Concrete Leveling and Slab Lifting in Spring Hill, TN

When a walk, porch or driveway panel has dropped but is otherwise in one piece, it can usually be lifted back into place instead of replaced. We level and lift concrete in Spring Hill, TN, where fast-built subdivisions and shifting clay make sunken slabs a common sight.

Why slabs sink in Spring Hill

Spring Hill has grown fast. Since the Saturn plant, now GM, opened in the 1990s, subdivision after subdivision has gone up along Main Street and out toward Thompson's Station and Columbia. Building fast often means a lot of fill dirt. When a house is built, soil dug for the foundation is pushed back against it, and walks, porches and garage aprons are poured on top. If that backfill was not packed well, it keeps settling for years, and the concrete settles with it.

The ground itself adds to the problem. Much of Maury and Williamson County has clay soil over limestone. The clay swells in the wet winter and spring and shrinks during dry spells in late summer. Water from downspouts and sprinklers washes fine soil out from under slabs, leaving voids. The result is a sunken panel next to the house, a step that has pulled away from the porch, or a driveway section that dips at the garage.

Lifting versus replacing

If the slab is still in one or two solid pieces, lifting is usually faster, cleaner and cheaper than tearing it out. The concrete stays where it is. There is no new pour to cure, and you can usually use it the same day. If a slab is shattered into many pieces or badly crumbled, lifting will not help much, and replacement or concrete repair is the better choice. We will tell you which one makes sense.

Foam or slurry

There are two common ways to lift a slab.

• Polyurethane foam. We drill small holes, about the size of a nickel, and inject a foam that expands under the slab, fills voids and lifts the concrete. The foam is light, so it adds little weight to soft soil, and it does not wash out. It sets in minutes.
• Slurry, or mudjacking. A cement and soil slurry is pumped in through larger holes. It costs less per job on some slabs, but the material is heavy and the holes are bigger.

On most Spring Hill jobs we recommend foam, because the backfill and clay under these slabs are already soft, and adding weight can lead to more settling. We will explain the options and price both where they make sense.

What we lift most often

• Front walks and porch landings that have dropped and left a trip edge.
• Garage aprons and driveway panels that have sunk at the garage door, letting water run toward the house.
• Patios that tilt toward the foundation.
• Pool surrounds and sidewalks along the side of the house.

A slab that slopes back toward the house sends rain against the foundation. Lifting it to drain away again is one of the more useful things you can do for a home here.

How a lifting job works

1. We measure how far each panel has dropped and check for cracks.
2. Small holes are drilled in a planned pattern.
3. Foam or slurry is injected while we watch the slab with a level, raising it slowly to avoid cracking.
4. Holes are patched, and joints are sealed with a flexible caulk to keep water out.

Most jobs take a few hours. Foam-lifted slabs can usually be walked on right away and driven on soon after.

Keeping it level

Lifting fixes the slab, but the water that caused the problem still matters. Point downspouts away from walks and patios, keep sprinklers off the edges of the concrete, and fill the joint between the slab and the house with a sealant. These steps make lifted slabs much less likely to settle again.

Signs a slab has settled

• A gap has opened between the porch or stoop and the house.
• Water puddles against the foundation after rain.
• The driveway dips where it meets the garage floor.
• There is a raised edge between walkway panels that people trip on.
• Doors or garage weatherstripping no longer meet the concrete.

If you notice these, it is worth having the slab measured before the gap grows.

Questions

Will the holes show?

Yes, a little. They are patched with matching grout, but the color will not be exact.

Can a cracked slab be lifted?

Often, if the pieces are large. They lift together, and the crack can then be sealed.

Do you work outside Spring Hill?

Yes, in Thompson's Station, Columbia and Franklin.

Have a sunken slab looked at Call (931) 378-6491. We will measure how far it has dropped and tell you whether lifting or replacing makes more sense.