Concrete Expansion Joint Prevents Driveway Cracking and Structural Damage

Concrete driveways can crack and heave over time, or worse -cause structural damage to your home. Learn more about our solution to prevent this damage.

Concrete driveways can crack and heave over time, or worse – they could cause structural damage to your home. Temperature changes lead to shifting, breaking concrete, which creeps up against your garage and your home's foundation. Please continue reading to learn more about why this happens and how to prevent it.

WHAT IS A CONCRETE EXPANSION JOINT AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

A concrete expansion joint is precisely as it sounds - it is a joint that allows expansion. Concrete will expand or contract due to temperature changes. Specifically, concrete will expand in the heat and contract in the cold. This means your concrete is continuously shifting with seasonal changes. Expansion joints are used to install concrete to control cracking associated with these changes in temperature and shifting of concrete. If concrete is not given properly spaced joints to accommodate the temperature changes and concrete movement, the concrete will crack, heave or buckle, also known as "street creep." Even when installed correctly, expansion joints can deteriorate or close over time, allowing your concrete to move and shift. Even worse, concrete can press up against your home's foundation and cause structural damage.

HOW TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO YOUR HOME AND CONCRETE

Our concrete expansion joint product, CompressionGuard, is a solution that will stand the test of time. CompressionGuard is an engineered expansion joint used to alleviate the pressure that concrete slabs can experience from pushing against one another, sometimes known as "street creep." When soil shifts and there is the inward movement of your concrete, CompressionGuard will compress and prevent the neighboring concrete from absorbing the concrete movement's impact. It allows for the natural expansion, contraction, and movement of concrete slabs – particularly for driveways – to prevent damage that typically results from that movement. CompressionGuard is a preventative measure that protects your concrete slabs before they experience cracks and sinking with the changes in seasons. This prolongs the life of your concrete and protects your home from any issues that may be associated with concrete movement around your property.

COMPRESSIONGUARD ADVANTAGES

• Prevents damage from slab collision
• An environmentally friendly solution that does not degrade
• Low-cost solution to ease pressure on garage slab and foundation walls
• Can be installed year-round, even in extreme temperatures
• Quick installation with minimal disruption to existing concrete
• Flush design and precise installation add curb appeal
• The driveway can be used right after installation

WHY COMPRESSIONGUARD

To protect against long-term damage to concrete driveways, garage slabs and foundation walls, CompressionGuard replaces the expansion joints made of fiberboard used in most residential driveways with an expansion joint that is engineered to flex with concrete movement during seasonal changes. Your concrete problems will not get better with time. They will get better with CompressionGuard.

Thrasher Foundation Repair offers a free, no-obligation estimate. When we visit your home, you can expect a thorough inspection and education of the issue at hand, paired with a detailed explanation of the solution we propose and why. That's the Thrasher difference: we use a consultative approach to provide an education that allows you as the customer to choose a solution that best suits your needs. 

INSTALLING COMPRESSIONGUARD

CompressionGuard comes in 10-foot sections that can be cut or fused to fit any length. To install, we have a simple process. 

• Identify the direction of concrete movement to determine the best placement of CompressionGuard
• Create trenches at slab joints to make space for CompressionGuard
• Tailor CompressionGuard to the size of your project
• Install CompressionGuard and ensure there are a seamless fit and clean slab

The photos below show a before and after view of our concrete expansion joint installation. You can learn more about concrete expansion joints and how they work here.