Ways That Soil Problems Can Affect Your Concrete

Poorly compacted soil:

A new house in a new neighborhood can be exciting. It can feel like the possibilities are endless. Even better, new homes usually come free of problems… for a time.

When builders construct new homes, they disrupt the natural soils, digging into them to assemble the foundation and shifting the earth to create a flat space for the home to sit level. When they’re done, they put the excavated soil back around the home. But if the builder doesn’t properly compact the soil, it can compress over time.

This can cause concrete driveways, stoops, sidewalks… you name it… to sink and become uneven. This in turn can cause tripping hazards that you could be liable for.

Soil shrinkage:

Ever wonder how arid weather conditions impact your home? While you might look out your window and see wilting landscaping and browning grass, there could be something even scarier lurking under your driveway.

Your driveway is poured directly on soil. During periods of dry weather, this soil can shrink and take up less space than before. This can lead to pockets of empty space where your driveway is no longer supported, which can cause the heavy concrete slabs above to sink. 

If you’re seeing cracks that weren’t there last year, or maybe you’ve noticed that part of your driveway is sinking, it could be that shrinking soil is to blame.

Soil softening:

Picture walking on a hard dirt trail in the woods, only to suddenly sink into the mud where the path is damp.

Just as you would sink into the soft, wet soil, the same thing can happen to your heavy concrete driveway, sidewalk, stoop or patio when the soil beneath becomes saturated with moisture- due to a weather event or broken water pipe. Over time, the concrete might even sink enough to cause a trip hazard or make your stoop uneven.

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With all of these scenarios the good news is, concrete can be raised back into place, so it’s level with the other concrete around it. It’s a relatively quick process with our PolyLevel system that will allow you to use your concrete normally as soon as the next day.