Concrete Repair Services Before & After Photos
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Concrete Expansion Joint Prevents Driveway Cracking and Structural Damage
Concrete driveways can crack and heave over time, or worse -cause structural damage to your home. Learn more about our solution to prevent this damage.
Concrete driveways can crack and heave over time, or worse – they could cause structural damage to your home. Temperature changes lead to shifting, breaking concrete, which creeps up against your garage and your home's foundation. Please continue reading to learn more about why this happens and how to prevent it.
WHAT IS A CONCRETE EXPANSION JOINT AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?
A concrete expansion joint is precisely as it sounds - it is a joint that allows expansion. Concrete will expand or contract due to temperature changes. Specifically, concrete will expand in the heat and contract in the cold. This means your concrete is continuously shifting with seasonal changes. Expansion joints are used to install concrete to control cracking associated with these changes in temperature and shifting of concrete. If concrete is not given properly spaced joints to accommodate the temperature changes and concrete movement, the concrete will crack, heave or buckle, also known as "street creep." Even when installed correctly, expansion joints can deteriorate or close over time, allowing your concrete to move and shift. Even worse, concrete can press up against your home's foundation and cause structural damage.
HOW TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO YOUR HOME AND CONCRETE
Our concrete expansion joint product, CompressionGuard, is a solution that will stand the test of time. CompressionGuard is an engineered expansion joint used to alleviate the pressure that concrete slabs can experience from pushing against one another, sometimes known as "street creep." When soil shifts and there is the inward movement of your concrete, CompressionGuard will compress and prevent the neighboring concrete from absorbing the concrete movement's impact. It allows for the natural expansion, contraction, and movement of concrete slabs – particularly for driveways – to prevent damage that typically results from that movement. CompressionGuard is a preventative measure that protects your concrete slabs before they experience cracks and sinking with the changes in seasons. This prolongs the life of your concrete and protects your home from any issues that may be associated with concrete movement around your property.
COMPRESSIONGUARD ADVANTAGES
- Prevents damage from slab collision
- An environmentally friendly solution that does not degrade
- Low-cost solution to ease pressure on garage slab and foundation walls
- Can be installed year-round, even in extreme temperatures
- Quick installation with minimal disruption to existing concrete
- Flush design and precise installation add curb appeal
- The driveway can be used right after installation
WHY COMPRESSIONGUARD
To protect against long-term damage to concrete driveways, garage slabs and foundation walls, CompressionGuard replaces the expansion joints made of fiberboard used in most residential driveways with an expansion joint that is engineered to flex with concrete movement during seasonal changes. Your concrete problems will not get better with time. They will get better with CompressionGuard.
Thrasher Foundation Repair offers a free, no-obligation estimate. When we visit your home, you can expect a thorough inspection and education of the issue at hand, paired with a detailed explanation of the solution we propose and why. That's the Thrasher difference: we use a consultative approach to provide an education that allows you as the customer to choose a solution that best suits your needs.
INSTALLING COMPRESSIONGUARD
CompressionGuard comes in 10-foot sections that can be cut or fused to fit any length. To install, we have a simple process.
- Identify the direction of concrete movement to determine the best placement of CompressionGuard
- Create trenches at slab joints to make space for CompressionGuard
- Tailor CompressionGuard to the size of your project
- Install CompressionGuard and ensure there are a seamless fit and clean slab
The photos below show a before and after view of our concrete expansion joint installation. You can learn more about concrete expansion joints and how they work here.
Long Narrow Driveway Repaired with PolyLevel
Long narrow driveways can be difficult to repair, especially when houses are in close in proximity. There are a couple of options when it comes to repairing driveways. Some contractors still use the old-school repair for settled concrete. They use heavy equipment to demolish the cracked, settled sections of concrete. With concrete replacement you often get a damaged areas, such as yards, and that's off limits until the new concrete hardens and cures. More importantly, the new concrete is going onto the same problem soil which caused the issue in the first place. Another method is mud jacking but leaves the concrete with noticeable injection holes that are 1”-2” in diameter. The material used in mud jacking is not waterproofed which could wash out if not properly sealed, but the material is extremely heavy. Knowing the weight of the original concrete, over a poor soil base, is usually what cause settlement in the first place and by adding additional weight you’re asking for additional settling to occur.
Long driveways, comes a lot of concrete to potentially replace. Typically, homeowners won’t replace the entire driveway do to the cost. More common they elect to fix the damaged areas. You can only imagine what, the end result looks like. Yes, a checkered board style driveway. The new concrete that was poured will never matched the original concrete, and usually stands out like a sore thumb. There are several variable which will control the color of the concrete. These include weather, finishing practices, the relative moisture content of the subgrade, the curing process, and the age of the original concrete. These factors are not always consistent. For instance, a cloudy day versus a hot sunny day pour can make the concrete turn out differently.
