WHY DO ConcretE SLABS crack, Sink, & Settle UNDER HOMES, Sidewalks, and PATIOS?

Concrete is strong and versatile. It can be poured, shaped, and made into just about anything–but it’s not indestructible. When you see cracked concrete, broken slabs, or a sunken driveway on your property – there could be several factors at play.
TerraFirma can diagnose and fix your concrete concerns.

tf cheap building Crack

Poorly compacted soil – When your home was built, the movement of soil around the building site results in poor compaction. Even when the replaced soil is compacted well, it’s never as stable as the original soil. Over time, this can cause voids to form and slabs to settle.

tf dry soil Crack

Dry soil – During dry conditions or even just during periods of warm weather and low precipitation, the soil under your concrete will dry out and shrink, creating voids. The concrete above eventually cracks and sinks into these empty spaces.

tf water cracks Crack

Flooding – Wet, soft soil caused by flooding is just too weak to support the concrete above it. In the worst case, the soil erodes and washes away completely, leaving behind large voids that cannot support the weight of the concrete above.

tf rainwater Crack

Rainwater or gutter runoff – Runoff from gutters or downspouts can cause soil erosion around the perimeter of your home. As soil erodes, it can create voids beneath concrete surfaces such as driveways, walkways, or patios, causing them to sink or become uneven.

tf rotting Crack

Rotting tree roots – Decaying tree roots can create voids or channels in the soil. This can exacerbate existing foundation issues and contribute to soil erosion around concrete surfaces, leading to further settlement or instability.

tf clogged Crack

Clogged gutters – Prolonged exposure to water from overflowing or clogged gutters can saturate the soil around your home’s foundation, causing it to expand and exert pressure against the concrete.

Schedule your free
Concrete Repair Estimate

Schedule your free
Concrete Repair Estimate

TERRAFIRMA IN ACTION

We’re big fans of lifting & leveling to repair concrete, rather than replacing.
Did you know it’s typically about half the cost to repair rather than replace?
Read on for our concrete repair pro-tips and galleries of our slab repair work.

Sidewalks & Driveways REPAIRED

Don’t take our word for it – see what our clients have to say.
From Roseburg to Eugene, Portland to Seattle, our Concrete Repair work speaks for itself

I met with Walt Bateman this week to discuss an issue I have that sounded like TerraFirma was a good place to look for a professional opinion. Walt shared his expertise and extensive knowledge of about 30 years of experience in the Eugene / Springfield area regarding geotechnical and residential construction issues and solutions to foundation and concrete structural issues in our wet environment. We discussed a variety of potential alternatives and he left me a relatively easy and cost effective solution for my project. I was very pleased to meet Walt and happy with his response just one day after contacting TerraFirma. I highly recommend Walt as an honest straight shooting guy and happy to get his opinion for my project. Thanks to Walt and TerraFirma, Steve Z, Springfield, OR.
Skylar was wonderful to work with. Was very professional and did a great job with raising our concrete pad.,
Fantastic job leveling out settled patio concrete slabs. Very efficient work done in about 4 hours. One area had a 2” trip hazard between slabs, now nothing! 5 year guarantee but should last 80 years
Had Walt come out to Corvallis to assess our concrete slab foundation and he was very knowledgeable of everything he observed surrounding the home's foundation. He took time to understand our concerns and provided us with his solution to our problem. We ended up having a structural engineer come out to asses our home and get his recommendation on if the work was needed.

Although we ended up not needing to have the work done, the structural engineer said that Walt's estimate on the work needed to fix the problem was correct and if our house truly needed it, then he would have recommended the exact same work be done.

In the future, if we have any other concrete/foundation projects around the property, we will definitely be calling Walt again.
Communication prior to work was great. Project manager explained how the work would go. The day the crew showed up the foreman went over the work plan and asked if I had any concerns, which I did and he was able to explain and accommodate without any problems. The crew put down plastic to minimize any mess or marks on my concrete and cleaned up post project work. I’m very satisfied with the work and complement the crew.
We were in the process of selling our house when the buyer's inspector thought our entire front porch concrete area and a supporting post needed to be replaced due to some minor settling of the concrete. I asked TerraFirma if they would send someone to come and inspect the area and get their opinion. Within a few days of my request, Walt Bateman, a System Design Specialist, came and did an inspection. After spending a lot of time measuring and inspecting the front porch area, Walt spend considerable time explaining to me that the buyer's inspector's recommendation was not warranted and he offered a reasonable and easier solution. I was very impressed with Walt's knowledge and his very simple and reasonable explanation of what he found. Walt was very easy to talk to and extremely personable. My experience with Walt and TerraFirma was extremely positive and I would highly recommend them for the services that they offer.
Skylar did a great job saving our concrete deck that was cracking. It feels much more stable. He explained the process and got it done. Left the area spotless

CONCRETE REPAIR Homeowner Questions

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO LIFT CONCRETE WITH FOAM?

Is concrete crack repair long-lasting?

My concrete seems to have moved up during the winter months, is this a problem?

Is concrete repair more cost-effective than concrete replacement?

Can you repair cracked concrete after going through concrete leveling?

My concrete seems to have settled over the winter. What should I do?