Location: Marsing, Idaho Problem: A homeowner built a concrete dam in a creek to create a pond for irrigation storage. During backfill, boulders and road mix were placed around the structure. Once the pond filled, water found paths around the dam and washed out the road mix between boulders. The resulting voids prevented the dam…
Location: Treasure Valley Penetrometer testing is one of our primary tools for making informed decisions about settlement related to deep soils. Without real data, it is easy to under-treat a problem or prescribe the wrong repair approach. Polyflow Solution: A penetrometer measures soil resistance to penetration, providing practical insight into compactness, hardness, and consistency at…
Location: Homedale, Idaho Problem: Cracks at the base of grain bins were allowing water to enter the silo, causing grain rot and financial loss. Previous attempts using surface sealants and even spray foam coatings failed to stop water migration through the concrete, so intrusion continued. Polyflow Solution: We removed the failed spray foam and thoroughly…
Location: Treasure Valley Problem: Many concrete leveling quotes are based on a quick visual inspection, a few measurements, and assumptions about the cause. In reality, settlement can be driven by deep soil issues, erosion, or sub-base failure, and the right fix depends on identifying the true mechanism. Polyflow Solution: We use a handheld steel probe,…
Location: Eagle, Idaho Problem: This site presented two related issues. Water was leaking around the main pipe entering the cistern, escaping through concrete at the penetration. Over time, the leak caused deep erosion, creating a large void beneath the pump house slab and contributing to slab settlement. Polyflow Solution: After draining the cistern below the…
Location: Meridian, Idaho Problem: Even with strong geotechnical planning, localized conditions can vary outside test areas. At this site, certain zones showed settlement in asphalt drive lanes and near storage unit foundations, likely linked to unknown organic decomposition below grade. Polyflow Solution: We drilled through the asphalt near the footings and drove steel injection tubes…
Location: Cascade, Idaho Problem: Improper drainage and insufficient compaction caused erosion beneath a shop floor, creating voids in the sub-base. The underlying soils were also not ideal load-bearing material. Although the floor had not yet settled significantly, the space was empty and the owner wanted the issue corrected before heavy use and equipment loading began.…
Location: Homedale, Idaho Problem: This older home had a stem wall that was crumbling due to age and deterioration, leading to settlement at one corner. The homeowner wanted a practical solution that improved stability without unnecessary demolition. Polyflow Solution: Although the stem wall was deteriorated, the basement contained a substantial footing that could be utilized.…
Location: Star, Idaho Problem: This is a common issue on new construction with basement foundations. After forming and pouring the basement walls, excavation spoils are backfilled against the foundation. If that backfill is not compacted in proper lifts, the soils will consolidate over time. In this project, the lack of compaction led to settlement and…
Location: Multiple Residential Applications Problem: In foundation lifting projects using helical or push piers, a void often remains between the footing and the ground after elevation is restored. If that gap is not properly filled, it becomes a weakness that can invite rodents and insects and create a path for moisture intrusion. We often see…
Location: Boise, Idaho – Fair Grounds Problem: After the bridge abutment excavation, compacted road mix dried out and developed cracks and fissures. The rebar structure had already been built on top of the fill before the fissures appeared. Leaving the soils in this condition risked future settlement and could have forced costly rework and schedule…
Location: Horseshoe Bend, Idaho Problem: A newly constructed home settled about one inch at the front within a couple of years, leading to drywall cracking and doors that would not open or close properly. During the repair process, the root cause became clear: roof runoff was being routed through a perforated drain pipe sitting directly…
Location: Boise, Idaho – Downtown Problem: During a renovation and addition project, excavation soils were not holding shape and were sloughing into the dig. Unstable excavation walls create serious safety risks for crews and can jeopardize nearby structures. In dense urban settings, loss of soil support can compromise existing footings and adjacent improvements. Polyflow Solution:…
Location: Boise, Idaho Problem: This highly engineered, concrete-heavy home was built on a section of properly compacted road mix and supported by large, deep columns. Despite robust construction, early signs of settlement appeared. The homeowner also noticed movement around a built-in negative-edge pool. With heavy structural loads and premium finishes, early intervention was important to…
Location: Cascade, Idaho Problem: This home was built with a post-and-beam system, including a support post that was literally a tree. Over time, natural decomposition and erosion reduced the post’s capacity, and the structure settled more than two inches. The movement began to show up inside the home, affecting how the living space felt and…
Location: Boise, Idaho – Northend Problem: During a remodel, a basement was added beneath an existing home. To create the basement footprint, the soils around the house were excavated and later backfilled without being compacted in proper lifts. As that loose fill consolidated, the front porch settled. A prior attempt by another concrete lifting contractor…
Issue: The pharmacy in Cascade caught fire and when the fire department came to put it out water ran from the pharmacy downhill under the library causing a void under the concrete slab on grade. Polyflow Solution: After determining the area of void under the concrete we used a two-part structural foam to inject and…
