Concrete Pool Deck Lifting

When you have a pool, you take on a certain amount of maintenance that needs to be done on a regular basis to keep your pool in working order. Most homeowners think of this maintenance with regards to the pool itself, which can include things like removing leaves and replacing chemicals. However, there is also the aspect of maintaining the concrete around the pool. 

Concrete maintenance around a pool is just as important as maintaining the water in the pool. If you’ve noticed that multiple concrete slabs have moved out of place or that the concrete around the pool has settled lower than the concrete at the immediate edge of your pool, chances are that you could benefit from concrete lifting solutions.

Concrete lifting isn’t a project you can take on by yourself, which is why the experts at Innovative Basement Authority are here to help. If you need to inspect your pool deck in Minnesota, North Dakota, or eastern Montana, Innovative Basement Authority is the team to do it. 

Why Does a Concrete Pool Deck Sink? 

There are many reasons you might end up with a sinking concrete pool deck, and most of them don’t have anything to do with not maintaining your pool well enough. Any of these things could be reasons that your concrete pool deck has started to sink. 

• Loose Soil 

When the soil underneath the concrete is looser than normal, you may end up with serious concrete sinking issues. That’s typically because the soil is what’s supposed to hold the concrete up. Concrete problems can come from loose soil concerns, which may only happen in one section of your concrete pool deck or may happen in the entirety of your yard. You’re more likely to have extremely localized concerns if it’s only happening in one section, whereas you’re more likely to have generalized concerns if it’s a yard-wide problem. 

• Improper Preparation 

The problems with loose soil can be a result of improper soil preparation before the initial construction team poured the concrete. When someone pours concrete on top of loose soil, it’s only a matter of time before the concrete starts to press down too hard on the ground underneath it, causing it to sink into the soil. This isn’t extremely common, as most companies are very good at what they do, but it is something that you might want to investigate if you’re noticing sinking concerns. 

• Water Issues 

Water problems can also be a huge concern when it comes to pool decks. Pool decks tend to be at extremely high risk for water problems because the pool itself is exerting a lot of pressure against the sides of the pool. Additionally, if the water splashes out of the sides, even if it’s not a lot, you may experience some concerns with water moving into the area between the pool concrete and causing soil erosion underneath the concrete. 

Concrete Pool Deck Restoration Options 

There are several different ways you may see suggested to restore your concrete pool deck back to its initial position. However, these methods may have different efficacy ratings. Here’s what you need to know about the most common methods of restoring your concrete pool deck. 

Pouring a New Concrete Slab 

In some cases, someone may suggest that you pour a new concrete slab entirely. Typically, this requires pulling up the current concrete, then pouring new concrete in its place. This might be a good option if the concrete slab is essentially broken beyond recognition, but it’s not something to consider as your first option. Pouring a new concrete slab is messy, time-consuming, and difficult to do. If you only have a few cracks in your concrete slab, you won’t need to pour an entire new slab, as it will probably cost more money than it’s worth. 

Slabjacking or Mudjacking 

This is the “traditional” method of fixing concrete sinking problems. Slabjacking and mudjacking are terms for the same concept: using a concrete slurry mixture underneath a sinking concrete slab to give it more stability. However, this also suffers from many of the same problems as pouring a new concrete slab. It requires you to drill holes about the size of a soda can in the concrete, it’s extremely heavy and difficult to put in the concrete slab, and it takes a long time to set appropriately. Even though it might be a common practice, it’s not the best way to stabilize sinking concrete. 

Polyurethane Foam Injections 

This is by far the best option for stabilizing sinking concrete. Polyurethane foam injections are a great way to maximize ease of use and ensure that your concrete is as stable as possible. It only takes around 15 minutes for you to be able to use the concrete after you’ve used polyurethane foam injections to stabilize it. It’s also waterproof, making it a great option for pool decks, and it expands, so it can lift the concrete rather than just stabilizing it.  

Why Is PolyRenewal™ a Good Choice?

• Improves Soil Stability 

When you put PolyRenewal™ underneath your concrete, you’re going to improve the soil stability, not just now, but in the future. Since polyurethane foam injections expand outward, they’ll compact the soil underneath the concrete while they push the concrete up. That means it’s more likely that you’ll have stable soil underneath your concrete for good, making it a fantastic way to enhance your concrete pool deck in the future. PolyRenewal™ helps you take care of future problems before they even happen.

• Lifts the Deck 

When you use an option like slabjacking or mudjacking, you’re not going to lift the deck up. The concrete slurry that a professional will pump underneath the deck will just stay there, essentially stopping your deck from continuing to sink, but not really supporting it in any other way. Because PolyRenewal™ expands, however, it can lift your deck up to its initial position. No other method of concrete repair will lift the deck; other methods will just focus on preventing further harm, whereas PolyRenewal™ tackles the underlying problem. 

• Expands Outward to the Entire Concrete Slab 

One of the biggest downfalls of slabjacking and mudjacking is the fact that it doesn’t cover the entire concrete slab. When you use these methods of concrete leveling, you drill a hole in the center of the concrete slab, then pump concrete slurry into it. However, because of the weight and thickness of that slurry, it effectively forms a cone of concrete that’s highest in the center of the concrete slab. PolyRenewal™, however, can expand outward, covering the entire hole underneath your concrete. 

