Concrete slabs sink for a variety of reasons.  The result is an eyesore and possibly a trip hazard that could - in a worst case scenario - result in a serious injury, a law suit and/or death.  Lifting slabs with polyurethane foam is safe, fast, and economical. 

Property owners and managers should learn how to deal with these liability issues NOW with the latest concrete repair techniques and preventative measures. If you’re a contractor, you need this information because it’s critical for YOUR customer – the property owner.

Common Danger Zones

Since an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, it’s helpful to know where to look for potential sunken slabs, especially if you own or manage a large variety of properties.  As a contractor you’ll want to focus on these types of sites when looking for potential customers.  The three main property categories that tend to have slab settling issues are:

• Residential (single and multi-family).
• Commercial and industrial.
• Warehouse and logistical.

Residential sites can often have driveway, sidewalk, patio, or garage floor issues.  Commercial and industrial sites often contain showroom or factory floors made of concrete slab.  Warehouse and logistical centers can contain huge floors with massive square footage.  Because warehouse floors are often raised off the ground to incorporate a loading dock, they are particularly vulnerable to the formation of dangerous voids underneath.

Causes of Slab Settlement

Let’s take a look at why slabs sink in the first place. There are at least six main reasons:

• Equipment on surface putting too much weight on slabs.
• Erosion due to natural causes.
• Leaking drain pipes and water mains.
• Improper site drainage or poor water management from downspouts and gutters.
• Poor soil consolidation/compaction.
• Old trash pits from the original construction phase that were too close to the structure.

Familiarity with these common causes of slab settling can help a lot when attempting to diagnose the exact cause at a specific location.  For more, see our blog post series The Causes of Unstable Soil.

Results of Neglect

After becoming aware of a slab issue, the property owner has a critical choice to make.  To repair or not to repair – that is the question.  Neglecting a repair can have huge implications.  Here are a few possible results of neglect:

• Damage to vehicles and equipment.
• Unlevel racking and storage.
• Personal property damage.
• Sinkholes.
• Trip hazards.
• Employee injuries.
• Limitless liability issues.

Read that list a few times and seriously consider the very real possibility that one or more of these events may occur when a property owner neglects a slab repair.  As experts with many years in the industry, we’ve seen every one of these events unfold after a problem was ignored.

In the next installment of this two-part series, we’ll review the two most common methods for repairing a trip hazard aside from polyurethane, and then we’ll review the three most common types of slab repair with polyurethane: slab lifting, soil stabilization and void fill.

Want in-depth info on concrete leveling procedures and products?

Many of you contractors in the polyurethane infrastructure repair business are already actively promoting your businesses on social media.  But, according to my observations, some of you are not using all of the main channels available.  In addition, a few of you are not on social media at all.  After noticing these gaps I’ve decided to write up a brief summary of each main social media outlet available to you.

Facebook

Facebook has a feature that lets you create a company page to promote your business. It’s a great channel because it has the most social users of any social media channel. You can use this channel to post detailed updates about recent jobs and other company news, engage with users who comment on your posts, and even purchase paid advertising.  See Facebook’s Facebook Business page for more information.

Twitter

Twitter is a little bit different; being that you are limited to a small amount of characters per post. Twitter can be more conversational in nature. You can tweet brief comments with photos from the job site, short links to your more detailed Facebook posts, etc.  Make sure you’re following industry media, so you can re-tweet relevant information that your customers may find helpful.  See Twitter’s Build Your Brand with Twitter for Business page for more information.  

Instagram

Instagram is more of a photo-centric app.  It’s a great way to share photos from your jobs, etc.  You will not be allowed to include links in your photo description text, so make sure your company website is linked from your profile.  If there is more information on your website that relates to a particular post, just direct people to that website link in your profile.  You will also have to post via your cell phone, as Instagram doesn’t allow posting via a desktop PC.  See Instagram’s Instagram Business page for more information.

