Customized Stop-the-Slip Solutions
For Your Unique Conditions
Your Stop-the-Slip Solutions Graded:
Handi-Treads: A-
Handi-Treads can be an excellent solution to improve traction on small brick porches. One of the unique qualities of Handi-Treads is their ability to be securely installed on brick structures. Because Handi-Treads are made of a single piece of aluminum, they don’t move or rely on the structural integrity of the porch or deck to maintain their shape and effectiveness.
The raised traction buttons of the Handi-Treads are self-cleaning, which makes them an excellent choice for virtually any outside condition. The pressure from a foot stepping on the rigid, raised buttons pushes away the layer of moisture, frost or up to an inch of snow, creating solid contact between the tread and sneaker, shoe or boot.
Installation of the aluminum Handi-Treads on brick surfaces is a simple DIY project. Once installed, Handi-Treads require no maintenance and the treads are guaranteed to last a lifetime in residential applications.
If you live in an area where it snows, you’ll find that you can use a snow shovel on your Handi-Treads without fear of damage to the treads. This is not the case with grit tape, rubber mats or anti-slip paint.
Because Handi-Treads are a lifetime solution with once-and-done installation and maintenance, their initial cost is higher. The three to five year return on investment in Handi-Treads, however, often makes them the most-cost effective solution.
Total Score: A-
Effectiveness: A
Installation & Maintenance: A
Durability: A
Initial Price: C
Long-Term Value: A
Non-Slip Grit Tape: F
Grip tape will not adhere well to brick surfaces even if applied to the smooth side of the brick. In addition, the cement between the bricks is porous and absorbs and expels moisture, which precludes the use of tape.
We do not recommend the use of grit tape on bricks in outdoor conditions.
Total Score: F
Effectiveness: N/A
Installation & Maintenance: F
Durability: N/A
Initial Price: N/A
Long-Term Value: N/A
Heavy Rubber or Fiber Door Mats: C
Heavy rubber or fiber doormats can make a small brick porch safe during wet or light snowy weather if a single mat will cover the affected area. Multiple mats on larger brick porches or patios can pose a trip hazard, as the edges of the mat tend to be more than a quarter of an inch high.
To be effective in winter weather, rubber and fiber mats must be kept free of snow. When frozen snow or ice builds up, the mats must be picked up off the porch and beaten to break up the attached ice.
While most rubber mats can be cleared with a snow shovel, care must be taken as even a plastic blade can cut a rubber mat. Snow cannot be effectively removed from fabric or bristle-type mats with a snow shovel.
Depending upon thickness and quality of the material, you can expect rubber or fiber door mats to last 2 to 4 years.
Total Score: C
Effectiveness: C
Installation & Maintenance: C
Durability: C
Initial Price: B
Long-Term Value: C
Grit Paint: A-
A high quality grit paint, like Slip Doctor’s Dura Grip and Tuff Grip epoxy grit paint, can improve the safety of brick porches, decks if it’s applied well and it’s maintained properly. The challenge with brick and the mortar between each brick is that these are porous materials that absorb paint unevenly. To get a good, consistent layer of grit paint down on brick takes care but is certainly doable by any “Weekend Warrior”. an excellent epoxy paint can handle the expansion and contraction with brick surfaces which can lead to cracks in cheap, “Big Box Store paints.
We rate the effectiveness of grip paint very high for wet weather, frost, and light snow.
Anti-slip epoxy paint on brick is, by and large, maintenance free. However, if you live where it snows you need to be very careful to not aggressively shovel the area painted with grit paint. While the epoxy or enamel coating is durable under normal foot traffic, it’s no match for an aluminum or even a plastic snow shovel. Once you start to scrape away the thin paint layer covering the aggregate, the system will quickly degrade.
The cost of a high-quality grit paint can run between $120 and $160 a gallon. In addition, you’ve got the consumable cost of paint brushes or rollers, trays, sandpaper, masking tape, and drop cloths. If grit paint is applied according to instructions, you can anticipate that anti-slip paint will last 2 to 5 years under normal consumer traffic. When all costs are factored, however, grit paint can be very cost effective when covering an entire porch.
Total Score: A-
Effectiveness: A
Installation & Maintenance: B
Durability: B
Initial Price: A
Long-Term Value: A