Protect Driveway From Cracking, Pitting and Crumbling

Your driveway is one of the first things that family and friends see when they visit your home, which makes driveway repair and maintenance more important than you think. Not only can driveway imperfections affect your home’s value, but driveway cracks and uneven surfaces in your concrete can pose safety hazards that can result in severe injuries.

Whether you want to replace concrete slabs in your home or you are considering concrete repair services, we will explain the benefits of PolyLEVEL injections and mudjacking services – and how they protect your concrete in the long run.

Why Does Concrete Crack?

Concrete cracks can occur due to environmental exposure, improper construction techniques or design faults. There are many different types of cracks and ways to prevent them. Here are the most popular types of concrete cracks.

Flexural Cracks

Flexural cracks happen after the hardening state and occur in the tension zone, usually caused by design issues. Providing sufficient reinforcement can prevent these cracks from happening.

Drying Shrinkage Cracks

Drying shrinkage cracks occur after the hardening stage. They occur when the concrete’s volume is decreased after the water content in the concrete evaporates. To prevent these cracks, the designer needs to control shrinkage by providing strong rebar support, which equips the concrete with sufficient strength.

Thermal Cracks

Thermal cracks occur during the hardening stage and are due to a decrease in the moisture of the concrete, usually caused by evaporation of the surface water that is needed to properly set the concrete. Since evaporation is more likely in hot temperatures, pouring concrete in warm weather accelerates its setting time, weakening the finished product and making it more susceptible to these thermal cracks.

South Texas Soil

Another determining factor of concrete imperfections that is completely uncontrollable is the soil conditions in your region. A good soil foundation can greatly increase your concrete’s lifespan. Unfortunately for South Texans, gumbo clay is the most common soil in the region, which just so happens to be one of the worst soil foundations around.

Gumbo clay is unstable because it swells when it comes in contact with water, and it shrinks when the water evaporates. This causes the soil surfaces to frequently expand and contract, which results in a shifty and easily crackable foundation. South Texas’ extreme hot temperatures certainly don’t help with this issue.

The Solution to Driveway Cracks

Two major solutions to driveway cracks are PolyLEVEL injections and mudjacking services.

Mudjacking is beneficial because it can last up to 8-10 years, depending on your soil foundation. It can cost about half the amount that it would take to replace your entire concrete slab, which makes it a much more affordable option. Mudjacking fixes the actual underlying issues unlike replacing the concrete. A new concrete slab would have the same likelihood of settling and cracking as the previous one, due to the still present soil issue.

PolyLEVEL injections are much more beneficial than mudjacking techniques since they are more time efficient and lightweight. It only takes 15 minutes to reach its final stage, compared to the entire day that it takes for mudjacking to settle. The drill hole from PolyLEVEL is also much smaller and less visible than that of mudjacking. Additionally, PolyLEVEL is environmentally friendly since it does not release harmful chemicals in the soil. Other benefits include that it’s waterproof, less messy and highly adjustable.

For more information on concrete repair services, contact Baird Foundation Repair.