Pinterest

Pinterest can be used to create “boards” related to specific topics.  (Similar to folders on your computer.)  In these boards, you can share relevant links that you find on the internet or create yourself in the form of blog posts, web pages, etc.  For example, our Pinterest account has boards for each application category.  So when we post a new blog article on Soil Stabilization, we share it on our Soil Stabilization Pinterest board.  See this Pinterest for Business page for more information.

YouTube

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth a million.  Use your phone or an inexpensive video camera to shoot videos of your crew in action on the job site, interviews with happy customers, etc.  Upload the videos to your YouTube account, and then share the YouTube links on your other social media platforms!  See this article 12 Tips for Using YouTube for Your Small Business for more info.

LinkedIn

Contrary to popular belief, LinkedIn isn’t only for job seekers and recruiters. LinkedIn can be an integral part of your business social media strategy. It has the tools to generate leads, increase brand awareness and even create partnerships. Like Facebook, there is no text limit, so you can post detailed updates about jobs, case studies, etc. 

Let’s take a look at a couple other ways to use LinkedIn.

Build Relationships through Connections

As a business owner you can connect with prospects, strategic partners, referral partners and other business owners. From there you may decide how to foster these connections and turn them into relationships that will in turn grow your business. 

LinkedIn Groups

Become a member in an industry LinkedIn group by searching keywords that are relevant to your industry. For example; if you work with polyurethanes you may want to join groups that have key words such as: chemical grouting, urethane, soil stabilization, trenchless technology, waterproofing, etc. 

See this article How to Use LinkedIn to Promote Your Business for more information.

Conclusion

I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief overview of the most popular social media channels.  If you have further questions, read the linked resources I’ve included at the end of each section.  Feel free to call us with questions as well.

These channels are all great ways to market your business.  Make sure you post informative content that your customers will naturally want to read.  One simple sales pitch after another will bore your audience pretty quickly.  Keep it interesting to maximize user engagement and grow your following! 

For more insightful information be sure to follow us on these channels!

https://www.facebook.com/AlchemySpetec/

https://twitter.com/Alchemy_Spetec

https://www.instagram.com/alchemy_spetec/

https://www.pinterest.com/alchemy_spetec/

https://www.youtube.com/c/Alchemy-Spetec/feed

https://www.linkedin.com/company/alchemyspetec

Want more tips on marketing your contracting business?

This blog post explains how to develop a contract for a typical lifting job.  We’ll cover essential points such as Description of Process and Products, Scope of Work, Scheduling, Items Furnished by Others, Stipulations, Price, Warranty, Terms of Payment and Seeking Legal Counsel for Fine Tuning. 

PLEASE NOTE: This article covers situations that you may want to consider when preparing your contract.  It is not intended as legal advice, is not all inclusive, and has not been reviewed by any attorney.  It should not be relied upon as such.  Laws vary from state to state.  You should seek the advice of legal counsel licensed to practice law in your state before finalizing your contract documents.

Brief Description of Process and Products

It’s important to start by outlining the process and products you’ll be using.  Some of our current customers use blurbs like this… 

The slab lifting process consists of the injection of expansive high density polyurethane foam underneath the concrete.  This foam is manufactured by Alchemy-Spetec of Tucker, Georgia.  This high density foam has a quick cure time of 15 minutes to 90% weight load capacity, does not shrink, is hydrophobic, creates a moisture barrier, and is lightweight.

Scope of Work

Next you’ll want to be very specific about the scope of work for the project.  Use this section to explain to the customer exactly which areas will be lifted and exactly how you estimated the amount of material you’ll need.  (For a refresher on estimating material, see our blog post Estimating Material for Slab Lifting Jobs.)

Scheduling

It’s important to spell out the order in which certain events will take place and the time parameters in which you’ll be able to do the work.  For example, you may cover points like calling the appropriate agency to locate underground utilities on site before the job starts, coordinating with the engineer (if there is one) during the job, and outlining the days and hours in which you typically work.  You can also let them know how long it will typically take you to begin the job after they give you the green light. 

