Three Ways To Minimize Slip-And-Fall Mishaps On Your Outdoor Walkways This Fall And Winter
If you're like many homeowners, you're looking forward to the holiday season now that fall is finally in full swing. You're probably also glad that yard and garden chores have pretty much come to an end until the spring. However, the shorter daylight hours, colder temperatures, and precipitation in the form of rain and snow make slip-and-fall mishaps more likely to happen than during the summer. Fortunately, there are precautions you can take to help ensure that your outdoor surfaces are as safe as possible.
Following are just three of the many strategies available to those hoping to minimize seasonal slip-and-fall accidents.
Keep Leaves Raked
Some homeowners decide to wait until the leaves have all fallen to rake them up or hire a service to do so, and in a way, it makes sense. After all, if you rake the leaves while there are still some left on the tree, you're just going to have to do it all over again soon. However, leaves become notoriously slick if left on the ground, and it doesn't even have to rain to cause this to happen. Dew levels are high in autumn, and it's not unusual for it to completely saturate the ground and everything on it during this time of year, and things can get even more slippery if there's a frost.
Install an Aggregate Walkway
Aggregate walkways are excellent solutions for those who live in areas that receive high amounts of rainfall or snow because they provide a natural source of traction. As an added bonus, they provide aesthetic value on a year-round basis because you can choose whatever aggregate material you please, such as oyster shells for a lustrous look or multicolored pebbles for a vibrant effect.
Install Landscape Lighting
Landscape lighting isn't just for spotlight specimen plantings or showing off hardscaping such as outdoor waterfalls and fountains — it can also function as an important safety feature. One of the best options for lighting up the walkway to your front door is installing ground-level solar lights. You won't have to worry about turning them on or off, and some of them even have a radiant heat feature that can melt any snow or ice that may have formed on your walkway. You can also choose to have overhead outdoor lighting installed for an extra layer of illumination. Please feel free to contact your local landscape lighting specialist for more information.
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