Patio Leveling
Kansas City, MO

You and your family love to spend time on your outdoor patio grilling out, having parties, or just relaxing with a good book. But over the years your patio has fallen into disrepair and isn’t looking so great. No, you don’t need to rip it out and start all over again. Mudjacking your sinking or uneven patio is an economical alternative that also saves you tons of time and a huge headache.

The soil around and underneath your home is in a constant state of flux, but especially when water is introduced. When the soil beneath your patio is exposed to water and begins to settle or wash away, it can cause major issues with the concrete above. If you notice that your patio is sinking, uneven, cracking or is no longer level with your foundation or steps, then you’re in need of mudjacking.

When the concrete surfaces outside of your home begin to sink, it indicates that there is soil erosion or displacement beneath that surface. While there are a number of causes for this, the most common is water. When water is introduced to the soil it can cause the soil to wash away, shift, or become compacted. When this soil can no longer support the weight of the concrete slab above, or the soil has moved and there is a large void, the weight of the concrete itself will cause it to shift. This will lead to sinking concrete, crooked or uneven concrete, and even cracked concrete. All of these will lead to even more soil erosion, because water can even more easily seap beneath the slabs now. The best way to prevent further erosion and correct the problem with your concrete slab(s) is to use mudjacking. Mudjacking, or concrete leveling, uses a slurry of concrete injected beneath the existing slabs to raise the slab back to where it should be and fill in the void beneath the slab. And all of this can be done in an afternoon when you don’t even have to be home. Unlike concrete replacement, mudjacking is an easy and inexpensive process that is done in hours and usable immediately. 

So why is it a problem if your concrete patio is sinking or cracking? The first major problem we already talked about a little: water. When your concrete patio is sinking, it can cause water to be running toward your home and settling at your foundation. This can lead to a lot of problems including: mold, mildew, rot, flooding, and foundation damage. Whenever it rains or there is snow or ice melt, that water has to go somewhere. If your concrete slabs are not slanted properly away from your foundation, then that water is ending up where it shouldn’t be. Over time this will only become worse, possibly leading all the way to major basement damage or needing to have your foundation repaired, both of which are extremely expensive. By making sure your concrete slab is graded properly you can avoid these problems. Calling us when you first start to notice water pooling at your foundation or water running toward your home instead of away from it will save you lots of money in the long run.

Another problem that a lot of homeowners face when their patios begin sinking is that the patio is no longer flush with the steps or threshold used to gain access into your home. This gap can lead to a nasty problem: rodents. Rodents such as mice only need the smallest opening in order to gain entry to your home and basement. Even a gap the width of a pen is large enough for a mouse to squeeze through. When the colder winter months arrive, those outdoor mice desperately want to become indoor mice, and if you have a gap beneath the steps leading to your patio, that may well be their new door. Mudjacking will raise the concrete slabs of your patio so that they are flush with the base of the steps, meaning no entryway for little critters into your home. 

The consideration of aesthetics may not be first on your mind when you’re considering mudjacking, but it’s not to be dismissed. How your patio looks can not only increase the curb appeal of your home, but the crooked concrete slabs also present a tripping hazard. If you’re entertaining guests in your backyard, you don’t want to trip over an uneven slab of concrete and end up spilling a beer on your guests! A quick visit from us will ensure that all of your concrete slabs are even, no matter how noticeable the sinking is. 

Without mudjacking your uneven concrete slabs, the problem will only continue to worsen, and eventually your concrete will crack under its own unsupported weight. Once the concrete slabs are cracked to a certain degree, they can no longer be mudjacked and will need to be replaced completely. The cost of concrete replacement is much more than mudjacking and takes days to complete, meaning you’re without your outdoor oasis for at least a week while you wait for everything to be finished. Mudjacking is inexpensive, running typically between $5 and $8 per square foot. However, if you realize that your concrete is sinking, the sooner you have mudjacking done, the better. The larger the void beneath the slab, the more material is needed to fill in the void, meaning it will cost more. Also you run the risk of all of the above problems that we’ve touched on, which can be costly. Overall, mudjacking is an inexpensive, simple solution to your uneven concrete problems. If you need mudjacking in Kansas City, call us today.