I have a step down from a stoop outside my front door. I want to mark
it for visibility, especially in dim light. (I'll be putting up
lights, but that'll still be a lot less than sunlight.)

What's the best way to mark it? (This is hard to google because words
like "step" and "safety" get too many extraneous hits.) Upper? Lower?
Riser? Paint? Color?

I know from one experience that this can be tricky. I have a similar
step inside, covered by turquoise (sort of) carpet. I put a throw rug
on the upper part. Made it quite visible, yet I tripped every time I
went down. Moved the throw to the lower, and it works great. I still
haven't figured out why.

Edward

On 10/3/2010 1:59 AM, Edward Reid wrote:
I have a step down from a stoop outside my front door. I want to mark
it for visibility, especially in dim light. (I'll be putting up
lights, but that'll still be a lot less than sunlight.)

What's the best way to mark it? (This is hard to google because words
like "step" and "safety" get too many extraneous hits.) Upper? Lower?
Riser? Paint? Color?

I know from one experience that this can be tricky. I have a similar
step inside, covered by turquoise (sort of) carpet. I put a throw rug
on the upper part. Made it quite visible, yet I tripped every time I
went down. Moved the throw to the lower, and it works great. I still
haven't figured out why.

Edward

If you don't mind it looking like crap, curb paint with glass beads
squirted on while it still wet. Any industrial or paving supply store
will have it. Used inside factories to indicate equipment bay versus
walkway dividing lines, and the infamous 'this way out' lines.

--
aem sends...

In article ,
Edward Reid wrote:

I have a step down from a stoop outside my front door. I want to mark
it for visibility, especially in dim light. (I'll be putting up
lights, but that'll still be a lot less than sunlight.)

What's the best way to mark it? (This is hard to google because words
like "step" and "safety" get too many extraneous hits.) Upper? Lower?
Riser? Paint? Color?

I know from one experience that this can be tricky. I have a similar
step inside, covered by turquoise (sort of) carpet. I put a throw rug
on the upper part. Made it quite visible, yet I tripped every time I
went down. Moved the throw to the lower, and it works great. I still
haven't figured out why.


http://ecoglo.us/emergency-lighting-...trast-strips-c
-249.html

http://ecoglo.us/emergency-lighting-products/stair-nosings-c-268.html

On Sun, 03 Oct 2010 03:12:16 -0400, aemeijers
wrote:
If you don't mind it looking like crap, curb paint with glass beads
squirted on while it still wet. Any industrial or paving supply store
will have it.

I shouldn't post at 2AM, makes me leave things out.

I don't mind paint. House is 57 years old, reasonably attractive but
not elegant. Paint looks a lot better than blood. In fact, I started
thinking about marking the step when I ran across marking paint while
browsing in one of the big boxes. IIRC they had blue, white, and
yellow. Don't remember if they had the glass beads.

But where, and how does the contrast work best? Dark on top and light
on bottom? Vice versa? What color for the riser? Seems to me that all
the same color would just confuse the eye. Eye wants contrast.

The concrete varies in color, complicating the attempt to add
contrast. New part of the top is the light gray of new concrete, old
part is dark from accumulated growth, riser the same combination,
bottom all like the old. I hope that I'll be able to greatly reduce
the growth because it's now protected from direct rain and will only
get wet from what blows in, but the old parts will always be darker.

The Ecoglo noses that Smitty Two linked look very interesting too.
Apparently have to order them though. Expensive, but less so than
blood ...

Actually if I had all the time in the world, I would fill in the area
in front of the step and feather it down to the driveway, which would
also solve a drainage issue. But that's a long way in the future, if
it's in my future at all.

Edward

In article ,
Edward Reid wrote:

But where, and how does the contrast work best? Dark on top and light
on bottom? Vice versa? What color for the riser? Seems to me that all
the same color would just confuse the eye. Eye wants contrast.

