Concrete Slab Repair
Concrete slabs are an effective solution for home building. These slabs are generally constructed when soil cannot be dug in to as deep or does not need to be dug in to as deep as a regular foundation would. Although slabs are great for slab on grade building, they do experience some issues. Slabs are meant to be able to rise and fall with the expanding or contracting of soil, in different temperatures. Because of that, the slab can experience stressing, which can lead to swelling, cracks and, ultimately, failure. Repairing these slabs is important in protecting the structural integrity of your building.
Reasons Slabs Fail
Slabs can behind to fail for a variety of reasons. One of the major reasons that slab foundations begin to wreaking is because, as the soil that they are poured on top, expands or contract with different temperatures, stress is continuously placed on the slab. This rising and falling causes weak points in the slab which being to crack under pressure. These small cracks can lead to bigger crack, leading to complete slab failure.
Signs of Slab Failure
There are several ways to look for a failing slab in your home. One way to assess if your slab is failing is to look at the flooring in your home. If the flooring is buckling, cracking or beginning to seem uneven, your slab could definitely be failing. Beyond this, there are several other ways to look for slab failure. If the sheet rock in your walls is starting to crack, it can be a good sign. This can also lead to windows and doors sticking when you open them. And, on top of this, your external siding can start to crack or warp.
How We Repair a Slab
If your slab begins to fail, there are several ways that we can try and repair it, before a complete slab replacement is needed. Filling and bonding the cracks in your slab are the most common processes we use. We use a high strength bonding agent, usually epoxy or a form of carbon fiber solution, depending on how bad your cracking is. These agents help to fill cracks and hold concrete together at its weak points. We sometimes use more concrete to fill cracks, but this isn’t as resilient to future cracking as the other bonding agents are.
Consequences of Not Repairing Failing Slabs
It should go without saying that there are consequences to not repairing a failing slab. Because a foundation slab is, literally, the foundation that your home is built on, if it begins to fail, your home’s structural integrity could also begin to fail. A weakening foundation can lead to cracking walls, which need to be patched and replaced. It can also lead to cracking exterior brick work or siding. In addition to these smaller repairs being needed, a failing foundation can lead to actual structural failure which, in its most extreme case, can lead to your home falling down.
