Concrete company in Manchester, Pittsburgh
Manchester sits on the North Side by the Ohio River, in ZIP code 15233. Its Late Victorian houses make up Pittsburgh's largest National Register historic district, yet large parts of the neighborhood were cleared in 1961, and that history is still in the ground under many yards and lots.
Job ticket: Manchester
- County
- Allegheny County
- Site visit
- Free
- Price
- In writing
- Cover
- Bonded and insured
Local conditions in Manchester
- Late Victorian houses in a large historic district
- Lots cleared in the 1961 urban renewal
- Ground that may hide old foundations and fill
- Rehabs that open up old basements
Areas we cover in Manchester
We work across Manchester, including these areas.
- Manchester Historic District
- Blocks toward Allegheny West
- Blocks near Central Northside
- Streets toward Chateau and Route 65
- Beaver Avenue
- Infill lots between Victorian rows
Slabs on ground that was built on before
Urban renewal razed 164 acres of Manchester in 1961. Where a building once stood, the ground under a yard or an infill lot can hold a filled-in cellar, broken masonry and loose soil that was never compacted. A slab poured over that settles unevenly, and it usually cracks along the line of a buried wall, where one part is held up and the rest is not.
Before we pour, we dig test holes where the slab will go. Soft spots are dug out and rebuilt in thin, compacted layers of stone, and where the fill runs deep, a thickened edge or a footer carries the slab down to firm ground. See concrete slabs.
Slabs that have already dropped on these lots are often still in one piece, and lifting them can save the cost of a new pour. That only works once the ground below has stopped moving, so we check how far the slab has gone and whether its low side is still sinking. Inside the Victorian houses, a rehab often opens up the basement, which is the right moment to replace a broken floor. The district is on the National Register, so for work that shows from the street, ask the city whether any review applies.
Concrete services in Manchester
As your concrete company in Manchester, we pour slabs and floors and repair what is already there. These are the jobs people here ask about most.
Planning a concrete job in Manchester
If you know your lot once held another building, tell us, and let us know where a truck could reach the back of it. The city's Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections handles permits on private property here, and we confirm what your job needs first.
Before you get quotes, read our concrete thickness, PSI and rebar guide.
Concrete questions from Manchester
What causes a concrete slab to sink?
Most often a base that was never compacted, or water washing soil out from under it. Buried wood, roots or loose fill can also break down over time and leave a void.
Why do concrete slabs crack on Manchester lots that were cleared in 1961?
Ground where a building once stood can hold a filled cellar and loose fill. The slab sinks where the fill is soft and stays put over a buried wall, so it cracks along that line.
Can a concrete company lift a sunken slab in Manchester instead of replacing it?
Often, if it is still in one piece and the ground has stopped moving. Mudjacking usually runs about $4 to $7 per square foot and foam about $7 to $12, against $7 to $12 for a new slab with tear-out on top.
Does the Manchester Historic District affect a new concrete slab?
It might, depending on where the slab goes. Manchester is a National Register district, so for anything visible from the street, ask the city whether a review applies before you plan the work.