilling holes into damaged concrete and pumping a slurry of water, soil, sand, and cement under the slabs to restore them to their previous level.
Most contractors now agree that mudjacking isn’t the best solution for repairing concrete. Here’s why:
- It doesn’t last very long
- It doesn’t always lift concrete evenly
- It’s messy
- It can harm underground utilities
- It often comes with poor warranties
- It’s not environmentally friendly
Should You Repair or Replace Damaged Concrete?
Concrete replacement is often viewed as the most permanent fix for severely damaged or sunken slabs, but has with significant drawbacks. Tearing out and replacing concrete is a labor-intensive process that involves demolition, hauling away debris, pouring new concrete, and waiting days or even weeks for it to fully cure. This extended timeline can disrupt daily life and often requires additional repairs to surrounding landscaping.
In contrast, PolyRenewal™ offers a faster, cleaner, and far more cost-effective alternative. While concrete replacement may be necessary for slabs that are severely broken or structurally compromised, for most sinking or uneven surfaces, polyurethane foam repair delivers long-lasting results without the high price tag or extended downtime.
Go With Groundworks for Proven Concrete Repair Solutions
If you have cracked and uneven concrete slabs, PolyRenewal™ could be the solution you’re looking for. The concrete repair experts at Groundworks have the tools and the know-how to restore your damaged surfaces. Most jobs can be completed in a few hours, with the surface ready for use in just 15 minutes.
Ready to improve the safety and appearance of your home? Get started today with a free inspection and detailed service estimate.
Disclaimer: “Concrete leveling” means the process by which cracked, uneven concrete is stabilized, and in many cases lifted, by means of PolyRenewal™ polyurethane foam. Groundworks does not guarantee that PolyRenewal™ can make your concrete perfectly level.
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