Not every cracked or sunken concrete slab needs to be replaced. Repair is often the better call when the underlying base is sound, the concrete hasn't broken into loose sections, and the visible damage is superficial rather than structural. In Raleigh specifically, common repair jobs include hairline cracks on driveways poured 10-20 years ago, sunken sections next to garage aprons where the fill wasn't compacted, and spalled patio surfaces caused by de-icing salt applied years ago. We assess each job honestly: if we can repair it for meaningfully less than replacement and the fix will last, we tell you.
Crack routing and filling is our most common repair. For cracks up to 1 inch wide, we grind out the crack to a clean V-groove, remove all loose material, and fill with a two-part polyurethane or epoxy filler rated for exterior concrete. That's different from — and much longer-lasting than — the hardware-store patch products that fail within a season. Wider cracks (up to about 3 inches) can sometimes be filled with a polymer-modified mortar and blended into the surrounding surface texture. Anything wider than that is usually a sign the slab has moved, and replacement is the honest answer.
Slab lifting (also called mudjacking or polyjacking) can raise a sunken section of driveway or sidewalk back to grade without demolition. Polyurethane foam injection is our preferred method — small holes drilled through the slab, expanding foam pumped underneath, and the slab lifted precisely back to grade. The foam cures in minutes and the driveway is drivable the same day. Costs a fraction of replacement and holds up as long as the surface concrete stays sound.
Spalling and surface scaling repair is trickier. When the top 1/4 inch of concrete has flaked off, the underlying slab is often still structurally fine, but the surface can't be re-poured — you need to overlay it. We use micro-topping systems that bond to the existing concrete and add 3/8 inch to 1/2 inch of new finished surface, either matching the original texture or restyling it (broom, exposed aggregate, stamped). Overlay is a real answer for driveways that have lost their surface but still sit level.
We serve all of Wake County — Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Morrisville, Garner, Wake Forest, Knightdale, and out to Clayton and Fuquay-Varina. Response is usually same-week for an on-site assessment, and most repair jobs are complete in 1-2 days. Free written estimates. If replacement is the honest answer, we say so and quote it that way.
Free written estimates. Call (984) 251-1871 or use the form below.
