Slabjacking is essentially another name for the same slab-lifting process as mudjacking, injecting material beneath a settled concrete slab through drilled holes to lift it back toward its original level, with the term sometimes used interchangeably depending on regional or industry convention.
In some usage, slabjacking refers more generally to lifting concrete slabs regardless of which specific material, cement slurry or polyurethane foam, is used to accomplish it.
What Does Slabjacking Involve?
- Identifying the specific voids causing the settlement
- Drilling access holes through the affected slab
- Injecting lifting material beneath the slab
- Monitoring the lift to avoid over-correcting the slab’s position
Why Is Slabjacking Important?
Correcting a sunken slab through slabjacking addresses common problems like tripping hazards on walkways, standing water on patios that should drain away from a structure, and unsightly gaps at driveway joints. This approach is typically far less disruptive and expensive than removing and repouring an entire slab, provided the slab itself remains structurally sound and simply needs releveling rather than replacement.
A contractor will typically test the slab’s overall condition before recommending slabjacking, since a slab that’s cracked extensively or structurally compromised may need full replacement regardless of how effectively it could otherwise be lifted. Pricing for this type of repair is typically based on the area and volume of material needed, which a contractor estimates after assessing how much the slab has actually settled. This assessment step protects homeowners from spending money lifting a slab that ultimately needed replacement anyway. This upfront check protects the investment being made in the repair itself. Skipping this step risks wasted effort on an unsuitable slab.
Slabjacking vs. Mudjacking
These terms are frequently used interchangeably in everyday conversation, though mudjacking sometimes specifically implies the traditional cement-based slurry method, while slabjacking is used as the broader umbrella term covering any material used to lift a slab.