What is the Best Walkway for Snow?
When the cold weather arrives, the snowfall forms a winter wonderland landscape that’s breathtaking to behold. Until you realize you must shovel the driveway and walkways around your home. Finding the optimal walkway for snow is crucial for safety, accessibility, and peace of mind. Keep reading to learn more about the best walkway for snow around your property.
What is the Best Walkway for Snow?
The best walkway materials for mitigating the slip risk on a snowy walkway are
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broomed concrete
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natural stone
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paving stones
These walkway materials offer easy snow removal and less accident risk. Most city sidewalks and driveways feature construction with broomed concrete, making for easy snow removal after a heavy fall. However, they aren’t visually aesthetic and look dull.
Homeowners often opt for other, more attractive walkway options, such as natural stone. If you’re considering this material for your walkways, don’t seal the stone, or it becomes slippery.
The best option for walkway snow removal is permeable pavers. They make an even surface that’s easy to clear with a snow shovel. Permeable pavers also allow for easy drainage of the snow and ice, draining it away into the yard once it melts instead of refreezing on the walkway. The core of the paver is at a slightly higher temperature than the surface, allowing for faster drainage. You’ll get less snow buildup on the walkway than other materials like concrete or asphalt.
Permeable pavers are a great choice for walkways and driveways as there are many options for design and colors. It’s easy to see why pavers are the best option for snowy walkways as you get the advantage of fast snow melting and draining, no ice formation, and an attractive visual aesthetic.
Avoid Clear Coat Sealants for Winter Walkways
Many homeowners seal their walkway materials with clear coats to create a long-lasting material. However, sealant becomes slippery when wet, leading to slip-and-falls when the snow melts. The snow meltwater has nowhere to go and freezes on the surface, creating an accident risk.
If you must seal your walkway materials, use sand and grit the surface when applying the sealant. This provides traction when walking on wet or frozen pavers. However, the grit may wear away over the summer season, depending on the foot traffic on the walkway. As a result, you’ll need to reply every season or two, depending on the rate of wear and tear on the grit.
Avoid Stamped Concrete Walkways
Stamped concrete is another popular walkway material featured in residential and commercial properties. However, it’s a poor choice for walkways when they’re covered in snow. This concrete material becomes very slippery when wet or iced over.
Stamped concrete requires sealing which creates the same problem discussed earlier as the wet surface becomes a slip-and-fall risk. If you have stamped concrete walkways around your property, you must salt them when it snows to reduce the slip risk.
Avoid installing stamped concrete pavers on walkways around your home and areas like the hot tub, where it may get wet and present a slip-and-fall risk. Stick to permeable pavers, creating a visually impressive surface with no slip risk.
The Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) promotes the use of interlocking concrete pavements in North America. These pavements are sustainable, cost-effective, and look good. They can be used for streets, sidewalks, driveways, and patios.
Interlocking concrete pavement can be an excellent choice for creating a safe and functional snow walkway. Here are some reasons why:
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Textured for traction
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Easy Maintenance
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Helps to reduce runoff and minimize puddling
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Reliable surface for walking during the winter months
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