Thrasher Foundation Repair Before & After Photos

This customer hated the sunken concrete steps at their home. At Thrasher Foundation Repair, we can fix common problems that happen to driveways, walkways, and sidewalks over time. When the soil beneath these concrete slabs weakens or develops voids, cracks, and sinking can occur. Different things like erosion from rainwater or gutter runoff, rotting tree roots, clogged gutters, improper downspout installation, poor yard drainage, and poorly compacted dirt fill, can cause voids. Thankfully, we provided a reliable solution using PolyLevel, a foam that lifts the concrete back to its original position while filling the voids. 

This homeowner recently decided to do something about the sunken concrete driveway at their home. To address this issue, we used PolyLevel polyurethane foam which is injected beneath the concrete slabs through small ports, filling cracks and crevices in the soil. As it expands and hardens, it lifts the concrete slabs, restoring them to their proper position while simultaneously compressing the surrounding soil. One advantage of PolyLevel is how fast it works, you can resume normal use of your concrete just 15 minutes after the process is completed. 

This customer recently encountered an issue with their home—an unlevel patio. Sidewalks go through constant use and can form cracks and sink when the soil beneath the cement slabs erodes. It's important to address these problems quickly because uneven sidewalk slabs are a safety risk to your family, guests, and neighbors. Thrasher Foundation Repair has the expertise to resolve these issues effectively. We used PolyLevel technology to lift, level, and stabilize their patio. To address smaller cracks, we used NexusPro solution to fill and seal cracks and control joints. This gave the patio a long-lasting and seamless finish.

Owners of public buildings must be very cautious about having tripping hazards on sidewalks.

All concrete slabs settle – it’s a matter of when, not if, it will happen.

The Raytown School District has used Thrasher Foundation Repair on many occasions to maintain the safety of the sidewalks and flatwork around their schools and office buildings.

Owners of most public buildings are required to repair any public sidewalk or entryway that has more than 3/4″ differential movement from one piece of flatwork to another.

Thrasher was hired to eliminate any potential tripping hazards along the sidewalks and entryways at one of the district's office buildings. We were able to return all the concrete flatwork to the original condition without interrupting their working schedule or the facility's function.

Although we do not use or provide mudjacking services today, we provide a polyurethane injection system, PolyLevel, to offer an economical, quick and effective solution for lifting situations like these and residential sidewalks, patios and driveways.  

Sunken or heaved concrete slabs can present tripping hazards that you may be liable for as a homeowner. Concrete repair is essential to protect your driveway, sidewalk or patio for the future. 

At Thrasher Foundation Repair, we use PolyLevel® for concrete leveling because it's a fast and effective way to lift and stabilize sinking concrete. PolyLevel is a lightweight, strong high-density polyurethane foam developed by our sister company Supportworks and only available to an exclusive network of foundation and concrete repair contractors. It lifts and supports concrete slabs without adding weight to the soil beneath, and it's waterproof so that it won't wash out or dry out like traditional mudjacking material. It's environmentally friendly, too, with no environmentally harmful chemical leaching. Concrete leveling with PolyLevel expanding foam not only raises concrete slabs but also compacts the soil around them, creating a stable environment that will ensure that your driveway, patio or pool deck remains level into the foreseeable future.

Our comprehensive concrete protection system provides additional durability:

1. Your concrete is lifted and leveled using PolyLevel® foam.
2. Your cracked concrete and control joints are filled and sealed using NexusPro joint sealant.
3. The whole surface is protected from the elements with a coat of SealantPro™, which permanently bonds to your concrete.

When you lift, level and protect your home's concrete, you can rest assured it will keep looking and working great well into the future — plus, you'll sleep better knowing you've got a five-year warranty.

When we visit your home for the first time, you can expect a thorough inspection and a detailed explanation of the concrete leveling solution we propose and why. We offer several levels of protection and transparent pricing to meet your specific needs. 

We use PolyLevel to lift and level concrete. PolyLevel polyurethane foam is pumped beneath cement slabs through tiny ports about the size of a penny. Initially, PolyLevel flows like water, filling even the smallest cracks and crevices in the soil. It quickly expands and hardens, lifting the concrete slabs above it and compressing the ground around it at the same time. PolyLevel is waterproof, so it will never wash out, and it won't degrade over time due to temperature extremes. It's environmentally friendly, too, with no ecologically harmful chemical leaching. Best of all, PolyLevel cures quickly, allowing your concrete to be used usually the same day.

Having a home that is 100 years old means that the homeowner must handle problems with unique solutions, especially repairing the foundation and waterproofing.

For Michael and his mother, this was the case for the foundation of their home in Omaha, Nebraska. The foundation was made of brick and had been DIY-repaired several times with concrete patches. Still, water continued to fill the basement during snow melts or when it rained.  

Over a year ago, Michael had several contractors give estimates to repair the foundation. While Thrasher Foundation Repair provided a proposal, another contractor was awarded the job. That contractor did some work to replace part of a wall but left Michael with a mess and a basement that still flooded when it rained. While Michael was fighting the previous contractor to get his money back, he decided to reach back out to Thrasher Foundation Repair to get another opinion.

A Permanent Solution for a Wet Basement and Damp Crawlspace

System Design Specialist Wyatt Simon visited the home and inspected the entire foundation to make recommendations. Michael’s desire was for a permanent solution that would allow for the basement to be used as a recreation space in the future. He and his mother also have allergies and were hoping to improve the air quality in the home as well. Wyatt was able to identify three primary issues. One, there were portions of the foundation wall that needed to be shored up. Two, the basement needed a waterproofing system to keep it dry. Three, the dirt crawlspace needed sealing to prevent humidity from continuing to cause air quality issues.

Wyatt proposed a structural repair to the failing portions of the brick foundation. 

Thrasher recommended a perimeter drainage system specially designed for old stone foundations to control the water.

After- A TripleSafe Sump Pump System was installed in the corner, and the drainage system directs all water from under the floor to be pumped outside.  This system prevents the three most common sump pump failures: mechanical failure, power interruption, and pump capacity.

 Parts of the basement floor were broken up and replaced as part of installing that system. The system drains to a sump pump system, with Michael choosing to add a battery back-up pump to ensure the basement stays dry during power outages. Lastly, Wyatt suggested a liner to encapsulate the crawlspace and seal the dirt off from the rest of the house. The liner provided a barrier between the damp earth and the dry indoor air. We used the same CleanSpace product on the brick walls to prevent moisture from seeping through the brick.

After- Once all the systems are installed, you can see the possibilities for next steps in refinishing the basement.

Michael had Wyatt out several times to make sure he understood the project and because he didn’t want any of the issues that he had with his previous contractor to be a problem again. It’s one of the reasons Thrasher is so devoted to redefining the contractor – customer experience. We see a world where the contractor does it right the first time, uses the highest quality materials, trains their employees to deliver the best customer experience, and offers a permanent solution that they stand behind. We believe the bar for an exceptional customer experience can be set so high that mediocrity in the contracting world is simply no longer accepted or tolerated.

Michael then moved forward with the project, and the Thrasher team was able to complete all the work in a few days. Michael and his mother gave rave reviews of the project and are grateful to have a 25-year warranty on all of the work performed. 

When you’re ready to move forward with a fix-it project in your home, we hope that you will give us the opportunity to have a free inspection. With more than 45 years fixing foundations, leveling concrete and waterproofing basements, we’ve seen it all. Give us a call to schedule an appointment or fill out the form, here.