Concrete repair in
Cordova, Illinois can get expensive, messy and inconvenient with traditional
replacement methods. Yet, a new technique called mudjacking can reduce
expenses, cut down on the time it takes to pour a fresh slab and eliminate
spillovers, splatters and other messy side effects of traditional repair work.
Here is a guide to how hiring a company that performs mudjacking services can
help you fix a sidewalk, driveway or foundation so that you know what to expect
from a service team…read on!
What is Mudjacking?
Concrete repair becomes
necessary when the ground underneath the slab has shifted due to freeze and
thaw or other erosion-causing processes produce a stress fracture in a slab.
Mudjacking is a term used for replacing the eroded soil to level and secure a
concrete slab, thereby repairing the damage and sealing the fissure.
The process is simple. A
damaged slab is carefully drilled on all sides to form a pathway to the eroded
portion of the ground underneath your walkway or foundation. Once the holes are
drilled and cleared of obstructions, a mudjacking company will use specialized
equipment to pump a slurry underneath the damaged slab, thereby raising it up
to its original position. From there, adjustments can be made to fully align
the newly leveled slab. Once it is in its ideal position, cracks are repaired
on the surface of the slab as well to further strengthen the completed project.
From there, it is left to harden into a repaired, single piece that can be
sealed to prevent further damages.
Traditional
Concrete Repair: The Process
The alternative to
mudjacking is the more traditional method of removing the damaged slab and
replacing it. There is also a process to the traditional method of concrete
repair that you should be aware of before you make your decision between the
two methods.
First, the damaged slab
must be removed, using tools such as jackhammers, pick axes and other demolition
equipment. As opposed to simply drilling holes, complete removal is noisy and
causes a lot more mess from large chunks of concrete, chips that can be flung
several feet from the use of power tools and the dust that is produced from the
process.
After the slab is
completely gone, the ground beneath is leveled and repacked, usually using more
heavy equipment. From there, a frame is built around the perimeter of where new
concrete will be poured. In most cases, a large cement mixer will pour liquid
concrete into the frame, during which splattering and runoff can occur. The
finished slab is left to harden and the repair work is completed.
This process usually
involves more heavy equipment that must be used in stages, more time and more
cleanup to be completed than mudjacking. What takes a removal and replacement
company up to a week to complete, a mudjacking company can complete within a
single day by performing a simple concrete repair service instead.
For more information
about concrete repair in Cordova IL, please select the provided link or call
309-373-2919.