Even if you considered patching the problem areas, there are still problems that could exists. When concrete is poured there are two things that happens. It gets hard and it cracks. To control the cracking pattern, contractors will trowel or cut lines in the concrete to control the cracking pattern. These control joints will eventually crack through the slab. When it rains, this is a perfect path for water to flow down and under the concrete slab. Your long and narrow driveway accumulates a lot of water to travel down. This creates erosion and more wet, weak soil. When this happens, the soil shifts, and there becomes unsupported areas of concrete. Easy concept to think about is stepping in a mud. Now, imagine not only the weight of the concrete on the unsupported soil but driving a car on a driveway add tremendous added weight. If part of your concrete slab is supported in one section and not in others, the unsupported pieces may crack away from the other section which will result in additional cracks in the concrete or unlevel concrete.
PolyLevel is a state-of-the-art alternative to mudjacking, re-leveling grout or concrete replacement. PolyLevel is a high-density expanding foam that our technicians can use to raise settled concrete. The two-part polyurethane foam mixture is injected through small holes drilled in the settled concrete. Our installers are trained to control the injection process so that just enough foam is used to re-level the concrete deck and to fill additional voids under the concrete. Because the foam's expanding action fills voids in loose soil, this concrete leveling technique improves the soil's stability and load-bearing characteristics. You can feel confident that settlement won't occur again. Once the slabs have been lifted level, we can also come in and provide a silicone polyurethane sealant that will keep water from going through any joints and causing future erosion or a possible heave situations.
The polyurethane foam system offers numerous features and benefits:
Lightweight - Our polyurethane foam weighs approximately 4-6 pounds per cubic foot when installed, in comparison to traditional mortar-based material which weighs 120 pounds per cubic foot.
High capacity - Lifting action is a result of the expansion of the polymer, allowing for lifting of a much higher load than traditional mudjacking, which relies on hydraulic pressure being contained under a slab.
Accurate lift - Calculated reaction time of the expanding polyurethane foam allows for targeted, precise lifting of the slab.
Waterproof - Polyurethane formula is fully waterproof, so it won't wash out, won't be impacted by freeze/thaw cycles and can be used to under-seal slabs and stop a variety of infrastructure leaks.
Non-invasive - PolyLevel equipment can be used in extremely limited access areas and won't disturb lawn or landscape.
Quick cure time - Within just 15 minutes after injection, the concrete slab is ready for heavy loading; compared to conventional mudjacking which takes several days to cure.
Environmentally-friendly - With PolyLevel there's no need to demolish the concrete and transport the waste to a landfill.
The photos speak for themselves with this concrete driveway repair project in Lincoln, NE. After the concrete slabs were lifted and leveled back to their original position, we used NexusPro silicone-based caulking to seal the joints and cracks. The result not only looks great, but at a fraction of the cost of full replacement, this driveway is protected against future sinking and settlement problems.
Retaining Wall Replacement
A local homeowners’ association was experiencing deteriorating timber retaining walls that required complete replacement.
Thrasher Foundation Repair replaced the retaining wall and addressed drainage issues.
Thrasher engineered a more structurally sound foundation repair solution by constructing modular block walls. The new block walls offer a more pleasing curb appeal and design, while still providing a structural and permanent foundation.
Thrasher successfully gave this property an effective and beautiful makeover.
A drainage issue that was affecting the growth of some of the association’s decorative trees was also addressed. The trees were saved by integrating a drainage system behind the new block retaining walls and managing the runoff water.
Foundation Crack Repair in Lenexa, KS
Lenexa, Kansas homeowner, had a considerable concern with his driveway. It was a 6-inch large drop in front of his garage. Shocked about his discovery, he researched local concrete mud jacking companies. Among the mix of local Kansas City Metro experts was Thrasher Foundation Repair.
Thrasher, a skilled expert with lifting and leveling concrete, came to the rescue. Once the free inspection date was set, the homeowner received an information packet which included About Us, The Thrasher Difference, Same Day Savings and a concrete repair science book. Although mud jacking or slab jacking was researched, it was not the method used for this homeowner. Let me explain why.
Thrasher used a total of 6.5 cubic yards of material to lift 3 sections of the driveway to match the garage, and 3 sections of the sidewalk to match the driveway.
Traditional mudjacking uses local soil or sand blend, mixed with water and cement, which is heavy and messy when installed through a hole the size of a soda can. Since this mixture is heavy, it can settle the soil after it’s been installed, and you are right back at the beginning. This mixture can also wash out over time, causing the slab to settle back down unlevel. Which means more time spent with a contractor and more money.
During the free inspection with System Design Specialist, homeowners can expect a thorough examination and a detailed explanation of the concrete leveling solution. A common reason for sinking concrete in the soil. Poorly compacted, dry soil is the cause of this large drop in the front of the driveway. During the 60-minute free inspection, System Design Specialist educates the homeowner about the PolyLevel method and warranties and transparent pricing to meet the homeowner’s specific needs.
Technology and methods for lifting and leveling have come a long way in the last five years. At Thrasher Foundation Repair, we use PolyLevel® for concrete leveling because it’s a fast and effective way to lift and stabilize sinking concrete. Polylevel is a lightweight, strong high-density polyurethane foam developed by our sister company Supportworks and only available to an exclusive network of foundation and concrete repair contractors. It lifts and supports concrete slabs without adding weight to the soil beneath, and it’s waterproof so that it won’t wash out or dry out like traditional mudjacking material. It’s environmentally friendly, too, with no environmentally harmful chemical leaching. Concrete leveling with PolyLevel expanding foam not only raises concrete slabs but also compacts the soil around them, creating a stable environment that will ensure that your driveway, patio or pool deck remains level into the foreseeable future. If it would sink back down, Thrasher makes it right.