Items Furnished by Others

In this section you can briefly list any items that you expect the customer to furnish, such as access to and from the work area, electricity, water, etc.

Stipulations

It’s critical to inform your customer and also cover yourself regarding anything and everything that could go wrong on a slab lifting job.  Unlocated plumbing pipes accidentally infiltrated with resin, cracks in foundations lacking steel reinforcement, cracks in slabs, etc.  Be clear about what you will and will not be held liable for. 

Warranty

Alchemy-Spetec warrants that our resin products will not deteriorate or shrink for a period of 10 years after the date of installation.  You need to decide what type of warranty you will offer on your labor.  Many of our contractors offer to replace any failed product for a period of 1 year at no cost to the owner, and then at a pro-rated scale after that.  Be sure to exclude any damage done by acts of nature such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, etc. 

Price

Spell out exactly how much you will charge for labor and how much you estimate materials will cost.  You may want to break down the material cost into a per pound amount, so they have an idea how much extra they will be paying if you have to use more material than originally estimated. 

Terms of Payment

Lay out the terms of your compensation, including an up-front deposit amount, how long the customer has to pay the balance.  Many of our customers insist on the balance being paid upon job completion, to avoid any collection headaches. 

Seek Legal Counsel for Fine Tuning

Again, it’s important to note that these are just general guidelines meant to assist you in constructing a contract of your own.  Laws differ from state to state.  Once you have a rough draft completed, we strongly urge you to seek the advice of legal counsel licensed to practice law in your state.  An initial rough draft combined with feedback and fine tuning from an attorney will get you to a solid standard contract that you can re-use for many jobs to come.

Want a phone consultation to discuss your concrete leveling contract?

We're proud to announce that our Marketing Assistant Diamond Purvis was selected by Google to attend the Women Techmakers Summit in Atlanta tomorrow.  A description of the summit from Google follows... 

"Google strives to cultivate a wholly inclusive workplace around the globe. A key component of that vision is empowering women to pursue their dreams and build tools that change the world.

Having a diversity of perspectives and ideas leads to better decision-making, more relevant products, and makes the industry much more interesting. We believe that by creating the right environments, programs and policies, women in tech are better positioned to drive transformational change in the industry and beyond.

From Ada Lovelace to Grace Hopper (and thousands of Googlers), we're proud of the contributions women in technology make across our industry and across our company. Google supports and celebrates women in technology through numerous initiatives, including the Small Business Supplier Diversity and Accelerate with Google programs, the Google Cultural Institute, our Women Employee resource group, and more. International Women's Day is an important moment to recognize how women have influenced the tech industry and beyond.

Women Techmakers is Google's global program for women in technology. Kicked off in 2012 , Women Techmakers is now led by a global team of Googlers who are passionate about empowering women in technology through increased visibility, community, and resources."

Congratulations Diamond!

Want more info Alchemy-Spetec products?

Leak Seal & Geotech Products & Procedures

March 14 & 15, 2019 at Alchemy-Spetec HQ in Tucker, GA

Last chance to register!

Get ready for a thorough education in Leak Seal, Slab Lifting, Soil Stabilization and the Alchemy-Spetec Deep Lift™ process. You’ll get hands-on training from a technical staff with decades of on-the-job experience.

Thursday - Leak Seal

• Leak Seal Product Line Overview
• Curtain Grouting
• Permeation Grouting
• Leak-Seal Product Mixing
• Pump & Packer Overviews
• Leak-Seal Accessories
• Municipal Applications
• Live Injection Demos
• Open Discussions

Friday - Geotech

• Geotech Product Line Overview
• Soil Stabilization
• Geotech Product Mixing
• Rig & Mobile System Overviews
• Geotechnical Accessories
• Slab Lifting Live Demo
• Deep Lift™ Overview
• Soil Testing with the
• GPR & Penetrometer
• Maintenance Discussions
• Pricing / Estimating / Cost Savings
• Open Discussions

Participants receive a Samsung tablet loaded with training material.

