In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some basics on how to stop concrete surfaces on your property from sinking. Sinking, which often results from soil and concrete settlement that’s often due to moisture or related concerns, will commonly lead to concrete cracking and other forms of significant damage, and these will only worsen with time.
At Lift-Up Concrete Lifting LLC, we’re here to provide quality concrete repair services in numerous forms, from walkway lifting and leveling through driveways, patios, garage floors, porches and even steps. In addition, we assist numerous clients with tips and expertise on how to avoid some of the risks of concrete sinkage and its resulting damage throughout their day-to-day lives – there are several basic themes you can hit that will significantly minimize these risks. Here are a few of the other top factors to keep in mind.
Tree Location
Trees on your property can create a few issues with their roots, and one of these in some cases is their impact on your concrete. Tree roots grow toward warmth and moisture, and as we discussed in part one of our series, there are a few risks that may cause both of these to be present around your concrete slab – and this might lead to roots growing toward or even inside the slab.
If this happens, you could be dealing with a number of issues. On the severe end, tree roots growing into your concrete may require replacement of the entire slab if it’s compromised too heavily. However, you can avoid these issues to begin with by keeping track of root systems for larger trees, plus avoiding planting any trees with extensive root systems near major concrete surfaces.
Leveling
We talked about leveling the edges of your concrete slab in part one, and this same theme applies to any other part of the surface that’s been damaged or is sloping incorrectly. If you have uneven surfaces, for instance, it’s possible water could seep beneath them even if there isn’t significant cracking. But leveling these before this happens is not only simple, it’s much more affordable than major crack repairs down the line.
Sealing Themes
Down similar lines, if your concrete slab is showing any visible signs of cracks, especially near expansion joints, taking the time to seal these up will go a long way. Our team can perform a number of spot sealing jobs on your concrete surfaces that are easily affordable, stopping them from expanding into even larger issues that allow in more and more moisture to worsen the cycle.
For more on limiting and avoiding concrete sinking issues on your property, or for information on any of our concrete repair services, speak to the staff at Lift-Up Concrete Lifting LLC today.
