Garage and Basement Floor Repair

Aged or improperly laid garage and basement floors often show symptoms like cracking, surface imperfections, and unevenness. Each of these flaws can cause or be caused by excessive moisture in and around your foundation, which should be evaluated by an expert, like an Ultimate Crack Repair foundation repair professional, to prevent further (and much more expensive) damage. The solutions require more than pouring more concrete because new concrete can’t adhere to old, and you’d end up having to repair the same area twice.

Do you need a repair?

Many homeowners and business owners see a crack, dip, or spalling in their concrete flooring and think it’s a cosmetic issue. The more likely truth is that the issue is caused by the movement of the foundation or moisture on the surface. If a repair is not made, cracks can invite even more moisture, leading to further damage and potentially severe consequences.

Unevenness in the flooring can cause moisture to pool in some areas, which in turn will cause further damage to the flooring. Surface imperfections will continue to get worse until the only remedy is to replace the floor. These flaws can also prevent you from installing the type of flooring you want, like carpet or tile, and may reduce the possible sale price of your home.

Garage and Basement Floor Repair

The type of repair you need depends on the type of damage you have and the desired result. If you want your repair to be permanent, you should also consider an assessment of the cause of the damage. The sooner you identify certain foundation issues, the easier and more affordable your repairs will be.

Foundation Cracks

Cracks in your concrete basement or garage flooring are usually caused by the shrinking of the foundation shortly after it’s laid or settling that happens as the foundation ages. They can also be caused by excess structural stress. Determining the cause of the crack is critical to preventing further foundation shifts and damage. Simple shrinkage cracks can typically be repaired with a simple epoxy and urethane injection from the interior. Structural cracks might require foundation repair and more extensive solutions.

Leveling

Multiple approaches to your flooring might be necessary, depending on the extent of the unevenness, other damage, and the unique way your garage or basement floor is warped. Any other damage in the floor should be assessed by a professional before moving forward with the leveling. Leveling might not be possible at all if the damage is too extensive.

If the concrete is slightly uneven due to poor installation or movement that happened immediately after pouring and is now settled, a surface coat could be sufficient to achieve a level floor. Grinding can level some areas, like joints or awkward protrusions, but won’t do much to level the entire floor and it requires resurfacing. The entire slab can be leveled through a process in which foam or grout is pumped under the slab to fill voids and raise sunken areas.

Resurfacing

Surface flaws in your concrete floor can be repaired by resurfacing, which gives your old, damaged floor a fresh and sleek new look. In this process, an overlay with bonding agents is poured over your existing flooring in a thin and carefully manicured layer. Resurfacing is a great way to brighten an old, ugly concrete basement or garage floor.