Concrete Sidewalk Repair: How to Repair an Uneven Sidewalk

An uneven sidewalk used to be a major concrete sidewalk repair job, with a huge price tag attached. New technologies have enabled fast and simple sidewalk leveling through a technique called mudjacking. Follow the directions below to mudjack your uneven sidewalk slab back to its correct position.

Step 1 - When to do Sidewalk Repairs

Wait for a day with a temperature below 75 degrees F to repair your uneven sidewalk. If the temperature is hotter, with humidity, the concrete will start to go rigid before you can get it into the sidewalk pump holes. Ensure that frost has left the ground before starting springtime repairs.

Step 2 - Prepare Sidewalk Slab for Grout and Concrete Injection

Put on your safety eye goggles and gloves, and take the masonry drill to the low side of the concrete sidewalk slab. Drill 3 holes in the concrete slab. They should be 1 inch in diameter, and at least 3 inches away from the edge of the slab. Space the holes 6 to 8 inches apart in the slab, and drill through the concrete sidewalk material until you hit soil.

Step 3 - Prepare the Grout Mixture

Mix the grout formula with water in an aluminum container, following the directions on the packaging. Stir it thoroughly with the masonry paddle attached to your power drill, operated at medium speed.

Step 4 - Lift the Concrete Slab with the Grout Mixture

Insert the end of the grout pump hose into the center hole of the 3 you made in the sidewalk slab. Pump in the grout mixture until you see the slab start to rise. Move the hose to 1 of the holes beside the center one and continue pumping. Move the hose once more to the last hole and pump in the remainder of the grout, until the sidewalk slab is level with its neighbors. While you pump, have an assistant mix up the bag of concrete to patch the holes. Use the masonry paddle powered by the drill to stir the concrete mixture.

Step 5 - Fill the Sidewalk Slab Holes with the Concrete

Using the putty trowel, scoop concrete into each of the 3 sidewalk holes. Fill the holes completely, and pack in the concrete firmly. Level off the tops of the holes so they are smooth and flush with the rest of the sidewalk slab top. Scrape over the top of the holes with a wire brush to blend in the concrete texture with the rest of the slab.

Step 6 - Check Other Sidewalk Slabs for Tilting, Settling or Unevenness

Take the opportunity to check the rest of the slabs in your sidewalk for tilting or settling, causing them to become off-level with nearby slabs. Repeat the mudjacking process to fix all other sidewalk slabs, ensuring a safe, level walking surface for everyone who uses your sidewalk.