What Is Mudjacking?

The term Polyurethane Mudjacking isn’t one you hear all the time if you’re not established in the construction community. Many homeowners or property managers could greatly benefit from the mudjacking procedure, but aren’t even sure what it means… or how it works.

What Is Mudjacking

Have you ever noticed sinking, lowered, or dipped concrete? Maybe on a sidewalk or a patio, or even within the foundation of a building. Age and the passage of time can cause this kind of damage to concrete, and mudjacking is the best way to solve the problem.

Instead of ripping out the sinking concrete and getting all new concrete poured, you can repair the issue with Polyurethane Mudjacking. A special mixture is used to raise the concrete up to its original placement, and when this mixture hardeneds, it helps to keep the concrete slabs in place without continuing to sink, move, or break down.

This is the technique known as mudjacking, because it uses this special mud-like foam to jack up the level of the concrete!

How Does It Work?

The mixture used for mudjacking consists of sand, wet cement, dirt and mud, and water (maybe some other materials, too, but these are the most common). Holes are strategically drilled into the sinking concrete, and the mixture is pushed under the concrete to fill the gaps and holes made by shifting or shrinking dirt and foundation. As the mixture is pumped under the concrete, it will begin to rise and level out back to what it’s original form was.

To fill the new holes you drilled, just use the same slurry mixture. The pressurized slurry will raise the concrete, hold it in place, and your new holes will be barely noticeable once they are filled with the polyurethane foam.

Is Polyurethane Safe?

Since mudjacking is pretty simple and affordable, many people are curious about what “the catch” could be – maybe the materials aren’t safe, or the process is dangerous, or there is another dangerous issue that makes this such a good deal.

If you thought that, you’d be wrong! Using Polyurethane foam for mudjacking, and the process itself, is entirely safe if done by a trained professional. Make sure the company you use has only non-toxic chemicals and materials used in their slurry, and are approved by the FDA and USDA for incidental food contact.

This is pretty standard for most mudjacking companies and polyurethane foam.

How Polyurethane Helps You “Go Green”

Believe it or not, most polyurethane foam is great for the environment. Not only is it made mostly of recycled, natural components, it’s better to do repairs whenever possible than to create more waste by buying all brand-new concrete. The life of your foam, or slurry mixture, also helps contribute to it’s “safe & green” status. Since it is self-adhesive, it prevents extra material being used by sticking immediately to its surface, and holding its shape for a long time, maintaining the quality of your concrete for longer.