The foundation of your home is under constant environmental stress. From soil compaction to excessive moisture intrusion, it is natural for foundations to settle and sink over time.
In many instances, this could lead to sloping floors across your home, whether concrete or hardwood.
While we rely on concrete for virtually every building in modern society, concrete can wither, crack, and sink very quickly over time.
When your concrete floors slope, here are a few solutions you should consider and ones that you should avoid.
Causes of a Sloping Concrete Floor
A sloping concrete floor can be caused by a whole host of factors, from external environmental pressures to poor installation. Some examples include:
- Soil Settlement: Poor soil compaction, erosion, or expansive soils can cause the ground beneath the slab to shift or sink, causing voids that lead to sloping.
- Foundation Issues: Foundation settlement, structural shifts, or cracks can destabilize the slab, leading to uneven floors.
- Water Damage and Drainage Problems: Excessive rain, leaks, or poor drainage can erode or saturate the soil, causing the slab to settle unevenly.
- Tree Roots: Growing tree roots near the building can push against the slab, creating unevenness over time.
- Freeze-Thaw Cycles: Constant freeze-thaw cycles in Pennsylvania can cause moisture beneath the slab to expand and lift the slab, causing it to become uneven.
- Overloading the Floor: Simply putting too much weight on your concrete surfaces can cause the slab to sink in certain spots.
By understanding the root cause of the uneven concrete slab, you can pick a solution best suited to tackle that problem.
Why Is It Important to Level a Sloped Concrete Floor?
A sloped concrete floor is not just an eyesore; it’s a hazard that can result in injury. Here are some additional reasons why it’s essential to level a concrete floor.
- Improper Flooring Installation: Uneven surfaces can cause flooring materials like tiles or hardwood to shift or crack.
- Water Pooling: Sloped areas can lead to water accumulation, increasing the risk of moisture damage and mold growth.
- Safety Hazards: Slopes can increase the likelihood of tripping and falling.
- Furniture and Equipment Stability: Heavy furniture or machinery might become unsteady on an uneven surface leading to additional hazards.
You’ll find that concrete leveling–far from being a grudge purchase–can be an affordable, long-lasting solution that doesn’t require breaking the bank.
Why You Should Use Polyurethane Foam for Voids
Void formation due to soil compaction and sinking is typically the most common cause of sloped concrete floors and can be rectified using polyjacking.
Polyjacking fills voids underneath the slab with self-expanding polyurethane foam, similar to the spray foam you would find in a hardware store. The biggest difference is that this polyurethane solution is adequately formulated to provide the right density to support concrete slabs underneath, allowing the slab to be lifted until it reaches the proper level.
The polyurethane foam is installed using two penny-sized holes that are drilled into the slab. Byt most estimates, polyurethane foam can provide decades of support without degradation.
More affordable than resurfacing and much longer lasting than mudjacking, polyjacking is the superior solution when it comes to leveling sloped concrete floors.
Use Underpinning for Extreme Foundation Issues
In instances where the foundation of a home is deemed not strong enough to support it, underpinning may be necessary. Underpinning involves digging holes to extend the foundation to a greater depth to help support the slab using stronger soil.
Underpinning should only be considered for floors that slope as a result of deep structural issues, as it is very expensive and intrusive.
Why You Should Avoid Self-Leveling Concrete
Self-leveling concrete is one of the most popular and DIY-friendly methods for leveling a sloped floor. However, self-leveling concrete should only be considered a short-term and cosmetic solution.
While the compound may level the sloped surface superficially, it will do nothing to address the root cause of the issue, such as void formation or poor soil compaction, leading to the same issues again in the future.
Furthermore, the compound could have the adverse effect of placing more weight on the slab, slowly accelerating the cause of sinking over time.
Mudjacking Should Always Be Avoided
Mudjacking is similar to polyjacking but uses a slurry of cement, sand, and water instead of polyurethane foam. Mudjacking is often marketed as a more affordable solution to polyjacking, but consumers should be aware that mudjacking only lasts 3-5 years at maximum.
Furthermore, mudjacking is incredibly intrusive, requiring hundreds of pounds of heavy material to be poured beneath your concrete floor and massive holes to be patched. The results can also be haphazard depending on the company that installs the slurry.
When leveling a sloped concrete floor–indoors or outdoors–nothing beats the safety and reliability of polyjacking.
FAQs
How much does it cost to level a sloped concrete floor?
The cost of concrete lifting varies depending on the method chosen. Underpinning is the most expensive, while polyjacking is more affordable.
Will leveling the floor fix cracks in the concrete?
While some methods, like resurfacing or self-leveling compounds, can fill minor cracks, they don’t address underlying structural issues. If your concrete has severe cracks, it’s important to repair them before leveling.
Can I install new flooring over a sloped floor without leveling it?
It’s not recommended, as an uneven floor can cause problems with the installation and longevity of new flooring materials.
