Walkway & Garage Approach Lifting in Northbrook, IL

September 23, 2026

LEVELING TWO PROBLEM AREAS WITHOUT REPLACING THE CONCRETE

Concrete settlement does not always happen in just one spot around a home. The same soil movement, moisture, and erosion that affect a walkway can also cause problems where the driveway meets the garage.

That was the situation at this Northbrook property.

The homeowner had settled concrete along the walkway as well as an uneven garage approach. Both areas needed attention to restore safer transitions and provide better support beneath the slabs.

Instead of replacing multiple sections of concrete, Raise-Rite was able to lift, level, and stabilize the existing slabs.

The Challenge

The property had two separate areas of settlement.

Along the walkway, sections of concrete had dropped enough to create uneven joints and uncomfortable transitions for people walking toward the home.

At the garage approach, settlement had created an uneven transition where vehicles entered and exited the garage.

The homeowner wanted to address:

Uneven walkway sections
Potential trip hazards
A settled garage approach
Rough transitions when entering the garage
Loss of support beneath the concrete
The possibility of additional settlement

Although these were two different areas, the underlying problem was similar: portions of the concrete were no longer receiving consistent support from the soil and base material underneath.

The goal was to correct both areas while preserving the existing slabs.

The Raise-Rite Solution

After evaluating the property, our team recommended polyurethane concrete lifting and stabilization for both the walkway and garage approach.

This allowed us to:

Lift settled walkway panels
Reduce uneven joints and trip hazards
Raise the garage approach
Improve the transition into the garage
Fill voids beneath affected slabs
Stabilize the concrete from below

Repairing both areas during the same project gave the homeowner a more complete solution without the demolition and disruption involved with concrete replacement.

The Fix (3-Step Process)

Step 1: Drill
Small access holes were strategically drilled through the concrete in the areas requiring lifting and stabilization.

Step 2: Pump
High-density polyurethane foam was injected beneath the slabs.

As the material expanded, it filled underlying voids and allowed our crew to carefully raise the settled concrete. Each area was monitored during lifting to improve slab alignment and create smoother transitions.

Step 3: Patch
Once the walkway and garage approach reached the appropriate elevations and were stabilized, the injection holes were patched.

The existing concrete remained in place and the repaired areas were ready for normal use without waiting for newly poured concrete to cure.

The Results

The project improved two important areas of the property at the same time.

After the repair, the homeowner had:

A more level walkway
Reduced trip hazard concerns
A smoother garage entrance
Better alignment between adjoining slabs
Filled voids beneath the concrete
Improved support under the repaired areas

Most importantly, the homeowner was able to keep the existing concrete rather than replace multiple slabs around the property.

Addressing the settlement now also helped prevent these relatively manageable problems from becoming larger concrete repairs later.

WHY WALKWAYS & GARAGE APPROACHES SETTLE IN NORTHBROOK, IL

Walkways and garage approaches can both be vulnerable to settlement, but for slightly different reasons.

Walkways are often surrounded by landscaping and exposed to water moving through the soil. Garage approaches experience regular vehicle loads and can also be affected by changes in the fill material near the home’s foundation.

Common contributors include: