There are several important exterior elements of a given home when it comes to everything from home value to basic curb appeal, and one such element is the driveway. As one of the largest and most noticeable design and practical elements of your home, your driveway and the materials you use for it are extremely important.

At Lift-Up Concrete Lifting, LLC, our professionals can help you maintain a perfect driveway through high-level residential concrete lifting and leveling services. We can also help you understand why concrete is such a great material, not only for driveways but for several important hardscape areas. One great way of doing this is by comparing it to another common driveway product: Asphalt. These two materials are often the final choice homeowners are deciding between when they get a new driveway – here’s why concrete is the right choice for you.

Durability and Value

Concrete is significantly more durable as a driveway material than asphalt. If all else is equal, in fact, it will last about three times as long. It will also do much better at standing up to basic wear and tear and weather elements, which is important if you have lots of cars or feet regularly pounding the driveway.

This durability also has a major impact on your cost efficiency, as well. It’s true that asphalt is cheaper than concrete up front – this is why some buyers gravitate toward it. But these folks aren’t thinking of things from a broad enough perspective: A driveway that lasts three times as long will provide far greater value over time than one that costs a little bit less but won’t provide nearly the same quality. In addition, concrete adds greater curb appeal and resale value on average.

Safety

Particularly for homeowners with young children or pets, concrete driveway materials are far safer than asphalt. Not only is it non-skid by nature, making it easier to walk on when there’s moisture or even ice formed, it provides more visibility when it’s dark – asphalt’s deep color can make it very tough to see water or ice at night.

Aesthetics

The driveway is often the very first thing guests or passers-by look at when they se your home. While asphalt looks fine in most cases, it simply can’t compete with the elegance and beauty provided by concrete options.

Cleaning and Maintenance

Another area where there’s no comparison between these materials is maintenance. Asphalt coatings are particularly burdensome here, often requiring major time consumption – concrete requires virtually no maintenance after installation.

In addition, concrete is far cleaner. We’ve all seen asphalt stick to shoes during hot weather, then track into the home and stick to the carpet. There are no such concerns with concrete.

Comfort Considerations

For children or adults who might walk outside in bare feet often, such as during gardening projects, concrete is much better to walk on. Asphalt can heat up to dangerous temperatures in the summer, and it’s also rougher and tougher to walk on year-round.

For more on why concrete is preferred over asphalt for your driveway, or to learn about any of our driveway, patio or walkway leveling or raising services, speak to the staff at Lift-Up Concrete Lifting, LLC today.

At Lift-Up Concrete Lifting, LLC, we’re here to provide you with comprehensive services for concrete lifting, raising and leveling. Whether you have issues with residential, commercial or municipal concrete, we can help you assess and manage settled concrete in healthy and permanent ways.

Concrete is a fantastic material for a wide variety of project areas, with great durability and economical qualities that stop it from being wasteful. But that doesn’t mean it’s perfect – it can still crack, chip, crumble and sink after settling. Let’s look at some of the reasons why your concrete might sink noticeably, plus a few precautions you can take to help limit this from happening.

Causes of Sinking

There are two primary causes of concrete sinking into the ground:

• Base construction issues: When concrete slabs are installed in a given walkway, driveway or similar area, they’re placed over a base that’s built prior to construction. But not all bases are created equal – some might not be compacted in the right ways, while others might use the wrong materials, such as loose aggregates or softer soils that aren’t dense enough. When this happens, concrete is liable to sink. 
  
  For example, a common location where you might find sunken concrete is the perimeter of the concrete foundation. This perimeter is often called the “over-dig” area, one that’s set slightly further out than the actual foundation to allow workers to move around the foundation easily. If the over-dig area is not backfilled properly, it will settle in and can easily cause sinking.

• Water erosion: In proper concrete jobs, a seal is created between the upper part of the work and the concrete slab. But in some cases, water is allowed to intrude below the slab. This will cause erosion to take place, and will also lead to issues in colder climates – water will freeze and expand, then shrink back down again when the weather warms up. This creates voids in the concrete, which can lead to sinking. Anywhere water is allowed to flow below the seal can create this issue. Broken pipes or sprinklers are a common cause.

