Our latest job: repairing a foundation.

  We recently completed a job repairing a foundation. As you can see by the huge crack in the corner this apartment building had some serious settling issues.  First, we excavated down next to the existing footing. We then drilled into the old footing and inserted rebar. Additional footing was poured. Buttresses were also placed and attached to the walls and  foundation via rebar.  This set for a couple of weeks.
The foundation was then lifted by our special hydraulic concrete pumping process by 3-4 inches. This raised the whole building as well as the inside floor in the corner apartment.

 The customer was very happy with the results.The end result is a permanent and significantly less expensive repair to the foundation.

Come and see us at the 2011 Dogwood Arts House and Garden Show!

We will be participating at the 2011 Dogwood Arts House and Garden Show. The show takes place at The Knoxville Convention Center and runs from February 11th-13th. Times are from 10:00 AM- 8:00 PM on the 11th and 12th and 11:00-5:00 PM  Sunday. We will be there to show vistitors how to repair their patios, sidewalks, foundations, and other concrete structures.

 Come by and see us!

How we repair cracks and prevent further damage

Concrete often settles and moves from its original poured placement due to soil movement. In many cases this is because cracks have formed which allows water to permeate underneath the concrete which over time creates cavities and substrate erosion from freezing and thawing.  As part of our restoration process we at ETCL not only restore the concrete back to its original position, but we carefully repair whatever cracks need repair as well. We V grind the crack and then fill it with an elastometric material, thus preventing the crack from reforming. This material seals the crack and expands and contracts with temperature changes. This service can save money be preserving the concrete integrity. Yet another way ETCL goes the extra step to ensure that whatever we repair is a permanent repair.

A great big howdy from East Tenneessee Concrete Lifting.

This is our first blog post for East Tennessee Concrete Lifting. First of all, we're in the business of repairing concrete. That includes slabs and foundations, pools, sidewalks, driveways and everything else in between. Another term used to describe what we do is "Slab jacking". Here's a little background info on how it works.

All concrete- even reinforced concrete slabs- can settle due to soil erosion, compaction, and the settling that results. This can wreak havoc on structures. It can cause slabs under houses to settle and thus damage the house. Sidewalks can settle creating cracks and uneven walking surfaces. Driveways can also be damaged from years of freezing and thawing, causing them to buckle and crack.

In the past the only solution was to replace the damaged area or try a temporary patch. Replacement is often extremely expensive and time consuming. Patching is seldom permanent. East Tennessee Concrete Lifting uses a hydraulic process. First we drill a hole in the affected area then we inject a special slurry of cement that quickly fills the voids under the sunken area. The hydraulic pressure pushes the concrete upwards, eventually raising it to its original level. The repaired result is a permanent solution that gives the concrete a solid foundation, thus stopping it from settling.

We intend to use this blog to show off our latest jobs, so make sure to check back often to see what we're up to.