Uneven Concrete Slabs

When one section of a driveway, walkway, or patio drops relative to its neighbor, the result is a raised lip at the joint between them, a textbook tripping hazard that can appear overnight after a significant rain event or develop gradually over several seasons. In New Jersey, differential settlement between adjacent concrete panels is driven by several factors acting simultaneously: fill placed at inconsistent depths during original construction, old utility trenches crossing beneath the slab, tree root systems that displace soil as they grow, and stormwater channels that develop along low spots in the yard and carry material away from under the concrete. Towns along the Raritan River corridor and properties in high water table zones experience this condition at a rate higher than the state average.

Three-quarters of an inch of height difference between adjacent concrete panels meets the threshold for a tripping hazard under ADA accessibility standards and the municipal codes adopted by most New Jersey towns. Waiting until the step grows larger makes the correction more expensive, because the sub-base void that allowed the panel to drop continues to expand while the slab remains unsupported. Scaldino Basement Solutions lifts the settled panel back to grade using polyjacking or mudjacking, restoring a flush transition between sections without any demolition of the existing concrete.