Pool Patio Concrete Repair, North Andover, MA

Wednesday, June 8th, 2022 by Niles Erickson

Challenge

Lisa is a homeowner in North Andover, MA, and has lived at her property for about 11 years. The inground pool at the home was installed about 25 years ago, as was the concrete pool patio surrounding it. About 8 years ago, Lisa began noticing cracks emerging here and there throughout the pool deck, as well as the gaps near the joints and coping becoming wider. By 2021, Lisa knew she needed to hire a contractor to determine the cause of the problem and provide her with a solution. She reached out to Erickson Foundation Solutions.

Design specialist Michael Bradley completed a thorough walk-around inspection of the entire concrete deck, and together with Lisa put together the list of items that needed to be fixed so that she could enjoy her pool area without any concerns;

stabilize the concrete (voids underneath were causing the cracks to emerge on the surface)
lift & level the concrete (a few sections were uneven and out of level)
seal the cracks that formed
re-seal some of the existing joints throughout the slab
pressure wash the concrete surface to clean it

Michael explained the solutions EFS provides for all the concerns listed, and Lisa was thrilled to know she would be able to avoid having to remove any of the concrete and replace it with new concrete. Not only would replacing become an expensive project for Lisa, but it's also disruptive and time consuming.

Solution

Michael provided his proposed design for addressing all of the issues to Erickson Foundation Solutions' concrete repair technicians, Nick Melo and Tyler Oslizlo. With the thorough design and a well executed plan, Nick and Tyler were able to complete the stabilization and lifting of the pool deck in just a single day. Here's how they accomplished all the objectives for this project;

The first step involved another thorough walk-through of the concrete pool patio area to determine which sections would need stabilizing, which sections would need lifting, and which cracks would need filling. After marking the various sections and confirming the plan, they were ready to begin.
Prior to injecting the PolyLevel foam, the team setup a number of slab jacks in the sections which needed to be lifted and leveled. While PolyLevel is capable of lifting concrete slabs on it's own, the use of slab jacks allowed the team to more accurately make the concrete sections level, as well as maximize the amount of void space getting filled with the expandable foam.
With the slab jacks lifting and holding the concrete patio in the desired position, Nick and Tyler then injected PolyLevel through individual port holes spread methodically throughout the surface of the slab. As they injected and filled the voids, the slab was effectively stabilized. With new further voids, it is unlikely the slab will crack or shift any further as it had been doing over the past several years.
The next stage involved filling other voids beneath the concrete in various locations. While some of these noted spots may not have been uneven, they were showing signs of cracking. By addressing the concern of voids in this manner, the homeowner was taking a preventative measure against future issues of cracking or the slab becoming uneven or unstable.
Once the PolyLevel injection was completed, the next step was to fill and seal all the cracks throughout the surface of the concrete deck. The team used NexusPro, a silicone-based joint sealant, which is long lasting, flexible, and able to stand up to harsh weather conditions.
The final stage of the project included a power washing of the entire concrete deck surface. After allowing for the NexusPro sealant to dry and adhere, concrete technician Steve Maggio returned to Lisa's home to power wash the pool patio for her. The washing was effective in brightening up the old concrete surface, and Lisa was pleased with the overall outcome of the project.