When it comes to construction material, concrete comes to the mind of most people. It is the most used building material across the world. Concrete is popular because of its affordable, durable, and flexible roles in the construction field. For example, you can use this solid material for leveling concrete floor in Macon, Georgia. Further, concrete has been a matter of faith for its secure, vital, and simple building solution. That is why people use it to develop a new surface like a sidewalk or to level a damaged surface.
But after years of installation, concrete is prone to have wear and tear. And so it can cause a crack, crumble, and sink on the surface of installation. If you wonder why concrete gets settled after years of installation, you will want to know these causes. We will also share the ways to prevent sunken concrete and how to fix it. So keep reading on to learn more.
Why does concrete get sunk?
Here are some reasons why concrete gets settled.
- Frost heaving
Frost heaving is one of the reasons for concrete sinking. It is when the snow gets melted and entered below the slab resulting in penetration in the soil. Due to which the temperature goes down, allowing concrete to sink. After all, the soil starts contracting after drying out of the earth. That leaves the slabs unsupported to sink.
- Improper grading
If the ground slope is not in the right direction and goes toward a slab, water goes underneath. Over time moisture available in the soil starts creating an imbalance that causes concrete to sink. So improper grading is one of the reasons for getting concrete settled. So wherever you want to install concrete like concrete floor leveling in Macon, you should always hire a professional for the job.
- Types of soil
It is not a secret that soils are of different types. Their load-bearing capacities are not the same. So when you put a heavy load of concrete on the top of soil that cannot bear the load of concrete, the soil starts getting compact and sink. That causes the concrete to settle, crack, crumble, and finally, the surface becomes irregular.
- Soil washout
Soil washout due to rainfall, plumbing leaks, floods is also a cause to sink concrete.
- Poor construction
Poor construction is the most common reason for sinking concrete. So while installing concrete anywhere or leveling a concrete floor in Macon, Georgia, ensure the installation site is fully prepared and strong enough to grab concrete load. Also, ensure water to cement ratio and curing of the building material.
How to prevent concrete from sinking?
If you want to prevent concrete from sinking, you can try the following ways.
- Use polyurethane or silicone caulk to pack cracks and joints.
- Use a backer rod to fill significant gaps.
- Don’t keep the downpipe close to any concrete slab. You should always keep the downpipes away from it ( at least five feet away).
- Look for any water entrance inside the soil. Fix if you find it, tightly fix it.
- While installing new concrete or concrete floor leveling in Macon, make sure the base is packed with a minimum of 4-inch gravel. Check the foundation if it is solid.
How to fix sunken concrete?
Fortunately, you can raise settled concrete quickly and easily using polyurethane foam. For this, you will have to hire an experienced professional. A professional goes through a process to lift the settled concrete. In the process, they make small holes in the slab and then inject polyurethane foam. The foam is injected to fill the open voids. As a result, the injected foam starts expanding and lifts the settled concrete to the initial height.
Concrete lifting is a cost-effective way to get rid of uneven or sunken concrete. The entire process can be done using a small percentage of the total cost of concrete replacement. When you perform concrete lifting by a certified company or professional, you also get a warranty of the job done.
That is all you will need to know about the causes and solutions of settled concrete. Moreover, if you live in Georgia and are looking for leveling concrete floor in Macon, Georgia, you can hire a professional like us.
