Sidewalk grinding is one effective, yet temporary way to maintain a safe sidewalk. A more permanent and inexpensive way is to construct or reconstruct the sidewalk with joints in the concrete, which over time is preventative for trip hazards.

Misaligned sidewalks create trip hazards that can be corrected by sidewalk grinding or by installing joints. Although grinding removes trip hazards, only two inches can be grinded down before the slab is weakened.

Prior to sidewalk grinding, tree roots are often trimmed or removed to allow the new concrete to settle and adjust. If the roots are removed it will take longer for the tree to regrow and push the sidewalk to become misaligned, it will eventually occur again.

One alternative and more effective way to sidewalk grinding is to install joints into the sidewalk. These joints will allow the concrete to move more freely rather than breaking, creating cracks and lifted sidewalk. Since a concrete slab can only be grinded down at most 2 inches, installing joints can prolong the life of the sidewalk and be more cost effective. While sidewalk grinding is just one way to maintain sidewalk structure, it is still a temporary solution.

Installing joints, such as the ones from TripStop™, require much less maintenance and cost. Instead of using sidewalk grinding which can only be done for so long, the joints, much like hinges, allow the concrete to move with ease rather than breaking and cracking. The sidewalk would therefore last longer rather than being grinded every time it cracks or becomes misaligned.