Preventing Concrete Sinking

There are several things you can do to help prevent sinking from taking place in your concrete:

• Seal all cracks or openings near concrete using either silicone or polyurethane caulk. If you have larger caps to fill, use backer rod and then place caulk material on top.

• Pack any open sides of concrete slab with soil to make sure water cannot slip below them.

• Move all water runoff downspouts to at least five feet away from concrete slabs, and even further if possible.

• During new concrete installation, make sure the base is both compacted and at least four inches deep. One good test here is to stomp your feet around the entire base – it should not move at all when you do this.

For more on the causes of concrete sinking and how to prevent it, or to learn about any of our concrete raising or leveling services, speak to the pros at Lift-Up Concrete Lifting, LLC today. 

There are several lifting and leveling techniques available today that have been around for generations, and one great example here is mudjacking. Popular for over 70 years, mudjacking is a common process where slurry (a mixture of cement and sand in most cases) is pumped into holes in a given concrete surface, with hydraulic pressure causing the slab to rise.

At Lift-Up Concrete Lifting, LLC, we’re experienced with mudjacking among our concrete lifting services. We’re also aware of cases where mudjacking might not be the preferred method for raising a given concrete area, whether it’s a driveway, walkway, patio or other area. Let’s go over a few issues that may arise in some cases with mudjacking, plus a suitable alternative that’s often used.

Material Breakdown

In some climates, the “slurry” material used in mudjacking won’t be particularly optimal for use in these kinds of projects. As we noted, slurry is generally comprised of a combination of sand and cement, occasionally involving soil as well. This material is not waterproof, meaning it’s not ideal for use in any climate where moisture might be present.
If there is indeed lots of moisture, it will be able to drain below the concrete due to a lack of waterproof qualities. As this happens, and moisture goes through a cycle of freezing and thawing, sand and cement will be prone to shrinking, eroding and other forms of damage. This can lead to the same areas of concrete that you were looking to raise in the first place sinking back down again, sometimes to even lower levels.

Hole Issues

For mudjacking to take place, it requires that you drill fairly large holes of about one to two inches in the slab of concrete that needs to be filled in. In some cases, these holes can cause issues with the structural soundness of the concrete itself. Besides, they’re no fun to look at.

Weight Problems

After about 24 hours, the slurry material pumped underneath your concrete will harden completely. At this point, it will be extremely heavy – and as it turns out, this weight is often the source of leveling issues to begin with. Original concrete poured over an unsuitable base is usually what leads to slabs settling and dropping after a period of time; if you add more weight to this equation, you’re risking the same thing happening all over again.

Polyurethane

For certain projects that might not do well with mudjacking, the use of polyurethane has become more and more popular since its patent expired in the early 2000s and it became available for widespread use. This method was originally used by state and federal agencies to fill sunken roadways, but it can now be used in several raising areas. It cures and hardens in far less time than mudjacking slurry, and is often the more feasible material for areas like driveways and walkways. It’s the preferred method throughout the industry.

For more on mudjacking and suitable alternatives, or to learn about any of our concrete rising and leveling services, speak to the pros at Lift-Up Concrete Lifting, LLC today.

Concrete lifting restores your pavement back to its former glory. However, like many good things, it takes time, especially if you have extensive work that needs to be done.

The length of the appointment also depends on the type of appointment as well. When the contractor comes for the first visit. They’ll do a full analysis of your pavement, and go over the details with you. This will take around 30 minutes to an hour.

During this visit, you should take the time to ask your contractor all of your questions. It’s not uncommon either to receive a proposal during this appointment that includes the length of time needed for the project.

The Concrete Lifting Appointment

The actual appointment for the concrete lifting usually takes less than a day. If you have extensive damage and concrete, that timeline may change though.

The appointment will start with the contractor going over the job and explaining the areas that need to be fixed. For the next couple of hours, you can relax inside or out. Either way, your contractor will be hard at work lifting your pavement and re-leveling it the right way.

Normal areas are finished in a few hours. However, once the concrete has been lifted you should avoid driving on it for an additional four to six hours.

Waiting for this length of time ensures that the concrete will set correctly, and will help you avoid any future problems as well. You can, however, walk on the concrete as soon as the appointment is finished.

