Concrete stabilizing · Yakima Valley & Tri-Cities
Concrete stabilizing that stops a slab from sinking
Concrete doesn't fail overnight. We fill the voids under a slab and firm up the loose soil with polyurethane foam, so it has solid support before it settles or after we've lifted it.
Chapter 01
The warning signs before a slab sinks
Concrete doesn't fail overnight. Problems usually start under the surface, where eroding or compacting soil leaves voids beneath a slab that still looks level. By the time you can see it sink, the gap has been growing for a while.
There are signs to watch for. Walk across the slab or bounce a ball on it and listen for a hollow sound. Look at the edge from the side for a gap underneath. Watch for early or heavy cracking on a slab that hasn't visibly dropped, doors or windows that start to stick as concrete near the building shifts, and water that collects or runs toward cracks instead of away from the house.
Soil washes out or settles from poor drainage, water erosion, weak compaction when the concrete was first poured, and the freeze-thaw cycles that come with Central Washington winters.
Tape measure against the dropped edge of a slab, about three inches of settlement
How we stabilize the ground under a slab
First we look the concrete over to find the voids and the spots where the soil has gone soft. Then small ⅝-inch holes go in, and Eco-Rise polyurethane foam is injected beneath the slab. The foam expands to fill the empty space and compact the loose soil around it.
The slab ends up supported instead of hanging over a hollow, which cuts down on movement and on the cracking that follows it. Because the foam is lightweight and waterproof, it gives long-term support without adding stress to the soil or the structure next to it.
It works on sidewalks and walkways, driveways and garage floors, pool decks and patios, and on interior slabs and hard-to-reach areas where a crew couldn't bring in heavy equipment anyway.
Chapter 03
Why catching it early costs less
Cracks let water in, and water is what speeds up soil erosion and freeze-thaw movement in Central Washington.
Stabilizing costs less than half of replacing the concrete, takes less time and barely disturbs your day. The slab you already have stays in place and out of the landfill, and you skip the demolition and the new pour.
If a slab has already dropped, we usually stabilize the soil and lift the concrete in the same visit, so you fix today's problem and the cause behind it. We don't do structural foundation repair, and we'll tell you plainly if that's what you need. For a hollow-sounding slab in Yakima, Ellensburg or the Tri-Cities, call (509) 796-0658.
Costs less than half of replacement · Eco-Rise foam, made in the USA · WA license LEVELBN775KC
On the job
What the foam leaves behind, and how we watch it work