Thrasher offers several levels of protection, filling all cracked concrete and control joints with NexusPro joint sealant. Then, the whole surface is protected from the elements with a coat of SealantPro. ™, which permanently bonds to your concrete.
Our Lenexa, KS homeowner hired Thrasher to strategically injected PolyLevel under the slab and raised it to level with the garage floor. First, the Team leader does a walk-through of the work scope, setting an expectation for the lift with the homeowner and answering all questions or concerns.
Once work is started, the crew will drill penny size holes strategically in the sunken slab to prep for a level lift. Polylevel injects new, structurally engineered material into any hidden voids to stop and reverse settlement. This is a skilled craft. Each team member goes through classroom training, learning about the mixture and process, then hands-on training with a seasoned Team Lead or Manager.
Once the work is complete, the driveway and garage can be driven on within 24 hours. The team leader does a final walk through with the homeowner before collecting the final payment.
Lenexa homeowner was beyond please with the work Thrasher did. The precise execution of the lift and level was perfect! The cleanup of the crew was as if no work had been done in the first place. This Lenexa homeowner is please they went with PolyLevel vs. traditional mudjacking or slab jacking.
If you have concrete slabs that are significantly cracked, have voids beneath the slabs, or are sloping towards your home or building, it’s time to consult a PolyLevel Expert. PolyLevel is a much more cost-effective alternative to concrete replacement.
Contact Thrasher Foundation Repair HERE. Each of our inspections comes at no obligation, and it includes a written concrete repair estimate. To schedule your free inspection, call or email us today! We proudly serve Kansas City, Lenexa, Olathe, Blue Springs, Topeka, St. Joseph, Wichita, Hays, Clay Center, and communities in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.
PolyLeveling Raised Settling Entryway
Owners of public buildings must be very cautious about having tripping hazards on sidewalks.
All concrete slabs settle – it’s a matter of when, not if, it will happen.
The Raytown School District has used Thrasher Foundation Repair on many occasions to maintain the safety of the sidewalks and flatwork around their schools and office buildings.
Owners of most public buildings are required to repair any public sidewalk or entryway that has more than 3/4″ differential movement from one piece of flatwork to another.
Thrasher was hired to eliminate any potential tripping hazards along the sidewalks and entryways at one of the district's office buildings. We were able to return all the concrete flatwork to the original condition without interrupting their working schedule or the facility's function.
Although we do not use or provide mudjacking services today, we provide a polyurethane injection system, PolyLevel, to offer an economical, quick and effective solution for lifting situations like these and residential sidewalks, patios and driveways.
Sunken or heaved concrete slabs can present tripping hazards that you may be liable for as a homeowner. Concrete repair is essential to protect your driveway, sidewalk or patio for the future.
At Thrasher Foundation Repair, we use PolyLevel® for concrete leveling because it's a fast and effective way to lift and stabilize sinking concrete. PolyLevel is a lightweight, strong high-density polyurethane foam developed by our sister company Supportworks and only available to an exclusive network of foundation and concrete repair contractors. It lifts and supports concrete slabs without adding weight to the soil beneath, and it's waterproof so that it won't wash out or dry out like traditional mudjacking material. It's environmentally friendly, too, with no environmentally harmful chemical leaching. Concrete leveling with PolyLevel expanding foam not only raises concrete slabs but also compacts the soil around them, creating a stable environment that will ensure that your driveway, patio or pool deck remains level into the foreseeable future.
Our comprehensive concrete protection system provides additional durability:
- Your concrete is lifted and leveled using PolyLevel® foam.
- Your cracked concrete and control joints are filled and sealed using NexusPro joint sealant.
- The whole surface is protected from the elements with a coat of SealantPro™, which permanently bonds to your concrete.
When you lift, level and protect your home's concrete, you can rest assured it will keep looking and working great well into the future — plus, you'll sleep better knowing you've got a five-year warranty.
When we visit your home for the first time, you can expect a thorough inspection and a detailed explanation of the concrete leveling solution we propose and why. We offer several levels of protection and transparent pricing to meet your specific needs.
We use PolyLevel to lift and level concrete. PolyLevel polyurethane foam is pumped beneath cement slabs through tiny ports about the size of a penny. Initially, PolyLevel flows like water, filling even the smallest cracks and crevices in the soil. It quickly expands and hardens, lifting the concrete slabs above it and compressing the ground around it at the same time. PolyLevel is waterproof, so it will never wash out, and it won't degrade over time due to temperature extremes. It's environmentally friendly, too, with no ecologically harmful chemical leaching. Best of all, PolyLevel cures quickly, allowing your concrete to be used usually the same day.
Get a Free Estimate
Give us a call at 1-844-948-3306 or complete this form and we'll contact you shortly to schedule a Free Inspection, and you'll get a no-obligation written quote during our initial visit.