What Happens During an Appointment

What is it that makes concrete lifting appointments take so long? Each step needs to be conducted with careful consideration. Unfortunately, your contractor can’t just speed it up.

First, the contractor will drill holes into the pavement. From there, a hydraulic pump is attached to the hole. This machine pushes concrete grout underneath the pavement.

Where there was uneven soil and air passages, will now be a solid foundation. As more grout fills up underneath the concrete, the higher the slab will rise, until it’s level with its surround pavement pieces.

At the this point the contractor will fill up the holes and clean the area. Before you know it, you’ll have even, fresh-looking pavement.

If you are planning on replacing the concrete altogether, that job will be a lot more expensive and time consuming. When possible, the better option is concrete lifting.

Schedule An Appointment Today

If you’re tired of tripping over uneven ledges and sunken slabs, concrete lifting is the right step for you. Concrete lifting restores your concrete to how it was when it was first installed.

It’s a cost-effective option that will last as long as your concrete does. Call us at Lift Up Concrete to schedule a free consultation today!

Repairing concrete is a task that often sits on your to-do list for far too long. However, mending your pavement fast is an important step toward avoiding further damage.

Imperfections and weaknesses in concrete often put a lot of the stress on a slab. Problems like this usually tend to get worse. In fact, the damage will only spread the longer it’s left untreated.

If you wait too long to repair your concrete, you may end up with a hefty replacement bill instead of a simple repair. Take a look at our ideas to help you get started repairing the concrete in your garage.

1. Clean and Clear it Out

Sometimes damage in the garage can go unnoticed when you have or vehicles or items taking up the space. So before you plan repairs, clear out the garage and make sure there isn’t any damage you’ve been unaware of. It’ll take a little extra work to clear things out and clean it up, but it’s worth it in the end.

Also, cleaning off dirt or dust will help you pinpoint many of the problems.

2. Smooth it Out

Concrete problems usually fall into three main categories: pockets, sinking slabs and cracks.

Pockets are commonly referred to as pitted flooring. It looks like groups of small holes in the concrete and usually is a result of poor finishing.

As the weather gets cold, this problem can worsen, especially if water leaks into the garage. The solution is to apply resurfacer. This is an easy, cost-effective project you can do in a weekend.

3. Keep it Level

Another problem that affects concrete garages is sinking slabs. This occurs when the foundation shifts or is improperly prepared for the concrete.

Air pockets can eventually cause the concrete slab to sink as a result of the lack of support.

Unfortunately, this isn’t a project you’ll be able to handle easily by yourself. You’ll need the help of professional concrete lifters such as the team at Lift-Up Concrete. We have the machinery and the experience to get your concrete back in position without further damaging it.

4. Fill in Cracks

If you have cracks in your concrete, you’ll want to fix them at this time as well. Cracks are a little trickier to fix by yourself. However, because this job doesn’t need specialized equipment, it’s not impossible to do on your own.

Start Repairing Concrete Today

Your concrete can go back to looking like new with just a little time and attention.

Here at Lift-Up Concrete, we want to help you get your garage back in order as fast as possible. Our team can help you with sagging slabs, uneven edges and much more. Call us to learn how you can start repairing concrete today!

Slab jacking is a process that raises concrete slabs that have shifted or moved since they were placed.

If the ground beneath concrete isn’t been prepped right before pouring, sometimes it will contain voids or spaces. Over time, the earth shifts into these spaces, leaving the concrete above unsupported.

When this happens, your concrete sinks. Not only does this ruin the aesthetic of the pavement, but it also decreases the longevity of it as well. The concrete is more likely to break or crack in this position.

Luckily, slab jacking is an effective, permanent solution to this issue.

How Is Slab Jacking Done?

If you have sinking concrete, the first thing you need to do is to call a professional concrete lifter. We have the necessary tools and experience to restore your concrete to its intended position.

Our contractors will examine your concrete to find the void underneath. We will then drill holes into your pavement. Our specialized tools allow us to drill into the block without the risk of cracking or breaking it. If you try to do this yourself, you could end up further damaging your concrete.

Next, we insert tubes through the holes and underneath the concrete. We then push a thick, grout-like mixture through the tubes to lift your concrete. Our team goes through each portion of the sagging concrete, stabilizing it in this manner.

