Are you considering the prospect of housing your concrete slab foundation mudjacked? As it turns out this might not be the right decision, despite its apartment benefits!
Mudjacking concrete slab foundations can be a huge money saver or an unexpected expense. There is no doubt that mudjacking can be used to lift a concrete slab foundation. The process entails pumping a slurry of portland cement and soil under high pressure through holes drilled into a concrete slab.
In many cases, mudjacking is the least expensive method of foundation repair, and the most expensive method of foundation repair. Rather than lift the structure with underpinning, the slurry is pumped through holes drilled in the slab and spaced 3 to 6 feet apart. As its name implies, mudjacking can be used to “jack up” or lift a sagging foundation.
Reasons You Don’t Want to Have Your House Mudjacked
Here are four reasons you wouldn’t want to have your property mudjacked:
- As a void-fill process after foundation lifting, it can lead to serious foundation problems in the clay soil regions of Texas. When a void is filled between a lifted slab and the ground, you better watch out. Should the clay soil moisture increase due to a plumbing leak or heavy rain, the ground will swell. Pushing upward on the void fill material gets translated into pushing upward on the slab, causing the slab to heave.
- When lifting a house, if the mudjacking technician loses attention for a minute, the house can be over lifted. There is no economical way to remove the excess cement/soil slurry mixture.
- A mudjacking slurry can find its way into a weak septic line. In one instance, the slurry went all the way to the main sewer line in the street. That became a $16,000 problem with the city.
- Plumbing is seldom cemented into the slab. The voids around a water pipe can allow the mudjacking slurry to enter the wall, rising until the sheetrock blows out. It has also been known to raise bathtubs and shower pans.
It’s important to consider these issues before making a decision that could result in harm to your property. While you might think you’re saving money upfront, there could be more costly issues that come as a result of mudjacking.
Bottom Line
Although there are several valid purposes for mudjacking including lifting patio additions, lifting driveways, and lifting sidewalks, Granite Foundation Repair will never recommend mudjacking. It is far too easy to cause extensive house damage when using mudjacking to void-fill or lift a house.
If you need an expert to oversee any foundation inspections or repairs, contact our team today!