Sinking & Settling Concrete Floor Slab Repair in Northern Ontario

Causes & repair solutions for cracked, sinking concrete floors

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 that is showing signs of sinking, sagging, or settling? Are the walls separating from the floor below or 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 Groundhogs can help you solve this problem permanently! We provide a complete foundation repair solutions in Thunder Bay, Sault Ste Marie, Sudbury and nearby areas in Ontario. Call us today to get a free estimate.

Signs of slab settlement

When a floor slab settles, the damage can manifest itself 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 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.

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What causes a concrete floor slab to settle?

When a concrete floor settles, it can mean serious 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:

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Drying/Shrinking Of Soils Under The Slab

Washout Of Soil Underneath The Slab

Poor Compaction Of Foundation Fill Soils

Ways to repair floor cracks

Supportworks dealers have many tools at their disposal to reverse concrete slab settlement and restore the good condition of concrete floors. Here are the many ways Groundhogs might choose to resolve your floor crack:

• Push piers: Push piers reach greater depths than any other type of solution, which can sometimes come in handy for restoring concrete slabs and getting rid of cracks in the process.
• Helical piers: Helical piers are suitable for both light and heavy loads, which can make 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 weight of the slab to load-bearing soil and lift and level the concrete.

Looking for foundation slab repair contractors In ON?

At Groundhogs, we provide proven solutions for concrete slab floor leveling — as well as other foundation repair solutions — to homeowners throughout Ontario. We provide each of our customers with 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 Thunder Bay, Sault Ste Marie, Sudbury, North Bay, Timmins, Heron Bay, Lac La Croix First Nation, Nakina, Pass Lake, Kashabowie and throughout the 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.

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.

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.

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