One of the great things about home repair jobs is that each project is unique in its own way. We also get to help people fix their properties and improve their homes. This was the case with a job in Hilton Head Island, SC, located about 100 miles southwest of Charleston, SC. A homeowner called us about an issue with sinking concrete around his pool.
This is a common problem with pools since it’s caused by sinking, unstable soil underneath. It is especially exacerbated if the concrete base was poorly constructed. Sunken concrete isn’t only a matter of aesthetics – even though it can be an eyesore – but it is also a safety hazard.
Meeting the Customer and Our Initial Inspection
The homeowner was renting the property and wanted the pool to be nice and safe for the family using it before the summer. Besides that, if the sinking concrete is left unattended, it may sink even further over time, which will make repairs even more difficult.
When concrete is built over a poor base, it will start to sink over time. This often happens near pools and foundations of homes, since those are the areas that are dug out during construction. If they are not filled in properly, the soil tends to settle, and the concrete sinks below surface level.
Water from the pool can potentially erode and wash away the base of the concrete even further. This is commonplace for homes with outdoor pools in this area and it usually requires the concrete to be lifted and the cracks to be sealed.
Our inspector on the property canvassed the job site and assessed the scope of damage as well as the steps that should be taken to stop the concrete from sinking. It’s a relatively simple four-day project that will reverse the damage and even out the concrete so that the pool is safe to use during the summer.
Repairing the Damage
The first thing to do was to use PolyRenewal™ to lift the concrete. It’s a quick and easy solution used by our expert team in Hilton Head Island, SC, where the soil and age of most homes lead to these kinds of problems. Our team has worked on homes in the area and the issues are often caused by soil erosion. As the water washes away the layer of soil beneath the concrete, becomes less stable and starts to sink and crack.
PolyRenewal™ is an expanding foam that’s used to fill in the voids below the concrete. It’s used in pool decks, patios, and driveways and it’s a quick and simple way to lift the concrete after it has sunk and created an uneven patch, which is a potential hazard.
It’s installed in four steps and can be used almost exclusively on concrete. Here is how the process takes place:
- Holes the size of a penny are drilled in the concrete and used to inject the foam.
- Injection ports are placed in the holes.
- The foam is injected evenly so that the void beneath the concrete is filled.
- The injection points are sealed off and made smooth.
One of the big advantages of using this method is that it’s eco-friendly and waterproof, which makes it a more versatile choice than traditional mudjacking.
This is also the most long-term solution for sunken and cracked concrete. It fixes the underlying cause of the damage and not just the concrete itself. That’s because the foam gets into the holes and voids beneath the concrete and fills them in providing structural support to the slab. This means that after we’re done with the repairs there won’t be a need for any additional repairs.
Once the concrete was lifted, our installation crew wanted to prevent such damage from occurring in the future. That’s best done by filling the cracks and joints around the pool. It also helps keep the concrete around the pool safe during the winter.
The process of filling up the cracks is called caulking and it’s relatively simple and often used to seal joints and other cavities during construction. The area around the pool should also be caulked to prevent the joints from filling with water over time or during a rainy season.
Lifting concrete and making sure that there are no cracks and uneven concrete around pools is a job our team handles all the time and the difference was noticeable.
It will also affect the value of the property in the long term since the pool is more presentable now and there’s less investing involved for those who purchase it. If you’re experiencing problems with sinking concrete around your pool or foundation, give us a call and get a free inspection of your Hilton Head Island, SC, home right away.
