Driveways, walkways, patios, garage floors
Exterior concrete that has sunk or lifted can usually be raised back into place without tearing it out.
When a section of driveway or walkway drops below the one next to it, the concrete is usually fine. What was underneath it isn't.
That means the slab can often be lifted back to where it belongs by filling the space under it, which costs considerably less than removing and repouring it.
Downspouts are the usual suspect. Roof water concentrated at one point next to a driveway will wash sand out from under the edge of the slab surprisingly quickly.
Poor compaction under the original pour shows up the same way, just more slowly, and usually along the section that gets driven on.
Tree roots work in both directions. They pull moisture out and shrink the soil under a slab, and they also grow under it and lift it.
Lifting works on concrete that's structurally sound and has settled. It doesn't fix concrete that's crumbling, heavily cracked through, or spalling across the surface.
If a driveway is at the end of its life, lifting it just spends money on something that still needs replacing. We would rather tell you that up front than take the smaller job.
It usually takes a couple of minutes on the phone to work out whether this is something that needs attention now or something to keep an eye on.
Serving Melbourne and Brevard County.