October 07, 2011 at 2:12 PM

Many of the repairs homeowners perform on their property are seasonal or somehow weather related.  Power washing siding, staining a deck, or painting are typically seasonal projects for fairly obvious reasons.  But what about repairing concrete? 

As weather turns cooler and fall approaches, the season change promotes something referred to as the "fall push" when we as homeowners scramble to get all our outdoor projects finished before the weather prohibits their completion.  While concrete repair is something that can be done almost any time, freezing temperatures are one seasonal obstacle.  Most new concrete pours need time to cure (approximately 28 days at non-freezing temperatures).  This means by mid-October, no new residential concrete will be poured in most circumstances.  A sunken or uneven driveway that needs to be repaired before winter could not be replaced, but did you know it can be raised?

Concrete raising is a cost-effective method of repairing a sunken sidewalk, an uneven driveway, or a sinking porch.  Unlike full replacement, concrete rising can be completed until the ground freezes underneath the concrete.  This usually occurs around mid-December in Michigan, so it's not too late to raise that sidewalk back up or to even out a tripping hazard on your steps or in your garage.  In fact, before those tripping hazards are covered up by snow, making them more dangerous, it's a great time to act!

Concrete raising (called concrete lifting, mud jacking, or slab jacking) is a process to raise sunken and uneven concrete back up to grade and even out joints and cracks.  It doesn't cost a fortune either.  While it's best to let a professional do the work, it's fairly simple to perform for professionals.  A matrix of holes are drilled in the sunken concrete and a concrete slurry is mixed up and pumped through the hole, filling voids and raising the concrete back up.  The holes are then filled with concrete and the walk or drive section can be used right away.  This process will raise a sunken or tilted porch, uneven sidewalks or driveways, sunken steps, pool patios, just about any slab concrete.

If you're currently experiencing the "fall push" and need to complete your list of home repairs before the weather gets bad, it is not too late to have your concrete repaired.  Raise that "shovel stopper" on your walk or the "snow blower grabber" in your drive before winter hits.  There is plenty of time before the ground freezes.  Kent Concrete Raising can help you cross concrete repair off your list this fall without draining your pocketbook!