A garage is a significant selling point for a home, and it’s easy to understand why. Garages offer numerous practical benefits, such as protecting your vehicle from the elements, providing storage for tools and equipment, and offering a dry, well-lit space for tasks like changing oil, painting furniture, or even creating additional social space.
Regular maintenance is crucial for preserving the value of your home and property, including your garage. Just like any other structure, ensuring its longevity requires attention.
We are your trusted paving service in Jersey City Paving, dedicated to meeting all your asphalt and concrete needs. Our team is committed to delivering high-quality results, handling every paving project with care and expertise. Our company prioritises hard work, honesty, and meticulous attention to ensure you receive the best paving service possible.
Diagnosing the correct repair method for a garage floor can be challenging, but our experience and expertise enable us to guide you effectively through the process.
This article details the most effective methods for repairing garage floors and foundations. We’ll clearly outline critical considerations to help you determine the best approach and provide additional resources to estimate potential costs accurately.
How about this: “Is your garage floor cracked and sagging in the centre?”
The Causes
When a slab cracks down the centre, it often indicates that the ground beneath has shifted, creating a void underneath. These voids can result from water erosion of the soil or the natural settlement process.
Settlement occurs as the weight of the building compresses the ground. Granular soils, such as those with sand or gravel, are more loosely packed and prone to forming air pockets, which can contribute to settling.
If erosion is the problem, check where your gutters and downspouts discharge water. We advise downspout extensions of at least ten feet. away from your home to minimise erosion and water damage. Need help to extend your downspouts?
The Solution
If there is a space beneath your garage floor, slabjacking is an effective way to lift the concrete back into place. This technique involves injecting polyurethane foam beneath the slab. The foam rises as it thickens and solidifies the concrete to its original position. Once the slab is aligned correctly, you can fill and seal any cracks in the floor.
Is your garage floor sinking or sloping downward?
If the floor tilts to one side, it may indicate that the garage foundation is settling, often accompanied by cracks in the foundation and walls. We evaluate the floor’s alignment with the walls to determine the best repair approach.
Does your garage floor meet the wall or extend across the entire area? In some cases, as shown in the images below, the concrete slab floor also serves as the base of the wall, making it a crucial part of the foundation.
This means that helical piers are the primary solution required. Installing piers can stabilize both the wall and the floor simultaneously. The picture on the right shows a classic stair-step crack on the garage’s exterior, indicating that Pulling away from the remainder of the wall, the front corner has settled. Piers is going to guard this corner and prevent further movement.
If the piers also raise the foundation, we recommend performing slabjacking. Slabjacking fills any voids created by the lift rather than lifting the floor itself. If the floor isn’t lifted, no void will be formed so that slabjacking foam won’t be necessary.
Conversely, if your garage floor stops at the wall and isn’t part of the foundation, it is considered a “floating slab” floor. In this case, repairing your garage will require both piers and slabjacking. Piers will address the foundation issues, while slabjacking will lift the floor once the foundation is stabilized.
Does your garage need foundation repairs?
If so, finding a reputable foundation company and scheduling an appointment is crucial. Before moving forward, ensure the company is experienced, insured, and accredited by the Better Business Bureau. We have a helpful guide here if you need to become more familiar with hiring contractors or what questions to ask.
Indiana residents or those in nearby states can contact Jersey City Paving for a free estimate. An experienced project manager will assess their garage and recommend the best solutions.
