Settled Concrete: Poly or Mudjacking?
Settled concrete can be
unsightly and a trip hazard. The two most common ways of resolving this problem
are mudjacking and polyurethane injections. So what’s the difference between
the two?
Poly injections and mudjacking
both use ports to inject material to lift the concrete. Polyurethane injection
ports are smaller (usually 5/8”) while mudjacking ports are larger (usually1” to 1.5”).There are less ports required for poly
injections because the foam spreads, whereas mudjacking injects slurry (a mix
of water, soil, sand, and cement). Slurry requires more often unsightly larger ports in order for the
void to be completely filled. Once the ports are filled the curing time begins.
Polyurethane cures in about 15 minutes while slurry takes several days to cure.
Once the fill has cured your settled concrete is fixed! What about follow up maintenance? Because mudjacking slurry
includes soil, sand, and cement it will erode over time. It also will put quite
a bit of pressure on the soil because the average amount used in the process often weigh several hundred to thousands of pounds, which could cause new voids. Polyurethane foam does not retain moisture and doesn’t erode. It also weighs less than concrete slurry which reduces chances for
new voids to form.
What about cost? Polyurethane
is long lasting and a sometimes a slightly more expensive fix of the two. Mudjacking, although typically less
expensive, will likely require more follow up maintenance (which
could cost more money in the future). If
you want a long term solution to settled concrete polyurethane is the way to
go!
