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  • Fix That Uneven Walkway During Fall Home Maintenance!

    As the end of the summer draws near, this is the time to start ticking items off your home maintenance list.

    It is also a good time to take care of that uneven walkway leading up to your front door that might not seem like much of a problem, but uneven walkways are a huge liability for homeowners.

    With a little mudjacking, a simple and quick repair that can be done in a matter of hours, you can get that maintenance item off your list and make the path to your door safer, and more welcoming.

    The Dangers of Uneven Walkways

    Mudjacking repairs make it possible to preserve that walkway before the damage increases, or worse yet, someone gets hurt.

    Did you know that slip-and-fall, or tripping accidents, are the most common liabilities that homeowners face?

    Most of those accidents happen when visitors to a home trip on damaged or slippery walkways, too.

    An uneven walkway where the seams do not meet or concrete slabs have raised or sunken edges is a risk factor that increases the chances of someone falling, and you being sued for it!

    Sure, you may have insurance, but things can get complicated if your walkway is found to be damaged and you’ve neglected to take care of it.

    Repair of Uneven Walkways is Easy

    Fortunately, uneven walkways can be repaired very easily with a process called mudjacking.

    Performed by many foundation services, mudjacking is a technique where the concrete is leveled by injecting cement under the low spots to raise them up so they are even with the rest of the walkway.

    Minor mudjacking services to make your walkway safer are inexpensive and can be done in as little as a few hours.

    The Value of Mudjacking

    Whether walkway slabs have sunk because the earth beneath them has settled or they are pushed up by a tree root, a mudjacking service will determine the cause of the problem, then remedy the issue to prevent it from happening again.

    In most cases, all it takes is a little bit of cement injected under the crooked slabs to make the walkway smooth and level again.

    Trip hazards are greatly reduced when your walkway is level, with all edges even which makes it much safer to walk up to your front door, but it also looks nicer.

    A Great Fall Project

    This fall, as you review your home maintenance “to do” list, take a good look at your front walkway.

    If it is uneven, or there are cement slabs damaged in any way, think about getting it repaired by a mudjacking service.

    It is a one-time home maintenance repair that makes your home safer to give you peace of mind.

  • Leaning Foundation Walls – How Can They Be Fixed?

    Home foundation problems like minor leaks and small cracks are common.

    Corrected while they are still “minor issues,” they rarely pose any serious problem; however, if you let them go, these small concerns can quickly turn into a need for major foundation wall repairs, especially if wall shifting starts to occur.

    Foundation wall leaning is a serious problem that affects both concrete block and poured concrete foundations and must be corrected sooner rather than later.

    Failing to do so can compromise the entire foundation.

    Foundation Wall Bowing

    Foundation wall bowing or leaning is when the foundation wall begins to crack significantly and push inward, from the outside.

    This can happen to poured or block concrete foundations and indicates that a repair to strengthen the wall is necessary.

    It usually begins with small cracks in the wall and water seeping in from the outside and as the problem worsens, actual inward bowing or more significant cracking can be seen.

    Left unrepaired, these cracks and pushed in places will deteriorate faster to the point that the affected part of the foundation could be completely compromised.

    Why Do Foundation Walls Lean or Bow?

    Foundation wall leaning or bowing happens when the soil pressure against the outside of the foundation is greater than what it can support.

    It occurs due to the natural shifting of the soil and is more prevalent in some soils than in others.

    Foundations that are weakened in any way or simply not robust enough to support that pressure can end up slowly failing, beginning with small cracks and leaks.

    What Can Be Done About Foundation Walls Bowing?

    The most important factor with this type of foundation problem is to have it diagnosed right away as soon as little cracks and leaks are detected.

    If bowing is detected, the walls can be supported using braces that will prevent further movement.

    In severe cases, or if the problem is not detected early enough, a major repair that involves excavating the soil away on the outside to relieve the pressure and then repairing the wall must be done.

    Pay Attention to Foundation Wall Issues!

    Since the latter is a much more expensive and time-consuming repair, the recommendation is that homeowners noticing fine cracks and seeping on their foundation walls get in touch with a foundation repair service right away.

    The sooner that foundation problems like this are diagnosed, the faster an easy repair can be made.