Sidewalk leaning towards house

November 10, 2010

Q) Our sidewalk is leaning toward the house, and water is leaking into our basement. Can we add more concrete to the cement to slope the water away from our home or should we have it lifted.

A) Do not add more concrete to the surface since that will cause more problems by adding weight to the walkway. In most cases, having a company come out to lift the concrete through a process called slab jacking will allow the concrete to "pitch" away from your home. Slab Jacking involves pumping a dense combination of clay, sand, water and other materials through a hole drilled into the concrete. The mixture is injected by hydraulics under the sunken concrete making it rise into its original position. Slab Jacking often improves drainage problems associated with water seepage but it will not completely solve water problems if other problems exist in your drain tile perimeter drains.