Your Instructors:

Stephen C. Barton (President/CEO), Jim Spiegel (VP Sales & Business Development), Andy Powell (Southeastern Regional Manager), Anthony Sandone (Eastern Regional Manager), and Charlie Lerman (Western Regional Manager). Each instructor is a seasoned professional with at least a decade of experience in the industry.

Leak Seal & Geotech Products & Procedures

March 14 & 15, 2019 at Alchemy-Spetec HQ in Tucker, GA

Balance your skill set with Leak Seal AND Geotech training!

Get ready for a thorough education in Leak Seal, Slab Lifting, Soil Stabilization and the Alchemy-Spetec Deep Lift™ process. You’ll get hands-on training from a technical staff with decades of on-the-job experience.

Thursday - Leak Seal

• Leak Seal Product Line Overview
• Curtain Grouting
• Permeation Grouting
• Leak-Seal Product Mixing
• Pump & Packer Overviews
• Leak-Seal Accessories
• Municipal Applications
• Live Injection Demos
• Open Discussions

Friday - Geotech

• Geotech Product Line Overview
• Soil Stabilization
• Geotech Product Mixing
• Rig & Mobile System Overviews
• Geotechnical Accessories
• Slab Lifting Live Demo
• Deep Lift™ Overview
• Soil Testing with the
• GPR & Penetrometer
• Maintenance Discussions
• Pricing / Estimating / Cost Savings
• Open Discussions

Participants receive a Samsung tablet loaded with training material.

Your Instructors:

Stephen C. Barton (President/CEO), Jim Spiegel (VP Sales & Business Development), Andy Powell (Southeastern Regional Manager), Anthony Sandone (Eastern Regional Manager), and Charlie Lerman (Western Regional Manager). Each instructor is a seasoned professional with at least a decade of experience in the industry.  

Leak Seal & Geotech Products & Procedures

March 14 & 15, 2019 at Alchemy-Spetec HQ in Tucker, GA

Only a few spots left! 

Get ready for a thorough education in Leak Seal, Slab Lifting, Soil Stabilization and the Alchemy-Spetec Deep Lift™ process. You’ll get hands-on training from a technical staff with decades of on-the-job experience.

Thursday - Leak Seal

• Leak Seal Product Line Overview
• Curtain Grouting
• Permeation Grouting
• Leak-Seal Product Mixing
• Pump & Packer Overviews
• Leak-Seal Accessories
• Municipal Applications
• Live Injection Demos
• Open Discussions

Friday - Geotech

• Geotech Product Line Overview
• Soil Stabilization
• Geotech Product Mixing
• Rig & Mobile System Overviews
• Geotechnical Accessories
• Slab Lifting Live Demo
• Deep Lift™ Overview
• Soil Testing with the
• GPR & Penetrometer
• Maintenance Discussions
• Pricing / Estimating / Cost Savings
• Open Discussions

Participants receive a Samsung tablet loaded with training material.

Your Instructors:

Stephen C. Barton (President/CEO), Jim Spiegel (VP Sales & Business Development), Andy Powell (Southeastern Regional Manager), Anthony Sandone (Eastern Regional Manager), and Charlie Lerman (Western Regional Manager). Each instructor is a seasoned professional with at least a decade of experience in the industry.  

Don’t Be Complacent When It Comes To Safety

For many years I have been a Technical Consultant for Alchemy-Spetec.  Prior to that, I ran a small crew doing polyurethane, and in some cases epoxy, injection for infrastructure repair.

All of the products I have worked with have some similar things in common both in terms of the product, and the application.  First of all, everything we work with is sticky and secondly, most everything we work with is pumped under some kind of pressure.

Sometimes on-the-job events remind you to always think things through, and to never be complacent or take anything for granted when it comes to safety.

