Cracked Driveways and Settled Walkways in Central Florida

Sandy soil and heavy rain move concrete. What is worth repairing and what needs replacing.

Concrete flatwork in Central Florida moves, and it moves because of what is underneath it rather than because of the concrete itself.

Why it moves here

• Sandy sub-base washes. Heavy rain moves fine material out from under a slab, leaving a void. The concrete then settles into it.
• Poor drainage. Water running along or under a walkway rather than away from it accelerates the washing.
• Tree roots. Roots lift slabs, and the lifting is progressive — it does not stop once it has cracked.
• Inadequate base preparation at construction, which is invisible until it shows.

What is repairable

Hairline cracks in an otherwise sound, level slab are cosmetic and can be sealed to keep water out. Sealing them matters more than it looks, because water entering a crack accelerates the washing underneath.

A settled but intact slab can sometimes be lifted and the void underneath filled rather than replaced, which is far cheaper than breaking it out.

Trip hazards at a joint — one slab higher than its neighbour — can frequently be ground down as an interim safety measure while a proper repair is planned.

What needs replacing

• A slab that has broken into multiple pieces and is moving independently.
• Cracks wide enough that the edges have spalled and are crumbling.
• Anywhere the base has been substantially washed out — putting new concrete over a void repeats the failure.

Fix the drainage first

This is the part that gets skipped. Replacing a slab without addressing why the base washed out produces the same settlement again in a few years. That may mean regrading, adding a drain, or moving a downspout — none of which is expensive relative to redoing flatwork twice.

Getting it done

Call (863) 633-5499 or request a free estimate and we will look at it properly.

Frequently asked questions

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