Concrete flooring at your driveway or the sidewalk might look perfectly level when you see from the distance, but it might be waiting to break soon. You should conduct an inspection of your property every year to see if your driveway need repair or there is any damage concrete block which is about break. The regular inspection will enable you to fix the problem before turns in the worst condition.
Normally, flooring requires subfloor to keep them in level. In the early days the mudjacking technique was used to make the ground level and on top of that, the concrete blocks are placed to level the ground. The mudjacking used to give support to the concrete blocks and resist it from breaking. However, the mudjacking is not the permanent solution. It can decay over the period of time due to the water lockage under the ground or the heavy rainfall.
The muds underneath get wash away due to rainwater and create a gap below which removes the support of the concrete block. If you put the pressure on the block which doesn't have support below it, the block can break anytime due to weight. Sometimes the concrete blocks become unlevel and you will see the unlevel ground on your driveways and sidewalks.
If you do not take care of the unlevel ground in time then it can cause costly damage to the floor. In such case, you might have to remove the entire floor and arrange a new concrete floor to replace the block.
Driveway Need Repair? How To Determine it
How to find whether the concrete block is unlevel?
You cannot determine the unlevel ground by just looking at it. You need a proper measuring device to find the unlevel ground. Be a bit more scientific and get the measuring tool from the hardware store. Check entire place before you take the decision of changing the concrete block. Use something to mark the concrete floor during the inspection. See how many concrete floors are unlevel and what kind of work it requires.
Here are some methods you can use to find the unlevel ground.
1) Using Tool: You can find ground measuring tool in the nearest hardware store. These tools are specially designed for all users to find any unlevel ground. The makes the process easy and enables you to work professionally. You do not need to spend money on the expensive device. The small size affordable measuring tool is sufficient to detect the unlevel ground.
The measuring tool will be a horizontal ruler shape device which will be filled with water and bubble inside. On the side of the measuring device, you will find the leveling parameters. Water bubble will show whether the ground is shifted sideways or it is perfectly aligned. The water bubble in the center of the measuring device indicates the ground is even and do not require any repair.
2) The gap between the floor: This indicates the concrete blocks are shifted from its original position. It happens when the ground underneath is moving due to water or the wet soil. The gap width will show what is happening under the concrete blocks. The larger the gap, the bigger the problem you have with the particular block. Instantly examine the situation before it breaks. You can remove the block and place it again at its location to avoid any damage.
2) Hight: Mark the concrete floor which appears higher than nearby concrete blocks. The higher area showing the sand below the block is shifted one side which pushing the block above. It might need sanding and grinding to lower the area and level them up. You may need to remove the concrete block to level the ground and then place the block again on its position.
3) Cracks: Sometime you might find cracks in the blocks. The cracks might seem small in many cases it will not be visible directly. You might need to take a closer look to detect the cracks. The blocks crack when the floor is about the break. There are several reasons why the concrete blocks get the cracks. One common reason is the uneven ground. If there is no support for the blocks underneath then chances are the blocks are unable to handle the weight above which causing the crack.
The reason for slab displacement can be many. The most common reason is water logged under the slab which takes away the mud and removes the support underneath. In the rainy reason, the mud gets washed away with the water. In this case, the slab becomes unbalanced as there will be no support system underneath. When you put weight on the slab, it immediately gets block. The gap between the slab and the ground weakens the surface and it makes the hole after the top layer of the slab is broke.