Slips and Slides – how to keep walkways safe in winter

It’s a real dilemma – sometimes the winter weather looks so breathtakingly beautiful that you just have to go outside; but the pathways and pavements can be icy and treacherous.

Think about safety first

There is a whole range of products that have been designed to keep outside surfaces safe in the winter, but some of them can be dangerous, especially if you have pets to think about. Don’t be tempted to tackle icy patches on the garden path with antifreeze or de-icer spray if you or your neighbours have animals, because they are highly toxic to cats and dogs, and sweet tasting too, which is a double whammy. Some specialist products that are designed to give you traction on icy pavements may also contain solvents to prevent freezing, so be aware of this.

Easy problem solvers

The solution to your problem may be an easy yet probably quite inexpensive one, You can buy simple products like builder’s gravel, sand, and crushed shells for pathways, which are harmless for wildlife and pets, and also if you have a cat you could try using some of your grit-based cat litter to provide grip on surfaces that you don’t want to become slippery. All of these are suitable for use both before the snow falls, or afterwards.

Before the weather turns really bad, get a head start by keeping any areas prone to icing over as dry as you can, to keep the moisture from building up and freezing. If you can, cover any susceptible areas over.

To help you stay upright on others’ driveways on public pathways, you could also invest in studs or chains which you can slip over your shoes or boots. These give you the grip you need without needing to spread any extra products over your driveway.

Once the snow falls...

If it’s already snowed, and you want to avoid slipping over in it on your way out, make a pathway in the fallen snow with an old piece of tarpaulin, a few planks of wood or some plastic sheeting to provide a safe walkway when the rest of the ground is frozen. Keep this as dry as possible to avoid icing over.

You can defrost ice and melt snow by tipping a kettle of hot water over a path, a car windscreen or into frozen locks. However, this has its risks; hot water doesn’t stay hot for long in sub-zero temperatures so be careful you don’t end up with an ice rink and even more of a problem!