Sinking & Settling Concrete Floor Slab Repair in Greater Green Bay

diagram of a repaired concrete slab floor

Concrete slab piers can extend deep below the floor to reach competent supporting soils and permanently stabilize the floor.

Do you have a concrete slab floor showing signs of sinking, sagging, or settling? Are the walls separating from the floor below or the ceiling above?

If you have a problem like this in your home, you could have a sinking or settling concrete floor slab. This problem can lead to cracks in floors and walls, uneven surfaces, and a weakened foundation.

Luckily, the foundation repair experts at Sure-Dry can help you solve this problem permanently! We provide complete foundation repair solutions in Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh and nearby areas in Wisconsin. Call us today to get a free estimate.

Signs of slab settlement

When a floor slab settles, the damage can manifest in many ways. Along with cracks in the concrete, the floors can separate from the walls as they sink downwards. Alternatively, the interior wall may be pulled down with the floor instead of separating from the ceiling. Walls can also pull away from other walls, and interior wall cracks can form -- commonly off the corners of interior doors.

(Click each photo to enlarge.)

 
Slab floor cracks showing in a Waupaca home Large slab floor cracks in a Mosinee home A floor slab separating from the wall in a Two Rivers home. A partition wall separating from the floor in a Shawano home.
a sinking floor leaving a large gap between the wall and floor in a Sturgeon Bay home The ceiling and wall separating as the wall sinks with the slab floor in a Merrill home partition walls being pulled away from the foundation walls in a Rhinelander home. wall cracks along a doorway in a Kaukauna home.

What causes a concrete floor slab to settle?

When a concrete floor settles, it can mean severe damage to your home. The causes of floor slab settlement are almost always due to the soils underneath being unable to support the weight of the concrete. They often accompany other foundation problems in your home.

The three most common causes of settling concrete floor slabs are as follows:

(Click for more information.)

Dry, cracking clay soils

Drying/Shrinking Of Soils Under The Slab

soil erosion

Washout Of Soil Underneath The Slab

A backhoe excavating a foundation

Poor Compaction Of Foundation Fill Soils

Ways to repair floor cracks

Foundation Supportworks dealers have many tools to reverse concrete slab settlement and restore the condition of concrete floors. Here are the many ways Sure-Dry might choose to resolve your floor crack:

  • PolyLevel: PolyLevel's primary application is to lift concrete slabs in a long-lasting, minimally disruptive method, and PolyLevel is highly effective at getting rid of cracks in the floor. PolyLevel is the most popular choice for this type of problem.
  • Push piers: Push piers reach greater depths than any other type of solution, which can sometimes help restore concrete slabs and eliminate cracks in the process.
  • Helical piers: Helical piers are suitable for both light and heavy loads, making them appropriate for concrete slab settlement and floor crack repair.
  • Slab piers: Occasionally, it might be prudent to use concrete slab piers and brackets to transfer the slab's weight to load-bearing soil and lift and level the concrete.

Looking for foundation slab repair contractors In WI?

At Sure-Dry, we provide proven solutions for concrete slab floor leveling and other foundation repair solutions to homeowners throughout Wisconsin. We give each customer a free, no-obligation slab repair quote in writing before any work is done. To schedule your appointment, call or e-mail us today!

We proudly offer all our foundation repair services in Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh, Sheboygan, Fond Du Lac, Wausau, Manitowoc, Neenah, Stevens Point, Wisconsin Rapids, and surrounding areas.

Drying & Shrinking of the Soil Under the Slab

HVAC (Heating, Venting, and Air Conditioning) systems may be installed beneath the floor slab. Over time, the ductwork can leak air, which can dry out the soil.

As the soil dries and shrinks, gaps form under the floor slab, creating voids. Because the soil no longer supports the floor slab, the floor begins to crack and sink into the voids.

street creep symptoms in a driveway in Plymouth

Washout of Soil Under the Slab

This is usually caused by plumbing leaks. If the plumbing leak is severe and there is a path for the water to flow through, it can wash soil out from under the slab.

With a void underneath the floor, there's nothing supporting the concrete slab anymore. In time, it begins to crack and sink downwards.

garage walls cracking due to street creep

Poor Compaction of Fill Soil

During construction of a new home, layers of soil are commonly moved around or spread out to get to the desired grade level. When the home is built, footings may be deepened to extend below weak fill soils and avoid a foundation settlement issue.

The slab, however, remains on the fill soils. If the fill was poorly compacted, the fill soil compresses and settles, and a void is formed under the slab. In time, the slab cracks, breaks, and settles into the void.

foundation wall cracks due to street creep in Plymouth

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