4 Ways to Help a Concrete Walkway Stay Slip-Resistant

Your concrete walkways can get dangerously slippery in wet weather. Maintaining a slip resistant concrete surface is essential to ensure the safety of the pavement. Check out the various ways a concrete contractor can help make concrete slip resistant, preventing accidents and injuries due to slips and falls on walkways in rainy or wintry conditions.

4 Ways to Create Slip Resistant Concrete Walkways: Tips From a Concrete Contractor

1. Anti-Slip Sealers

If you have an existing concrete walkway, applying an anti-slip coating to it can make the surface less slippery and more long-lasting. Anti-slip sealers are specifically designed to alter the texture of concrete surfaces to make them more slip resistant. These concrete products also minimize water absorption, as they're water-repellent. This enhances the durability of your concrete when it's exposed to external elements like snow, ice, and rain.

2. Broom-Finished Concrete

Brooming only works on freshly poured concrete and involves using a hard-bristled broom to add texture to your concrete walking surfaces. When using a broom to texturize the concrete surface, the team at Tulsa Concrete Contractor prefer to sweep towards the direction of the storm drains. This helps make it easier to clear away excess concrete debris. Broom finished concrete works well for sloped walkways that lead to an entrance or exit.

3. Rock Salt Finish

Before your freshly placed concrete is cured, your work crew can add rock salt to make it more non-slip and enhance its curb appeal. A rock salt finish involves sprinkling rock salt over wet concrete pavement and then using a trowel to spread it out and make the surface even.

Your contractor may suggest adding aluminum oxide grit to seal the concrete surface and preserve the rock salt finish. The goal is to preserve the durability of your concrete surfaces while keeping them slip-resistant.

4. Treatment With Muriatic Acid

If you have extensive concrete walkways, giving them an acid wash using muriatic acid will almost instantly make the surfaces coarser and more slip resistant. Muriatic acid is not only a popular concrete cleaner but also an effective etching solution. When the acid is poured on the surface of the concrete, it eats into the top layer, exposing the aggregate material underneath. This results in a coarse texture that not only looks nice, but is also significantly less slippery.

Consider this option if you want a fast and pocket-friendly way of texturing your concrete walkways. However, working with acid can be dangerous, as it can cause serious burns. Concrete workers often use protective clothing and other personal protective equipment to ensure their safety during acid etching projects.

Although your concrete walkways are a conspicuous part of your residential or commercial landscape architecture, you shouldn't disregard the potential for accidents and injuries due to slips and falls in rainy or winter conditions. If performed correctly, the above concrete treatment options can help to maximize the safety of your walking surfaces while increasing their durability and curb appeal. Safer walkways will reduce your liability risks as a property owner as well as boost your property's market value.