A lot of factors go into consideration with slab jacking. One of them includes understanding how the concrete was originally placed. Because of all the variables, it’s important that you have a professional complete the procedure.

What Makes it Permanent?

When done correctly, slab jacking is a permanent solution. You won’t have to worry about that area of your concrete sagging any more. The materials used in the process are like a foundation for your concrete.

Before concrete is placed, it needs a sturdy and level area. With tree roots and shifts in the earth, sometimes this area changes.

Fortunately, slab jacking accounts for these changes. It’s possible that during earthquakes and other major shifts of the earth, your concrete will move again. But barring natural disasters, slab jacking is a long-term solution you can count on.

Schedule Concrete Maintenance Today!

If your concrete has started to shift and move, don’t wait until the problem gets worse.

Here at Lift-Up Concrete, we help our clients restore their concrete in one visit. Call us today to schedule a consultation and learn how we can help your pavement look better.

A concrete patio offers you everything you want — and you don’t have to spend a lot of time and energy on maintenance and care.

Over the years, this material has changed a lot. With glossy seal coats, your concrete can easily look like stone or tile.

It comes in dozens of colors and shapes. However, a concrete patio has many more benefits than just its designer look. Why should you install one at your home?

1. It’s affordable

When calculating labor, material and design costs, concrete is one of the most affordable options for patio installation. You can get a beautiful patio at a fraction of the cost, without losing out on quality or appearance.

In fact, stamped concrete is often mistaken for stone or other costlier materials.

An added bonus is that your affordable concrete will help increase your home value as well.

2. Durable

Another way that concrete beats other materials is in its ability to withstand heavy traffic and weather. You can put a hot tub or an above-ground pool on your concrete patio without having to worry if it will rot or break.

3. Easy to Maintain

Because of concrete’s durable nature, it’s incredibly easy and affordable to maintain. Occasionally, you’ll want to pressure wash it to get the dirt and mud off, but for the most part, that’s all you’ll need to do.

However, if the foundation underneath the concrete begins to shift, you’ll need to call a patio-leveling team. Our team at Lift Up Concrete can help you with this.

Concrete lifting will also help your patio last longer.

4. Quick to Install

You don’t generally need a permit to install a concrete patio. In addition, they are quick to install. Within a week, a contractor can lay the foundation and the concrete on top of it.

Keep Your Concrete Patio Looking Good

When you first install your concrete patio, you won’t be able to take your eyes off it. We want to help you keep this excitement for your new installation as long as possible, and patio leveling helps do just that.

Lift Up Concrete will ensure that your patio looks good for its entire lifetime. Call us today to learn about how we can help restore your concrete patio and driveway.

Concrete withstands tons of weight day after day. That’s why it seems so surprising that a little water can damage it.

But water can be deceptively destructive to your concrete. Luckily, you can take some steps to avoid water damage to your concrete. Below, you’ll find some of the most common ways that water harms concrete and how to prevent it.

1. Shifts the Earth

It’s clear from looking at the Grand Canyon and other national parks that water has a significant effect on the earth around it.

Even a little can have an impact on your home. When it rains, water carries soil down the path of least resistance. Sometimes this path is underground. You might not be able to see it, but you’ll notice the effects on your pavement.

Your concrete slabs may begin to shift, with pieces becoming sunken, raised or uneven.

It’s frustrating to drive and walk on damaged concrete, and it’s also more likely to crack or break. Getting a professional concrete-lifting team to level your pavement will resolve this issue.

 2. Degrades the Concrete’s Foundation

Concrete is naturally porous. This means that it’s easy for water to seep into it. While a simple rainfall isn’t enough to cause damage, over time, you may begin to notice your concrete cracking.

This sometimes comes a result of a weakened foundation. It’s important to purposefully direct the water flow when installing your pavement so that it doesn’t pool underneath the concrete foundation and further degrade it.

3. Freezes in Pores

Living in Utah, you’ll need to worry more about the water freezing in the pores of your concrete than flooding it.

When water freezes, it expands. If the water is sitting in the pores, it will swell as it freezes until something gives. If you have uneven concrete, this damage will get worse as time goes on.

