Winter surfaces may be slick with snow, ice, and slush, but these chemical-free solutions will help you walk with confidence in four key danger zones.
Front Entry: Ice-Melting Doormat
An electric doormat melts snow as it falls, at a rate of up to 2 inches per hour to keep up with heavy storms.
HeatTrak 24-by-36-inch mat, from $110; heattrak.com
Stoop Stairs: Rubberized Treads
Before icy weather sets in, add rubberized Ice Breaker Stair Treads to steps. In freezing weather, these cushy mats release ice with a stomp of the foot so that you can brush it away without danger.
Ice Breaker Mats, from $15; vermontcountrystore.com
Sidewalk: Granules for Better Footing
Sure, ice melts are one way to go. Another: EcoTraction volcanic-mineral granules, which embed into ice to help provide secure footing.
About $18 for a 10-pound bag; amazon.com
Garage Floor: Slip-Resistant Tapes and Treads
Stay steady on your feet with 3M Safety-Walk Slip-Resistant General Purpose Tapes and Treads, which help lend some traction to smooth garage floors that can get slick when ice and snow melt off your car.
About $64 for a 60-foot roll; shop3m.com
This article originally appeared on This Old House.
More from This Old House:
- How to Get Rid of Ice Dams
- How to Shovel and Salt Packed Snow and Ice
- Read This Before You Insulate Your Attic
- Essay: The Tyre Nichols Videos Demand Solemnity, Not Sensationalism
- For People With Disabilities, Losing Abortion Access Can Be a Matter of Life or Death
- Inside the Stealth Efforts to Smuggle Starlink Internet Into Iran
- Natasha Lyonne on Poker Face and Creating Characters Who Subvert Leading-Lady Tropes
- How to Help the Victims and Community After the Monterey Park Shooting
- Why Grocery Staples Are So Expensive Right Now
- Quantum Computers Could Solve Countless Problems—and Create a Lot of New Ones
- Where to Watch All of the 2023 Oscar Nominees
- How to Be Mindful if You Hate Meditating
