Talk to your Houston concrete supplier about solutions for unlevel and uneven concrete slabs.
Do you have a patio or driveway that looks a little tilted? If so, you might wonder if your Houston concrete supplier can fix it. Uneven concrete slabs cause many problems for homeowners. They can be safety hazards and increase the risk of tripping or falling and they aren’t very practical for putting patio furniture or driving on. Also, tilted concrete pads are an eyesore that can significantly reduce the curb appeal for your home. Fortunately, there are several ways to level out uneven concrete slabs.
Ask a Houston Concrete Supplier: Fixing Uneven Concrete Slabs
If your concrete slab becomes uneven over time, usually this is a sign that the soil underneath has shifted. This can happen for a variety of reasons. For instance, extreme weather can cause soil shifting that leads to an unlevel concrete slab. In other cases, it might be that the original site work and soil compression wasn’t performed correctly.
Keep in mind that we are talking about a concrete slab that is intact and not level. If you have a concrete slab that is tilted and cracked, that’s a sign of a larger issue. In these cases, you likely need replacement from your Houston concrete supply.
If you’re dealing with an unlevel concrete slab without cracks or other signs of damage, there are a few short-term and long-term options to make the concrete flat again.
Short-Term Solutions
There are a couple of shorter-term solutions for leveling out uneven concrete slabs. These options don’t address the root problem of shifting soil, but can help even out the concrete and make it flatter until you’re ready for concrete replacement. Just remember that the concrete could get worse because you’re not doing anything to the soil.
One option is grinding down the high spots with a floor grinder. You can typically rent these grinders from a hardware store. You will need diamond grinding inserts, a level, and some patience. You’ll want to map out the high spots beforehand and also check regularly to ensure you don’t grind the area too low and make the unevenness worse.
Another option is to apply a leveling compound. You can also find these at the hardware store. These fill in the low spots in the concrete. You will need to mix the compound, apply a coating, and often smooth it out with a trowel and allow it to cure according to the directions.
Long-Term Options from Your Houston Concrete Supplier
You can also level out concrete pads by adding materials underneath the concrete. Mudjacking is where you pump a mixture of concrete and mud under the slab to raise it up into a more level sitting position. This can last anywhere from two to five years. You can also do the same thing with polyurethane foam, which can last significantly longer or even indefinitely.
Another option for long-term concrete leveling is to tear out the concrete, address the root problem, and pour a new concrete slab. In these cases, you typically take out the old concrete and re-do the site work and soil compaction. Once the soil is packed down tight, then your Houston concrete supplier can pour a new slab to replace the old, uneven one.
TEXAN Concrete Ready Mix – Top Houston Concrete Supply
Our team at TEXAN Concrete Ready Mix offers superior ready mix concrete formulation, Houston cement mixing, and cement pouring for all your commercial and residential concrete needs. Our goal is to provide you with high quality solutions for a variety of concrete applications. Contact us now to get a quote for your next concrete project.