Over time, houses or any other structure built on floating concrete has the potential of suffering structural damage in case the slab sinks. This will definitely cause damage to the foundation and compromise the stability of the building.

Also referred to as slab jacking, mudjacking is a foundation repair method for stabilizing and raising settled concrete slabs. It is one of the most effective repair methods used by most construction companies. Polyjacking does almost a similar job top mud jacking.

Mud jacking basically drilling holes with the intention to raise concrete slabs that may have settled. A mixture or combination of soil, water, and cement, also known as mud is injected underneath the settling slab in order to raise it.

The process requires a professional because of the special type of tools used during the foundation repair. The work should actually be carried out by a trained and qualified contractor.

MudJacking has two basic applications during repair:

Fill Voids

Most foundation issues come as a result of settling of the foundation perimeter. A contractor will therefore start by leveling all sections that have settled using push piers. After installing the piers and raising the foundation together with the perimeter grade beam, a void is created below the slab.

Raising of interior floors

There are circumstances when the interior section of the foundation slab settles. Mud jacking is the process used to reinstate the interior floors to their previous positions. This is achieved by drilling holes in the parts that seem to have settled and then pumping a mixture of mud below the concrete.

When should you use mud jacking?

There are various instances when this repair process is best:

• Sunken porches

• Cracked sidewalks

• Fractured pool decks

• Damaged driveways

• Sagging parking lots

• Uneven portions

In other words, this process is able to raise almost any concrete slab. Nonetheless, concrete lifting is not recommended for foundation issues. If there is extensive damage in your foundation, then this may not be the appropriate technique.

Advantages of mud jacking

• It can be performed at any time of the year irrespective of the weather conditions
• It a quick technique compared to other repair options where contractors normally have to break up the concrete before replacing it
• It is a more cost-effective repair option
• Mud jacking allows almost immediate use after the repair process. It takes less than 48 hours before the surface can carry any loads. This is contrary to concrete replacement that takes close to 30 days
• It causes minimal disruptions. Meaning you can go about your activities while the repair process is ongoing

How does mud jacking work?

STEP 1: Drilling of holes

The process begins by drilling holes in the slab. The holes should be patterned in such a way that they can effectively raise the slab. 

Normally, the contractor places holes between two and four feet apart. The number of holes required depends on the damage caused to the foundation.

Step 2: pumping of the mixture through the holes

The next step is creating a mixture of different materials such as water, soil, sand, limestone, and others. The slurry is then pushed hydraulically below the concrete using the drilled holes.

The slurry should spread beneath the concrete slab as it is being pumped. This is meant to fill in all the empty spaces for the purpose of stabilizing the foundation of your house. As soon as the empty spaces are filled, the slurry becomes pressurized, thus lifting the slab.

Step 3: caulking the cracks and filling holes

This is the last step of the mad jacking process. But it doesn’t mean that the repair process is also finished. The final step is to clean up the mixture around the holes and replace them with new concrete.

How much does mud jacking cost?

Mud jacking is considered to be one of the cheapest techniques to repair a foundation compared to polyjacking or any other method. It will cost you almost half the price of the most popular and traditional repair options.

However, there are certain factors that may affect the price. For example, the extent of the foundation damage, the company conducting the repairs among others.

Leaving your damaged foundation for long without repairing may cost you a lot in future. Don’t wait for that to happen. Call GroundUP to repair your sinking slab today.