concrete repair Salt Lake City

Concrete Repair in Salt Lake City – Questions & Answers

So, you’d like to fix a cracked or settled slab at your home or business property. As you look into the options for concrete repair in Salt Lake City, you come across mudjacking – and since you’re not familiar with the repair method, several questions spring to mind.

If that’s been your experience, we’re not at all surprised. For anyone who hasn’t dealt with a damaged slab before, it makes perfect sense to be in the dark about mudjacking. Bearing that in mind, we’re happy to provide you with information you need on concrete repair. Below, you’ll find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we get from our customers.

How Does Mudjacking Work?

The mudjacking process is rather simple. First, professional concrete repair contractors drill a few strategically placed holes in the damaged slab. A hydraulic pump is then used to send a mud-like slurry down through the holes, and the mixture fills the voids or air pockets in the underlying soil. Once these have all been filled, pressure restores the concrete slab to its original stable position.

How Long Does Mudjacking Take?

Mudjacking isn’t a time-consuming method of concrete repair – quite the opposite, in fact. Experienced professionals are typically able to complete most Salt Lake City projects within a few hours, and mudjacked slabs are immediately ready for light use. Later in the day or by the next morning, the concrete is capable of handling heavy weight.

Large-scale concrete repair projects can take longer, of course, but nowhere near as long as the process of tearing out and replacing a damaged slab. Go that route instead of going with mudjacking, and you may not have a usable concrete surface for weeks.

How Much Does Concrete Repair Cost?

As every concrete repair project is unique, professional contractors consider what is required to fix a cracked or settled slab before providing an estimate. A number of factors can impact the total cost of mudjacking, including the severity of the soil voids, the scope of the work involved and the difficulty in accessing the damaged concrete.

Mudjacking estimates are customized, based on the project parameters and the needs of the client. But, the cost is always far below the price for a slab tear-out and replacement – if you settle on that option, you can expect to shell out two to three times as much money as you would for mudjacking.

How Noticeable Is the Concrete Repair?

After the drilled holes and any cracks in the slab have been filled and sealed, little evidence of the concrete repair work can be seen – stand a short distance away, and the slab will look just right. With the concrete even again, most people won’t even be able to tell that you had mudjacking done.

What about up close? Anyone who looks will see that the slab has been repaired. But that might be the case if you opt for a tear-out and replacement, too, as newly poured concrete often looks off-color in comparison to the slabs already in place.

How Long Do the Results of Mudjacking Last?

While excessive weight or faulty construction practices can be to blame for concrete damage, changes or issues within the soil under a cracked or settled slab are almost always the cause. The process of mudjacking eliminates soil instabilities, and as long as the concrete is properly caulked and periodically resealed, the slab should remain solidly in place for at least a decade.

How does that compare to the results from tearing out and replacing a damaged slab? Since that type of project doesn’t include any measures to do away with voids in the underlying soil, it’s highly likely that the newly poured concrete will settle at some point in the near future.

Can Mudjacking Work for Any Damaged Slab?

Mudjacking is the ideal repair solution for just about any damaged concrete slab. Professional contractors recommend mudjacking over tear-out and replacement for Salt Lake City property owners with sunken sidewalks, settled patios, uneven steps, sagging driveways, cracked garage floors and other slabs with settlement-related damage.

That said, crushed or badly crumbled concrete isn’t a candidate for mudjacking, and the repair isn’t an option for projects involving foundation damage or major structural problems. Choose a reputable contractor like Lift-Up Concrete, and you’ll get an honest opinion as to whether or not mudjacking is the right method of repair.

Have Other Questions About Concrete Repair?

The friendly and knowledgeable team at Lift-Up Concrete, based just outside of Salt Lake City in Kaysville, Utah, can answer all of your questions about mudjacking and provide you with expert advice on the best concrete repair solution for your cracked or settled slab.

Lift-Up Concrete, a trusted local professional contractor with several decades of combined experience in the field of concrete repair, offers complimentary mudjacking estimates to property owners in Salt Lake City, along the Wasatch Front and throughout the surrounding northern Utah area. If you have a damaged slab at your home or business, contact our office and schedule a free, no-obligation concrete repair consultation today.