Cracked walkways threaten homes, residents
The popularity of outdoor living spaces has increased dramatically over the last decade. The National Association of Home Builders notes that industry projections estimate the outdoor living market will reach $26.8 billion by 2027. That’s a testament to the popularity of spaces that are transforming how people use their properties and spend time at home.
Outdoor kitchens, living rooms and expansive patios garner the bulk of the attention directed at exterior living spaces, but walkways into these spaces are equally important. A stunning walkway can set the tone for a space, while a cracked walkway can pose a threat to a home, its residents and any guests who visit to enjoy some R&R in an outdoor living space.
• Cracked walkways increase injury risk. The National Center for Biotechnology Information indicates that roughly three in four outdoor falls are attributable to environmental hazards like cracked or broken walkways. The cost of a new outdoor living space can be significant, and some homeowners might delay redoing their existing walkways so they can use those savings to fund the larger project. But homeowners planning to entertain and even those who will be using their existing walkways to access an outdoor living space are urged to include cracked walkway replacement into their outdoor living space project. Doing so can prevent falls and leave homeowners less vulnerable to accidents involving guests that can ultimately lead to higher insurance premiums.
• Cracked walkways can contribute to damage to your home. Cracked walkways also can harm a home. A cracked walkway often slopes as well, and when it slopes toward the home, it can then channel water in the direction of the home’s foundation. That can cause the soil around the home to erode and ultimate threaten the structural integrity of a home’s foundation. Homeowners may even be able to see such damage already if a walkway running alongside a garage is cracked. If so, walked into the garage and see if the foundation area opposite where the crack is outside is showing signs of damage. If it is, fixing cracked walkways can prevent further damage. If it’s not, then homeowners might have gotten lucky and identified the problem before it affected the foundation of their home.
• Cracked walkways adversely affect curb appeal. According to Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchens, 75% of prospective home buyers indicated they would prioritize homes with outdoor living spaces over homes that lacked this popular feature. Outdoor living spaces certainly boast the wow factor, but cracked walkways en route to these areas can take away from that appeal and create a bad first impression.
Savvy homeowners recognize that every investment they make in their home is an opportunity to improve resale value. Fixing cracked walkways when redesigning exterior spaces is a great way to ensure the boost in curb appeal from an outdoor living space is not compromised by unsightly and even dangerous walking paths leading residents and guests to these popular areas.
Cracked walkways should be addressed so homeowners and their guests are safe and home values are not compromised by these unsightly yet fixable issues.