Anybody mud-jack (lift) a garage?

DaveB · Apr 10, 2011

When my house was built 11 yrs ago, we set the grade of the garage based on the design/grade of the back alley....set 'er up about 4" over the edge of the lane. Anyways, the town re-graded and changed the lane grades a lot over the years and with the very high water tables in this town, when the ground freezes, the lane is now higher than my (and my neighbor's) garage. So during this melting season, we get water on the floor. I did some reading about "mud-jacking" or cement-jacking....seems it might be feasible to lift my whole garage 3 or so inches. Anybody have any experience with this? The garage is on a slab-on-grade foundation.

kbrunlees · Apr 10, 2011

Lifted our garage and driveway pad about 12 years ago. Garage originally started out as a carport so was never tied into the foundation. Alberta Mudjacking lifted it 8 inches on the house side of the pad. It was amazing to watch. Garage is just now starting to sag again so I will have to have them out again I think it cost me 1800. It is a hell of lot cheaper then repouring.

IG650 · Apr 10, 2011

If the City raised the grades and caused the loss of drainage, then it is their problem to remedy. Sounds like regrading and a Catch basin maybe a start.

DaveB · Apr 10, 2011

IG650 said:
If the City raised the grades and caused the loss of drainage, then it is their problem to remedy. Sounds like regrading and a Catch basin maybe a start.

Problem is, it's not a city....it's the cruddy little town of Penhold. I was actually the original surveyor of the land and I laid out the subdivision sewer, water, and roads back when this area was developed. There was never to be houses behind me and the lane surface drained out each end. The town got a new engineering firm a few years ago...talked 'em into a bunch of dirtworks (raised grade behind me) and built another street with houses behind me now....added two catch-basins two doors down. The CB's just freeze and pond. I've fought with the town before....and I figure It'll be cheaper in the long run to just raise my garage, add some gravel and dirt to my yard...and let all the new houses deal with the water and the town.

IG650 · Apr 10, 2011

Sounds like we are in the same business :beer:

Cyle · Apr 10, 2011

How good of shape is in the floor in? Unless it's perfect and the slab was done properly and has plenty of reinforcing, lifting is a bad idea. I still wouldn't do it if it was mine, it's a temporary fix.

I might be a bit bias because I do concrete for a living, but remove and repour is still a much better option.

Mudjacking is something most people do for a cheap, quick fix.

what_next · Apr 10, 2011

hmmm mud jacking isnt really designed to "lift and entire garage" it's more designed to say relevel a sagging corner of a garage... or fix a driveway with drainage issues that had previously sagged

call a company up and see what they say.. anything is possible

but if your garage floor isnt cracked now... it will be after FYI

DaveB · Apr 10, 2011

Cyle said:
How good of shape is in the floor in? Unless it's perfect and the slab was done properly and has plenty of reinforcing, lifting is a bad idea. I still wouldn't do it if it was mine, it's a temporary fix.

I might be a bit bias because I do concrete for a living, but remove and repour is still a much better option.

Mudjacking is something most people do for a cheap, quick fix.

I can appreciate where you're coming from....but I have a 30x30 garage that I really don't want to remove...

The slab is in good shape....I remember there being lots of re-bar in there when it was poured. Non-heated floor...so hopefully that's a plus.

Cyle · Apr 10, 2011

DaveB said:
I can appreciate where you're coming from....but I have a 30x30 garage that I really don't want to remove...

The slab is in good shape....I remember there being lots of re-bar in there when it was poured. Non-heated floor...so hopefully that's a plus.

The problem is your lifting a LOT of weight, I can't imagine it will be able to be lifted that much, and if it does your compromising your base. That floor weights over 60,000lbs alone.

I know it's not cheap, if calgary is about the same as here your looking at about $9000 to remove and replace that floor.

Just to check though, there's no gradebeam or anything on the garage right? Just a slab?

Polarblu · Apr 10, 2011

ok there arnt many things i dont know about but this process is one. Please explain. I my mind you are drilling holes in the slab and pumping fill crete or something else cheap under it? As far as the township re-structuring drain-age you can be compensated for it but it does take a lawyer. When the plans are made drainage is forfront so they F-d up or those 2 CB's should have been installed heated. I spent the last two summers in Fort Nelson doing major water and sewer up grades(Pipe to Sod) and we had to reshape, repave, whole yards and a few cases install extra heated lawn drains after because it was engineered wrong. Its on them.

4byrookie · Apr 10, 2011

what_next said:
hmmm mud jacking isnt really designed to "lift and entire garage" it's more designed to say relevel a sagging corner of a garage... or fix a driveway with drainage issues that had previously sagged

call a company up and see what they say.. anything is possible

but if your garage floor isnt cracked now... it will be after FYI

We had our Garage mud jacked and lifted 4" about 8 years ago. We have had no issues and our floor is in perfect condition. If the floor cracks due to mudjacking, they did not do it right and most places will warranty the job from cracks for the first year. Ours ran about $1500 and was well worth the money.

goodngrubby · Apr 10, 2011

DaveB said:
I can appreciate where you're coming from....but I have a 30x30 garage that I really don't want to remove...

The slab is in good shape....I remember there being lots of re-bar in there when it was poured. Non-heated floor...so hopefully that's a plus.

I faced the exact same problem a handful of years ago. The town added a street in behind me, and rebuild the grade of the alley running beside my garage. My floor had a few cracks in it, so mudjacking wasn't an option. The cheapest and easiest solution I could come up with was to cut out the original wall-to-floor anchors, jack the walls, and install 6"x6" metal square tubing in between the walls and floor. Pack in 2" of sand, and repour a 4" slab. Still costly, but a more feasible solution than to remove and replace the old concrete..

CUSO · Apr 10, 2011

You would be better off installing a drain with a heatsync in your driveway.

Lifting the slab would be a PITA, Another thing you could do is pour a grade beam around the perimeter,then pour another layer on top of your slab.

what_next · Apr 10, 2011

4byrookie said:
We had our Garage mud jacked and lifted 4" about 8 years ago. We have had no issues and our floor is in perfect condition. If the floor cracks due to mudjacking, they did not do it right and most places will warranty the job from cracks for the first year. Ours ran about $1500 and was well worth the money.

thats cool....i dont have THAT much experience with it, but it must totally depends on the circumstances as well
in some instances you have absolutely no choice... like say lifting one side of your driveway because it sagged.... its not like concrete is very malleable.

Dave heres this for a possible solution
jack up your garage (hydraulic jacks etc....)
rough up your concrete (chip the whole surface)
pour new concrete on top of that
you'll have a cold joint but its totally under compression (no shearing stresses hurray)

you arent messing with your foundation
you dont need to reinforce it since your slab now is already reinforced
no mud jacking
no new slab

the only thing i'm not sure about is the price

if someone already give this solution.. my bad i havent read any posts lol

kbrunlees · Apr 10, 2011

Good and Grubby, my floor was cracked in to 4 pieces, when Alberta mudjacking was finished they brought all 4 pieces together beautifully. Has been 12 years and I gotta do it again but rather than rip my place apart, it for me is a good alternative. My community is built on reclaimed swampland. It is what it is.

calgarysledguy · Apr 10, 2011

Cyle said:
The problem is your lifting a LOT of weight, I can't imagine it will be able to be lifted that much, and if it does your compromising your base. That floor weights over 60,000lbs alone.

I know it's not cheap, if calgary is about the same as here your looking at about $9000 to remove and replace that floor.

Just to check though, there's no gradebeam or anything on the garage right? Just a slab?

Calgary would be around the same for price on removing and replace.Some guys will do it for 7000 or some for 11000 who you call and quality.....

Mud jacking will probably cause lots of cracking...... if that happens hopeful the re bar was lifted so there will be no deflection in the slab after the fact......

I would probably do something like goodngrubby said if i was doing it. Then you don't have the removal cost of the concrete.......lots of ways to looking at it.Comes down to money i guess.

boydo · Apr 10, 2011

burn it down, collect insurance, get new cars and toys and build a 40x40!!
why has no else suggested this awesome solution?! you guys are dropping the ball!!

calgarysledguy · Apr 10, 2011

boydo said:
burn it down, collect insurance, get new cars and toys and build a 40x40!!
why has no else suggested this awesome solution?! you guys are dropping the ball!!

The same reason why i wouldn't burn my sled to get a shinny tunnel :d

Cyle · Apr 10, 2011

I would highly recommend again raising and pouring a new slab ontop. Thing is, concrete alone for that would be $2000, gotta pay probably $1000 for someone to come pour and finish it and you run into issues with meeting up with the driveway. Plus lifting garage, etc. And it's just a patch fix that might only last a few years. You are putting a lot of extra weight on the old slab that wasn't made for it, and could easily crack it then you've got a much bigger problem.

If you want a easy cheap solution, I would put say a 2 or 3" lip before your garage door of topping gentle slope up and back down. Not a great solution but it would be cheap, and keep water out of your garage. Or if you have a good way to drain it as said already cut out some concrete in your driveway and put a drain in.

If your going to put new concrete in, do it right and pull the old stuff out. Your looking at maybe $1500 tops to remove it. Topping is made if a floor is unlevel, then you can pour a skim coat, but not 3". Most concrete guys will even refuse to do it.

Anybody mud-jack (lift) a garage?

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