Concrete Lifting in Bettendorf: Leveling and Raising

Sunken concrete is one of the most common calls we get from Bettendorf. A driveway drops a couple of inches where it meets the garage. A sidewalk panel lifts at one edge and catches the mower. The patio starts tilting back toward the house, and rain runs straight at the foundation. Most of the time the slab itself is fine. The ground under it isn't. That's what concrete lifting fixes: we fill the empty space under the slab and raise it back to level, so you don't have to tear it out and pour new.

Our Bettendorf jobs are run from the Tomlinson Cannon office at 7205 Hancock Ct, Unit 2A, in Davenport, a short drive across town.

Why concrete sinks in Bettendorf

Much of Bettendorf is built on the hills and bluffs above the Mississippi, so a lot of driveways and walks sit on a slope. When downspouts dump water at the edge of a slab, that water runs downhill underneath it and carries fill away. Homes on lower ground near Duck Creek see the opposite problem: soil that stays wet and soft for weeks after a heavy rain.

Then there's winter. Water that gets under a slab freezes, expands and pushes it around, and the thaw leaves gaps behind. A few seasons of that and you have a void. On newer houses, the backfill next to the foundation is often the weak spot. It was never compacted as hard as undisturbed soil, so garage aprons, front stoops and the walk to the door are usually the first to settle.

How we lift it: foam injection

We drill a few small holes and inject high-density polyurethane foam (polyjacking). The foam expands, fills the void and raises the slab back to level. It's light, so it doesn't add much weight to soft soil, and it cures fast, so you can use the surface soon after we finish.

You may also hear about mudjacking, which pumps a heavy cement-based slurry under the slab through larger holes. It can cost less up front, but it adds weight to ground that's already giving way and takes longer to cure. That's why we use foam.

What we lift

Driveways and garage aprons, sidewalks and front walks, patios, porch and stoop slabs, garage floors and basement floors. If you're not sure whether a slab can be lifted, a quick look usually settles it. Concrete that has broken into loose pieces or is crumbling at the surface isn't a lifting job, and we'll tell you so. For cracks and broken sections, see our page on concrete repair in Bettendorf.

Signs your slab needs leveling

Look for a step where two panels used to meet flush, water pooling in the same spot after every rain, a gap opening up between the slab and your foundation, or a patio that slopes toward the house. Cracks that keep getting wider are worth a call too, because they usually mean the ground is still moving underneath.

Questions Bettendorf homeowners ask

Will the slab sink again?

Lifting fills the void that caused the drop. If water keeps washing soil out from under the same spot, it can settle again, so we'll point out downspouts or grading that need attention while we're there.

Is lifting cheaper than replacing the concrete?

Usually, yes. There's no tear-out, no hauling and no waiting for new concrete to cure.

Want to compare methods in more detail? See our full guide to concrete leveling services.