Know Your Equipment

Although Alchemy-Spetec sells turnkey equipment systems for installing all of our products, often I am consulting in the field working with a contractor’s equipment.  Once on a seawall injection job, we started pumping and it became clear that material was not moving; somewhere there was a restriction.  Typically I work from the injection gun back to find out where the problem is.  On the Titan pumps I usually work with for leak seal jobs, you can switch the pump from “Spray” mode to “Prime” mode and it will relieve the pressure on the main line.  This wasn’t a Titan though, and after making that switch I thought I had relieved the pressure.  The injection gun was locked up and I thought material had set up in it causing the lock up.  Disassembling a fitting on the gun informed me otherwise as it blew off and shot high pressure resin onto my arms and elsewhere.  High pressure fluid wounds can cause long term complications and should be treated immediately if the skin is penetrated.  I made out okay with only wounded pride and a lesson learned. 

Think It Through

The old rule of thumb for carpenters is measure twice and cut once.  That is good to keep in mind for a lot of things in life, but it especially applies to our industry.  Sometimes we are pumping one-component resin and sometimes we are pumping two-component.  Other times we might be flushing out equipment or doing maintenance.  Think through everything you’re doing at all times.  Two-component equipment may have a lot of different valves and controls that need to be turned on or off in a certain order.  If you’re not sure consult the manual or pick up the phone and ask us.  Doing things out of sequence may not create a problem but there are times when it can.  That can lead to a mess or an injury.  When doing maintenance always follow appropriate lock-out tag-out procedures (LOTO).

Always Wear Your Safety Gear

When I had that high pressure blow out on my arms, it was a July day in FL.  Extreme heat and humidity were prevalent so I was wearing short sleeves as is common in the Sunshine State.  I had my safety glasses on which did prevent material from splashing in my eyes; however as I had to shave my arms later that day to remove resin, I wished I had been wearing a Tyvek suit.  Don’t cut corners on the PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).  Additionally, make sure you always have a first aid kit, eyewash station, fire extinguisher, and a safety plan in place.  For confined spaces, mandatory training and certification is not an option; it’s the law.  Don’t let your Christmas bonus evaporate because of a heavy OSHA or MSHA fine.

Pay Attention

There is plenty more to cover in a blog on safety; this one was really more of a reminder to both myself and everyone else to keep it in the forefront of our minds.  Safety is a group effort and requires everyone to be on the same page.  If you have more experience than the other person; pay attention to them and offer instruction and correction as necessary.  Watch out for each other and for your surroundings and you will establish the proper culture to succeed in this business.

Have More Questions About Contractor Safety?

Leak Seal & Geotech Products & Procedures

March 14 & 15, 2019 at Alchemy-Spetec HQ in Tucker, GA

The best classroom learning in the business! 

Informative presentations and group discussions packed with practical application instructions, business tips and more.

Get a thorough education in Leak Seal, Slab Lifting, Soil Stabilization and the Alchemy-Spetec Deep Lift™ process. You’ll also get hands-on training from a technical staff with decades of on-the-job experience.

Thursday - Leak Seal

• Leak Seal Product Line Overview
• Curtain Grouting
• Permeation Grouting
• Leak-Seal Product Mixing
• Pump & Packer Overviews
• Leak-Seal Accessories
• Municipal Applications
• Live Injection Demos
• Open Discussions

Friday - Geotech

• Geotech Product Line Overview
• Soil Stabilization
• Geotech Product Mixing
• Rig & Mobile System Overviews
• Geotechnical Accessories
• Slab Lifting Live Demo
• Deep Lift™ Overview
• Soil Testing with the
• GPR & Penetrometer
• Maintenance Discussions
• Pricing / Estimating / Cost Savings
• Open Discussions

Participants receive a Samsung tablet loaded with training material.

Your Instructors:

Stephen C. Barton (President/CEO), Jim Spiegel (VP Sales & Business Development), Andy Powell (Southeastern Regional Manager), Anthony Sandone (Eastern Regional Manager), and Charlie Lerman (Western Regional Manager). Each instructor is a seasoned professional with at least a decade of experience in the industry.