Issue: Complexes often have sidewalks or walkways through out the property. Trip and slip hazards can not only be a risk for potential lawsuits but also higher insurance premiums. Insurance companies will often do onsite inspections to determine risk. Polyflow Solution: We work with property management teams to make effective remediation plans according to risk…
Issue: Most stem walls/foundations or basements have cracks in them. You don’t always need to be concerned with the cracks but if water is penetrating through them it can cause mold, water damage and other issues and should be addressed. Polyflow Solution: We seal these cracks from inside the crawl space with a permanent pressure…
Location: Garden City Idaho Issue: This is a new construction house built next to the green belt near the Boise River. The house needed to be built above the flood plane, so the contractor built a retaining wall and back filled it with road mix then compacted it in lifts as is common and correct…
Location: Eagle, Idaho Issue: An HOA was losing large amounts of water under and around the weir. The condition of the concrete was sound but the surrounding fill was washed out. Solution We started the project by direct injection deep in the soil around the sides where the erosion had occurred; then we drilled through…
Location: Downtown Boise Idaho Issue: The Boise Coop needed a new septic tank installed in the parking lot. The parking has limited space and normally the excavation company would dig a very large hole so they can fit the safety shoring on the walls of the hole. The excavation company wanted the smallest impact on…
Locations: Nampa Caldwell Middleton Star Boise Eagle Meridian Garden City McCall Horseshoe Bend and many more locations all around the Treasure Valley Normal Sidewalk Settling Causes: The number one cause for sidewalks to settle in our area are rain gutters being installed on the high side of the sidewalk. As rain drains on the high…
Location: Meridian Idaho Issue: These apartments have a common covered front porch that is supported by structural 4×4 wooden posts, which are surrounded by a decorative siding. Each individual post sits on a below-grade concrete sono-tube foundation. This particular post had settled nearly 4 inches. The roof structure had begun to detach from the main…
Location 1: Eagle Idaho Location 2: Downtown Boise In this case study there are two jobs with the exact same issue. One company called us before they removed the concrete and the other did not. We were able to remediate both deep soil issues resulting from steps missed during the backfill process by the excavation…
Location: Caldwell Idaho Issue: There were a few small surface holes in the asphalt in a parking lot. Upon further inspection we found that some of the holes were up to 21 feet deep. The area was closed off to prevent vehicles from entering the area of concern. Polyflow Solution: There was power, communication and…
Location: Boise Idaho Issue: This project involved a three-story apartment complex. During the initial excavation phase of the construction process the compaction inspection was overlooked. The construction of the structure was completed; one year after the certificate of occupancy was given, the city noticed the missing compaction test. A geotechnical engineer was employed to test…
Location: Near Ontario Oregon Details: Shop dimensions 90’W x 120’L x 18’ H Sub-grade was an old horse arena. Approximately 4,300 feet of elevation High snow fall area The footing dimensions for the shop foundation was 24 inches wide by 24 inches deep. Issue: The home owner expressed the concern that the footing for the…
Location: Weiser Idaho Issue: The transfer station is a place that rural dump trucks take the waste and dump it into an open concrete area then from that open area it gets pushed into trucks that transfer it to an offsite landfill. This particular transfer station had issues where the concrete pad was settling and…
Location: Boise Idaho Issue: Both the garage floor as well as the driveway settled more than 6 inches causing an extreme trip hazard and a major inconvenience for access into the garage. Not only did the garage floor settle but there was a large void under it that needed to be filled as well. Polyflow…
Location: Nampa Idaho Issue: The homeowner built a retaining wall on the edge of their patio for privacy but the weight of the retaining wall caused the patio to settle on the outside and it caused the same slab to heave on the inside causing a trip hazard in the walking area. All of the…
Location: Idaho City Idaho Issue: During the initial concrete foundation construction phase the concrete contractor installed the sub-grade support piers 3 feet below the level they should have been installed. The ground level was brought up with road mix and compacted up to grade under the above grade roof support pillars and the 4 inch…
Issue: The homeowners front yard and front porch began to show holes and visual signs of settling and movement from their original finished grades and heights. During our initial on-site inspection some of the depressions were tested with a simple soil hand probe to a depth of approximately 5 feet. In the hand probed depressions…
Location: Garden Valley Idaho Issue: The property is located in a mountainous area. An area was cleared for a 16W x 32L shed. Large cement barrier blocks were brought in by the excavator before back filling the building site. The excavation contractor used native soil from the property for back fill material; the native soil…
Look for small chips in your driveway. These small chips can turn into large areas of chipped concrete. It’s called spalling. These damaged areas are difficult to repair Is the surface of your concrete protected from freeze-thaw cycles and harmful chemicals from deicers and fertilizers? Give it the water bottle test. Simply pour some water…
