Prepare Your Parking Lots and Sidewalks for Winter
As falling leaves signal the onset of winter, most business owners and managers start stressing over how they will deal with the snow and prevent slip and fall accidents. But that’s not what you should do. Instead of worrying about how or who will deal with the snow, you should take some precautionary steps today to prepare your parking lots and sidewalks for the snow that’s sure to follow.
So without any delay, here are the 5 steps you can take right now to get your property ready for the winter chills.
1. Clean Up Every Part of Your Property
The first step you should take is to clean up every part of your property.
For cleaning debris, dirt, and leaves, we recommend buying a leaf blower. You can pick up any remaining trash with gloves on your hands and dispose of it properly.
Not only will you clean up your property this way, but you’ll also spot any existing damage early on and deal with it before the snowfalls arrive. Why? Because spotting and fixing any damage is a lot easier when your property isn’t covered with a blanket of snow.
2. Get a Thorough Inspection
Although a cleaning round will help you find some damaged areas, we recommend hiring a professional property damage inspector to find all of them.
You should ask the inspector to look for low areas that can hold water, as they will turn into ice patches otherwise, which can be hazardous for both your staff and customers.
So if your property features potholes, alligator cracks, chipped curbs, or any other low area that can hold water, get it all checked and repaired before anything else.
3. Seal the Cracks
Small cracks are harmless, right? Surprisingly, that depends on the temperature. During winter, the cold weather causes the moisture beneath the asphalt to expand and contract, leading to weaker surfaces and overgrown cracks.
So your best course of action is to seal all existing cracks before the cold weather arrives. Seal them with what? According to industry experts, seal coating works best for this.
4. Find an Ideal Destination for the Snow
When snow is removed from your property, it has to go somewhere — and that somewhere should be as close and accessible as possible.
It should be a location that does not affect current landscaping, allows the meltwater to drain away from the driveway, and be convenient for the snow removal company you hire.
We recommend finding an off-site location to move snow into, as that’s the safest option.
5. Stock Up On Supplies
Despite your best precautions, things can get out of control sometimes. That’s why preparing for the worst-case scenario is always a good idea. One way to do that is by stocking up on some critical items.
Here’s a list of supplies you should stock up on:
- A large supply of ice melt
- High-quality shovels to clean up snow or snowdrifts
- Safety vests for any employees shoveling snow off your property
On top of buying multiple supplies, you also have to train your employees in order to avoid injuries, which have the potential for expensive legal lawsuits.
Sounds like a lot of work?
That’s because it is. In fact, we’ve only listed the basics here and there’s a lot more that can be done for proper preparation. So why not unburden yourself by leaving winter preparation to those who’ve done it a thousand times?
At BAM’S Landscaping, we can take care of all your snow removal needs, from preparation to removal and everything else in between. So get in touch with us today and stop worrying about snow on your property.
