Concrete Repair & Leveling in Gainesville, FL

Concrete repair and leveling can save a slab for a fraction of the cost of new concrete, but only when the slab is worth saving. In Gainesville, most damage comes from below: rain and runoff wash sand out from under driveways, walks and patios, and the slab drops or cracks. Roots lift walks in older neighborhoods. We find the cause first, because a repair that ignores the cause will fail again. Then we give you prices for the options that make sense.

Matching the fix to the damage

• A panel that dropped but is in one piece: leveling can usually lift it back.
• A panel broken into pieces: it usually needs to be cut out and replaced.
• A worn or rough surface on a sound slab: resurfacing gives it a new top.
• Hairline cracks: cleaned and sealed so water stays out.
• Wide or moving cracks: HomeGuide's resurfacing guide says cracks wider than a quarter inch usually point to problems underneath. Those sections normally come out.
• Broken edges and aprons: cut back and poured new.

Leveling

Leveling lifts a sunken slab by pumping material under it through small holes. Mudjacking uses a cement slurry. Polyjacking uses expanding foam, which is lighter and needs smaller holes. Both fill the gap that let the slab sink. HomeGuide's leveling guide says leveled concrete usually lasts 5 to 10 years or more, and mudjacking typically 5 to 7 years. It works well for walks, patios, pool deck sections and driveway panels near the garage.

Leveling only lasts if the water problem is fixed too. If a downspout, a leaking pipe or a low spot in the yard washed out the sand, we fix that or tell you what needs fixing.

When it might not be ordinary settling

Alachua County's sinkhole fact sheet lists cracks in pavement, rain pooling where it never pooled before, doors that stop closing properly and leaning fence posts among the warning signs of ground subsidence. Most cracked driveways are ordinary settling. But if the ground is dropping in a wider area, or the house shows cracks too, the county says a licensed geologist or qualified engineer should look at it. We will tell you if what we see calls for that before you spend money on concrete.

Get a Free Estimate

Resurfacing

Resurfacing bonds a thin new layer to old concrete. It fits a slab that is level and solid but rough, stained or worn. The old surface has to be cleaned and prepared so the new layer sticks. HomeGuide says resurfacing lasts 8 to 15 years and recommends replacing concrete with large cracks, crumbling or structural problems instead.

Replacing sections

One bad panel does not mean a whole new driveway. We saw-cut the damaged section along joint lines, fix the base under it, and pour a new section tied into the old concrete. New concrete looks lighter than old concrete at first. If the damaged part is the apron in the right-of-way, it has to meet city or county standards, and we plan for that.

When replacement is the better deal

• Cracks and settling across most of the slab
• A base that has washed out in many places
• A slab that sends water toward the house
• Repairs that keep failing

In those cases we price new concrete and explain why a repair would not last.