Mud jacking . . . you’ve heard that it can be used to repair concrete . . . but what’s so great about it? Are there any shortcomings to using mud jacking to repair and level your sinking concrete surfaces?
At Anchor Foundation Repair, we not only raise and level homes, but we also raise and level concrete surfaces like driveways, sidewalks, parking lots, and such. We’ve done hundreds of mud jacking projects in the Brazos Valley area. We can tell you about mud jacking and discuss its finer points as well as its limitations.
First, let’s point out the elephant in the room here (no, not the one that stepped on your concrete and caused it to sink).
Although we do offer mud jacking as one of our primary services, we realize that all repair methods have their positives and negatives and mud jacking is no different. We will present this info in a fair and unbiased way because it’s easy to tell the truth.
This is a quick article (3 min read) to briefly outline the pros and cons of mud jacking for you.
What is Mud Jacking?
Just in case you’re still a little in the dark on what mud jacking is, it’s a method of lifting uneven, tilted, or sinking concrete slab surfaces back to their original position. This is done by injecting a mud-like material (called slurry) underneath the slab through holes drilled out from above.
Mud jacking is for exterior flat-work surfaces like sidewalks, patios, driveways, not slabs that have buildings on top of them.
Mud jacking is great for handling tripping hazards between sidewalk sections where one section has fallen or tilted. We have done projects where driveways were not meeting up well with the roadway anymore and creating tire-damaging (not to mention driver-jarring) situations. Mud jacking is also great for handling areas where water pools and sits due to uneven concrete surfaces.
It’s not going to magically fix crumbling and degraded concrete that is past its life expectancy. Mud jacking is only good for concrete that is still in good condition, just not laying quite right anymore due to settling or uneven pressure from above.
If you want the mega-detailed article on mud jacking, we’ve got that too but right now we will just proceed with the pros and cons.
Pros and Cons Of Mud Jacking
Mud jacking has some advantages and disadvantages. Much like any time you are weighing repair options, it’s good to know some of the pros and cons of any particular method.
This helps homeowners like you to consider what factors are most important in a repair decision so that you can choose the one that best suits your needs and goals.
Pros of Using Mud Jacking to Repair Your Concrete Surfaces
Many of the pros of mud jacking are in comparison to the full replacement of the concrete flat work surface. Removing the whole piece of concrete and starting over is a big, costly, and intrusive project. Whereas mud jacking is a quick, relatively easy, and inexpensive way to handle uneven surfaces with life left in them.
- Mud jacking is less expensive than tearing out a whole concrete surface and replacing it with brand new concrete.
- Mud jacking uses easy-to-find, inexpensive, and natural materials in the process.
- Mud jacking takes less time than tearing out and replacing concrete too. Most jobs can be done in a half a day or one full day.
- Mud jacking is a more eco-conscious choice because the process is to restore and reuse vs. tearing down, creating unnecessary waste, and starting over.
- The mud jacking process is far less noisy and intrusive than a full replacement. A full replacement would require heavier, louder equipment and a lot of mess on your property.
- For full replacement of concrete, you have to stay away from the construction zones and might not have access to parts of your property for a while. But with mud jacking, you can use the surface within a few hours or the next day.
- Cheaper material costs make it more cost-effective for larger-scale projects over some other methods of concrete leveling.
Cons of Using Mud Jacking to Repair Your Concrete Surfaces
Even though we do mud jacking and believe in it very much, it does have some downsides. These may or may not matter to some people. The cosmetic factor of still having visible cracks and the injection hole sites might be a deal-breaker for someone who wants a pristine and perfect appearance in their concrete.
- This process will not make cracks disappear from your concrete surfaces. It will bring the cracks together and remove tripping hazards, but you can still see the fine cracks.
- Mud jacking leaves behind the 2-inch round repair holes on your surface. The repair team will try to make things look as nice as possible but the circles will still be there.
- If your concrete surface is covered with a unique tile or cosmetic top treatment, you run a risk of damage to an item that you might not have a replacement for or might not match back up perfectly when the job is complete.
- Prepping for mud jacking takes more time than the lifting process itself, so it can be less cost-effective for small jobs.
What Else Is There to Know About Mud Jacking?
The pros and cons of mud jacking just *scratches the (concrete) surface* of things – that was a concrete joke for ya. You might also want to know more about the mud jacking method and how it works or the installation process. Or even how mud jacking compares to some other concrete repair methods, like polyjacking.
At Anchor Foundation Repair, we have been repairing foundations and concrete in the community for a long time. One of our main goals is to educate and inform homeowners with 100% transparent and honest information.
We’ve got a great article that talks about your array of options in methods of concrete repair, from simple to complex. Check out, “What Can I Do About Sunken or Uneven Concrete Near My Home? 6 Options.”