The concrete will continue to push against or pull away from each other. Either way, the result is the same — cracks and uneven pieces. There are two simple solutions for this.

First, if you notice cracks in your concrete, get them repaired with concrete filler. Second, if the slabs are uneven, get them lifted and leveled. Here at Lift Up Concrete, we can help you level and protect your concrete so that it lasts much longer.

Stop water from ruining your concrete — call us for a free estimate on our services.

When your concrete driveway is first installed, it should look beautiful. However, if you don’t maintain it, over time your driveway will begin to show its age. You’ll notice stains, cracks, sinking and more.

Luckily, maintaining your driveway isn’t as difficult as you may think. Take a look at our four maintenance tips that will help keep your driveway looking fresh and new.

1. Clean and Reseal Regularly

Cleaning your concrete regularly will help keep it looking nice. But you should reseal your pavement as well. Resealing adds a coat of protection for your concrete. You can do it yourself or hire a concrete contractor to do it for you.

The traffic and the severity of weather in your area will impact how often you should reseal your concrete. We typically recommend cleaning it whenever something spills on it and resealing every two years.

2. Slab Jack When Necessary

Have you ever tripped over uneven concrete? It’s not only embarrassing, but it can be quite painful as well.

As the earth underneath the pavement moves, so will the concrete. It’s important to keep the concrete as even as possible so it doesn’t crack or break. Slab jacking, also known as concrete lifting, helps resolve this issue.

If you’ve noticed your concrete is uneven, call a concrete lifting professional to fix it for you. They’re skilled in moving the concrete into the correct position without breaking it.

3. Remove Harmful Chemicals

Oil, gasoline, salt and other ammonium sulfates or deicers can damage concrete.

That means that when that first snow falls, you’ll want to reach for the sandbag before the salt crystals. Be sure not to leave any dangerous substances sitting on your concrete for too long.

4. Repair Imperfections in your Concrete Driveway

Cracks are a natural part of the concrete driveway lifecycle. But to keep your driveway looking nicer for longer, you’ll want to repair these imperfections as soon as possible. You may want to use a crack filler or add a topcoat.

Here at Lift Up Concrete, we can help you reposition your pavement so it’s even again.

Call us today to learn about our process.

Are you exploring whether concrete repair is the right solution for your cracked, broken sidewalk or pool deck? Or your sinking concrete steps and tilted driveway?

If this is the first time you’ve had to deal with this problem, you may hear some falsehoods about how concrete repair can (or can’t) help you. Don’t let the four misconceptions listed below keep you from calling Lift-Up Concrete for solutions.

Myth #1: Anyone Can Do It

Sure — there are plenty of DIY projects you can handle yourself, but don’t let that fool you into thinking concrete repair is easy. It’s not always straightforward to predict how the structure will respond to the lifting process. If you leave it in the hands of an amateur or try to handle it on your own, you could wind up with a bigger problem than when you started.

When searching for professionals to help, look for someone with a range of experience with different projects. Check their references and their license too.

Myth #2: It’s Expensive

Maybe you’ve had a friend or neighbor look at your sinking concrete and say, “Wow, that will be expensive to fix!”

Don’t assume they’re right. If you think concrete lifting is costly, you’ll likely put it off as long as you can, which can make problems worse. Even though it might have been simple and inexpensive to fix at the beginning, it will get more complicated by the day.

Concrete repair isn’t always expensive; check with a professional for details. A qualified, experienced repair expert will give you a quote that includes labor and materials so you know exactly what to expect.

Myth #3: Filling in Cracks Is Enough

How concrete looks is important, but filling in cracks isn’t enough to correct deeper issues. You can caulk and seal cracks all you want, but this will never be a substitute for concrete lifting. The cracks will only worsen and multiply over time.

Myth #4: It’s Better to Just Replace the Concrete

You might be surprised at this one. When you look at a patch of damaged concrete, you may think it’s done for. But again, don’t assume until you get advice from an expert. It’s a big commitment to rip out and re-pour concrete, and if you can fix it without embarking on this type of project, you should.

At Lift-Up Concrete, we spend every day busting myths about the limits of concrete repair with our cost-effective pricing and top-tier service. How can we help your concrete look and function better?