• Lightweight, but Strong 

Another major downfall for slabjacking and mudjacking has to do with how heavy the concrete slurry typically is. Concrete slurry tends to weigh a lot because it’s a concrete mixture. That means it can be damaging for your concrete in the long run. The added weight of the concrete slurry can cause the concrete deck to sink over time even more than it already was. However, polyurethane foam injections are very lightweight but maintain their strength dramatically. That makes them a great option for concrete lifting. 

• Non-Invasive to Install 

Lastly, polyurethane foam injections are much less invasive than concrete slurry. Polyurethane foam injections use penny-sized holes, only require about 15 minutes to set before you can start to use the area, and don’t require a concrete mixer for the product. That makes it a much more effective choice for homeowners who don’t want their concrete lifting experience to be difficult. 

Concrete Pool Deck Lifting

FAQs

Will Concrete Pool Deck Lifting Avoid Future Settling?

When you lift your concrete pool deck, you’re trying to get rid of current concrete settling. However, some homeowners also wonder whether deck lifting right now will help avoid future concrete settling as well. For the most part, concrete pool deck lifting can help you with future settling issues through these reasons. 

• Catching the Problem Early 

When you use concrete pool deck lifting as early as possible, you’re catching problems before they have a lot of time to start developing. Concrete pool decks are especially prone to this problem, as a concrete pool deck that starts to degrade can allow a variety of things underneath it, especially water. Catching the problem early does help you avoid future concerns overall. 

• Soil Looseness Issues 

Using polyurethane foam injections for your concrete pool deck lifting will help you with future problems dramatically because you’re tackling soil looseness issues overall. When you get polyurethane foam injections for your concrete pool deck, they will fill the existing void in the loose soil, but they’ll also pack the soil much more tightly, especially near the bottom, helping you avoid problems in the future. 

• Better Load-Bearing Potential 

One of the reasons that concrete pool decks can start to sink and settle is because the load-bearing potential just isn’t prominent enough. If you put something on the concrete pool deck that’s just too heavy for the deck to handle, it’s likely to start sinking. However, polyurethane foam injections can help you increase the load-bearing characteristics of the concrete pool deck, offering you more opportunities for the deck to maintain heavy loads. 

What Types of Decks Can Polyurethane Foam Injections Help With?

Polyurethane foam injections are certainly the most effective way to lift sunken concrete. However, even though this can be a highly effective way to lift sunken concrete, it’s not necessarily going to be effective for every sunken concrete pool deck. From small problems to extreme problems, here’s how polyurethane foam injections will perform for each deck. 

• Sinking with No Cracks 

This is the best place for you to use polyurethane foam injections. When the concrete pool deck has started to sink, but you don’t see any cracks, that’s the best time to use polyurethane foam injections because they have the highest possibility of working properly. An expert can help you lift the concrete pool deck back to its initial position. 

• A Few Cracks in the Concrete 

If you leave the sunken concrete for a period, you might notice cracks in the concrete pool deck. This is because concrete doesn’t bend very well, so if it starts to sink in the middle, it’s naturally going to crack very quickly. The good news is that a few cracks in the concrete shouldn’t affect your ability to use polyurethane foam injections, and they can still be highly effective. 

• Extreme Cracking Issues 

When you leave the concrete deck for long time, you might run into issues where the concrete pool deck has a lot of serious cracks in it. This is where things can become almost unfixable for polyurethane foam injections. If the concrete is more cracked than it is whole, chances are you’re going to have to remove the cracked concrete and pour a new slab. 

Why Do I Need Concrete Pool Deck Lifting?

If you’re still not convinced as to the necessity of concrete pool deck lifting, you might need to know a few specific reasons that concrete pool deck lifting can be beneficial for your home. These are the most prominent reasons that may convince you to finally invest in concrete pool deck lifting for your home’s stability. 

• Tripping and Falling 

When you have concrete pool deck cracks, you can run into a variety of concerns regarding tripping and falling. This is most commonly a concern if you have elderly people or people with mobility concerns in the home, but anyone can accidentally trip on a bit of broken concrete. Fixing the concrete will help you avoid this problem. 

• Aesthetic Problems 

Sure, it might not be your number one priority, but it’s true that cracked concrete doesn’t look as good as flattened concrete. If you have a pool, you want to be able to enjoy the pool, and that means enjoying the pool’s aesthetics as well. Fixing cracked concrete will make your pool look even more beautiful. 

• Structural Concerns 

Even if the tripping concerns and the aesthetic problems aren’t enough to convince you, the structural concerns might be. Concrete pool deck cracks can move into cracks in the pool itself or cracks in the sidewalk surrounding your backyard. Fixing the concrete pool deck cracks will help you avoid problems with other structural issues. 

Why Choose Innovative Basement Authority for Your Concrete Lifting Needs 

Tackling concrete pool deck lifting early on is crucial if you’re going to maintain your pool in a proper way. It’s important to make sure you pay attention to the concrete pool deck as much as you pay attention to the water in your pool. If you don’t, you could end up with serious structural concerns not only around your pool but also with other areas of your home. 

When you handle these problems early on, you can use polyurethane foam injections to support the pool deck and raise it to its initial state. If you wait too long, you run the risk of ending up with the only option being to repour the concrete entirely. This is expensive, difficult to do, invasive, and often doesn’t work as well as polyurethane foam injections anyway. 

Concrete pool deck leveling is a crucial part of concrete repair. If you want to do it right, you’re going to want to use PolyRenewal™ to lift your concrete pool deck back to its initial position. Request a free quote today for your pool deck in Minnesota, North Dakota, or eastern Montana and you’ll be able to see how Innovative Basement Authority can help you with your pool deck concerns, no matter what they happen to be.