Winters are harsh and long, and the ice-cold temperatures can make for dangerous conditions. This applies to drivers and pedestrians, and it is a must that you protect the exterior of your home from this kind of weather. Extra attention must be paid to your outdoor staircase in particular because ice and snow can damage the material and cause slip and fall accidents.
Keep Your Stairs Clean
Cleaning and repairing your front steps is necessary, as this will help protect your outdoor staircase. Clean your front steps thoroughly before the winter season arrives and check for any sort of deterioration, damage, or cracks. If you find any, these have to be repaired immediately; otherwise, you can run into serious issues, and the damage will become a lot worse. Applying a protective stain is another important step you must take if you are concerned about the weather’s impact on your steps. If you think the weather is going to damage the material of your front steps, use a protective stain; otherwise, they may start to decay. This is especially important if your steps are made of wood because water from the snow and ice will rot your boards, and this can compromise the structure, so you need to safeguard the material.
Manage Ice Buildup
Shovelling snow is a great way to remove a few layers from your steps, but this may not be enough, and a lot of home and business owners turn to salt when they require an ice-melting method. The problem with this solution is that salt can damage your front steps because it releases a high amount of chloride when dissolved. Certain forms of salt can also cause skin irritation and corrode concrete, so you have to be very careful if you decide to pursue this option. If you really feel that you have no other choice, choose salt guard products that can be sprayed onto your steps before or during the winter months. You can also consider sand because this is another common way to protect steps from ice buildup. While sand will not really melt the ice, it will offer you traction without causing any harm to the material underneath and is also pet-friendly, so it’s a great choice that will help keep you, your home, and your family safe.
Lastly, you can consider heated stair mats, which are very effective in melting ice and snow. This product is safe and will not cause any harm to your surfaces because there are no chemicals involved. This would eliminate the constant hassle of salting every time snowfalls, but you have to be careful because unevenly heated surfaces will become vulnerable to cracking.
If you’re looking for a reliable product that can help with stair safety, GripStrips is the answer. GripStrips are weather-proof and will still be effective, even when they are wet or dirty. Whether you need anti-slip for stairs or individual stair treads, our product can help, so contact us today for more information!