Solution
Slab Lifting and Leveling — The Right Method for Your Slab
We evaluate mud jacking, polyjacking, and pier-assisted lifting to find the approach that gives your slab the longest-lasting result.
Let's take the first step toward a stable home.
A licensed local inspector will visit your property, walk you through every finding, and send a written estimate — no cost, no pressure.
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Slab settlement is widespread in Middle Tennessee because the region's clay soils shrink, swell, and shift with seasonal moisture changes — and because many home slabs were built over fill that wasn't adequately compacted. Rather than offering one lifting method for every situation, Ground Up Foundation Repair evaluates the slab size, void characteristics, load requirements, and soil conditions before recommending mud jacking, polyurethane foam injection, or pier-assisted lifting. The right method on the right project delivers a level slab that stays level.
How It Works
Concrete slabs sink when the soil beneath them loses support — through void formation, soil consolidation, or erosion. Slab lifting works by restoring that lost support, either by filling the void with a material (mud jacking slurry or polyurethane foam) that pushes the slab back to grade, or by driving piers to stable bearing soil and mechanically jacking the slab upward. Mud jacking delivers high fill volume for large voids using a cement-soil slurry. Polyjacking fills smaller voids faster with lightweight expanding foam that cures in minutes. For slabs attached to or part of a settling structure, pier-assisted lifting lifts the foundation element itself using hydraulic jacking and sets it on deep steel or helical piers. In some cases, two methods are used together — piers for structural support and foam or grout to fill residual voids.
Problems This Solves
"The method matters as much as the repair itself. We've seen foam used where grouting was needed, and slurry pumped where foam would have been better — and in both cases the result didn't hold. We take the time upfront to match the method to the problem."
How It Works
What to expect from start to finish.
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Slab Evaluation and Method Selection
We measure the extent of settlement, probe for voids, assess slab thickness and condition, and identify drainage patterns. Based on those findings, we recommend the lifting method — or combination of methods — that best fits your specific slab.
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Port Layout and Drilling
Injection or pier access ports are laid out and drilled based on the selected method. Mud jacking ports are 1.5 to 2 inches; polyjacking ports are 5/8 inch. Pier access holes are larger and positioned to bracket the settled section.
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Material Injection or Pier Installation
The selected lifting medium — slurry, foam, or hydraulic pier — is installed through the access points. For injection methods, material is pumped under controlled pressure until the slab responds. For pier-assisted lifting, piers are driven to bearing and the structure is hydraulically jacked.
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Elevation Monitoring and Adjustment
Slab movement is monitored continuously at multiple reference points during lifting. We make iterative adjustments between ports or pier locations to achieve uniform lift without over-raising one section relative to another.
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Port Patching and Pier Capping
Injection ports are plugged with non-shrink grout and finished flush. Pier brackets are covered and finished to grade. The slab surface is cleaned and any loose crack material is removed.
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Drainage Review and Return to Service
Before leaving, we walk the area with you and identify any drainage contributors that should be corrected to prevent re-settlement. We provide a return-to-service timeline based on the method used and current weather conditions.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you decide which lifting method to use?
The key factors are void size, slab load, access, and cause of settlement. Large voids under heavy slabs favor mud jacking. Smaller voids where cure time and weight matter favor polyjacking. Slabs that are part of a settling structure — or where soil conditions have failed entirely — favor pier-assisted lifting. We walk through the reasoning with you during the free inspection.
Can any slab be lifted, or are some too far gone?
Slabs with active structural cracking, extensive spalling, or reinforcing steel that has corroded and expanded are generally better replaced than lifted. Lifting a badly deteriorated slab risks cracking it further during the process. We'll tell you honestly during the inspection whether lifting is appropriate or whether replacement is the better investment.
Does slab lifting work for interior floors too, or just exterior concrete?
Both. Interior garage slabs, basement floors, and even first-floor interior slabs can be lifted using polyjacking or pier-assisted methods. The process is the same; access considerations and cure-time logistics differ slightly for interior work.
My slab cracked when it settled — will lifting close the crack?
Lifting can reduce — but not eliminate — a settlement crack. Once concrete fractures, the pieces don't fuse back together simply by being returned to grade. After lifting, cracks can be sealed with epoxy or polyurethane crack injection to restore watertightness, but a healed structural crack is not the same as original concrete.
How long does slab lifting take?
Most residential slab lifting projects are completed in a few hours. Larger driveways or multi-panel projects may take a full day. Pier-assisted structural lifts take longer depending on the number of piers and the complexity of the jacking sequence.