Should I Hire a Concrete Lifting Company For My Home – Yes

When I initially started flipping houses, I didn’t realize that materials would play such a part in the process. I soon realized that the team at Brotherly Love Real Estate lacked the expertise to handle or lift concrete.

Concrete is hard, literally. It’s easy to mess up creating a level concrete floor. To avoid mishaps, hiring professionals is essential. Lifting concrete takes some serious skill. Whichever professional you hire, they need to have the right equipment for the job. I strongly advise that “This is not a DIY job. Hire a trusted concrete lifting contractor.”

Understanding Concrete Lifting

Concrete lifting, also known as mudjacking or slabjacking, is a practice that levels sunken or unlevelled concrete slabs. Concrete can settle over time due to soil erosion, bad compaction, or water issues. This causes tripping hazards.

From the home value perspective, say goodbye to curb appeal. This professional service consists of injecting material under the slab to fill voids and raising the slab back to its original level.

Types of Concrete Lifting Techniques

To my surprise, there are several techniques for concrete lifting. Why did I even think that our homebuying business could handle this on its own?!

There are three primary types of techniques, including:

• Mudjacking: In this traditional method, a blend of water, mud, and cement is pumped beneath the slab to lift it. This method is effective, but it can be messy and may require much larger drill holes and longer cure times than the newer methods.
• Polyurethane Foam Lifting: This is a newer process that involves using two-part polyurethane foam, which is injected through much smaller holes that are drilled into the concrete. This foam will expand, filling the voids beneath the slab and lifting it back into place. This procedure is more rapid and cures in less time. However, it may be more expensive than mudjacking.
• Stone Slurry Grout Lifting: Similar to mudjacking, this process utilizes a limestone slurry mixture, which can be stronger and denser than normal mudjacking materials.

Researching Concrete Lifting Contractors

The first step in finding a legitimate concrete lifting contractor is through proper research.

• Verify Credentials: Make sure they’re licensed, insured, and certified. Anyone who is truly an expert in concrete lifting should be able to demonstrate that fact.
• Review and Testimonials: Reading reviews on sites like Google or Yelp can provide information about whether the contractor is an individual worth trusting.

Requesting Quotations and Price Comparison

Before hiring a contractor, it is advisable to get quotes from different suppliers. That’s how we found Simon. Years ago, when we needed an expert for concrete lifting during a renovation, Simon’s name came up several times. He had excellent reviews, affiliations with other companies, and he gave us a demonstration on one of his sites. Ten years later, Simon is still our trusted expert for concrete lifting.

• Get Several Quotes: Every quote should highlight the type of work to be done, the materials to be used, and how long it will take. This provides a clear summary for you to compare contractors.
• Watch out for Lowball Offers: Yes, it might be appealing to opt for the lowest estimate you get. These may be a clue that the contractor might be skimping on both materials and labor.

Assessing Experience and Expertise

When selecting a concrete lifting contractor, the most important factor is experience. An experienced contractor will likely have seen some of the issues that are frequent problems in your area and know how to correct them.

• Years in Business: Experience is the best teacher, and concrete lifting contractors who have been in business for several years are usually better equipped to handle such concrete sinking scenarios. When we were introduced to Simon, he had already been an expert in concrete lifting for two decades. His expertise has been invaluable to us.
• Specializing in Concrete Lifting: Another factor to consider is hiring a contractor specializing in concrete lifting as opposed to a general contractor. Specialists who use superior tools and equipment will have the proper set of skills to deliver accurate and durable results.

Warranty and After-Sale Service Review

A good contractor should provide a warranty of some kind on their work. This offers protection and reliability.

• Workmanship Warranty: A strong warranty would provide coverage for workmanship, as well as materials.
• After-lift services: A few contractors provide post-work inspection to ensure the slab stays level after they have leveled it. The need for this is particularly great for projects in regions with poor soil material.

Local Expertise Matters

There are several benefits of hiring a local contractor. Experts from your area are better known to soil conditions, climate, and the usual problems encountered by concrete slabs.

The Pros of Hiring Local Contractors: A local contractor has a much clearer idea of soil erosion and the climate than, say, a non-local professional who may not have experience tackling lifted concrete in the region.

Choose a local expert by doing a “concrete lifting near me” search on Google, and you know that you are working with someone who understands the district and has a stake in keeping up their notoriety within the community.

Conclusion

I know that you may not have expected a concrete lifting blog. But it’s such an integral part of the home buying and selling. When flipping homes, reconstruction requires concrete lifting. And that’s something you couldn’t possibly achieve yourself.

Hence, the topic of a trusted professional for concrete lifting. We hope that you, too, find your Simon for your concrete lifting needs.