Easy enough to test this with some dark and light fabric or painted
cardboard, etc. taped to the steps. Even the fancy colored "electrical"
tape could be used for some rough experimentation. Color goes away first
as light fades, so you're right, contrast is all that's left. I can
imagine optical illusions arising from loss of depth perception, leading
to an unfortunate misinterpretation of visual cues you intended to be
helpful.

http://www.opticaloctopus.com/commentaries10.htm

On Oct 3, 2:02*pm, Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,
*Edward Reid wrote:

But where, and how does the contrast work best? Dark on top and light
on bottom? Vice versa? What color for the riser? Seems to me that all
the same color would just confuse the eye. Eye wants contrast.

Easy enough to test this with some dark and light fabric or painted
cardboard, etc. taped to the steps. Even the fancy colored "electrical"
tape could be used for some rough experimentation. Color goes away first
as light fades, so you're right, contrast is all that's left. I can
imagine optical illusions arising from loss of depth perception, leading
to an unfortunate misinterpretation of visual cues you intended to be
helpful.

http://www.opticaloctopus.com/commentaries10.htm

I painted a 2 inch step edge brite white because it was a trip hazard,
it worked great. I used rust oleum white it worked fine. glass beads
would make it briter but probably overkill'

later the sewer authority tore up my driveway and sidewalk which
elminated that step.

whoever designed it had to be nuts, it was a real hazard

as was a 1 inch step at a school, I fell hard all the other steps were
regular height. I went down hard carrying a piece of equiptement. they
painted it safety yellow, and got repainted recently. I was in that
building not long ago

use tape and \paint one inch top and one inch edge, end of problem

Edward Reid wrote:
I have a step down from a stoop outside my front door. I want to mark
it for visibility, especially in dim light. (I'll be putting up
lights, but that'll still be a lot less than sunlight.)

What's the best way to mark it? (This is hard to google because words
like "step" and "safety" get too many extraneous hits.) Upper? Lower?
Riser? Paint? Color?

I know from one experience that this can be tricky. I have a similar
step inside, covered by turquoise (sort of) carpet. I put a throw rug
on the upper part. Made it quite visible, yet I tripped every time I
went down. Moved the throw to the lower, and it works great. I still
haven't figured out why.

Edward

Have you thought about the reflective tape used on semi trailers
and train cars?

On Sun, 03 Oct 2010 20:26:00 -0500, Dean Hoffman
wrote:
Have you thought about the reflective tape used on semi trailers
and train cars?

Would it hold on concrete? Where would I get it? Sounds interesting.

Edward

On Sun, 03 Oct 2010 11:02:32 -0700, Smitty Two
wrote:
Easy enough to test this with some dark and light fabric or painted
cardboard, etc. taped to the steps. Even the fancy colored "electrical"
tape could be used for some rough experimentation.

Hmm. That's probably within my capabilities. ;-)

I can
imagine optical illusions arising from loss of depth perception, leading
to an unfortunate misinterpretation of visual cues you intended to be
helpful.

Exactly my concern.

Edward

Edward Reid wrote:
On Sun, 03 Oct 2010 20:26:00 -0500, Dean Hoffman
wrote:
Have you thought about the reflective tape used on semi trailers
and train cars?

Would it hold on concrete? Where would I get it? Sounds interesting.

Edward

The local farm supply store had some here. Maybe a hardware store
in the automotive section. I don't know if places like NAPA would have it.
I think I bought some at Walmart when I needed it. Maybe a truck stop?
I don't know how it would stick to concrete. You could always use
silicone to make it stick.

On Oct 4, 6:45*am, Dean Hoffman wrote:
Edward Reid wrote:
On Sun, 03 Oct 2010 20:26:00 -0500, Dean Hoffman
wrote:
Have you thought about the reflective tape used on semi trailers
and train cars?

Would it hold on concrete? Where would I get it? Sounds interesting.

Edward

* * The local farm supply store had some here. *Maybe a hardware store
in the automotive section. *I don't know if places like NAPA would have it.
I think I bought some at Walmart when I needed it. *Maybe a truck stop?
* * I don't know how it would stick to concrete. *You could always use
silicone to make it stick.


paint is better, less chance of a future trip hazard

On Mon, 04 Oct 2010 02:05:57 -0400, Edward Reid
wrote:

On Sun, 03 Oct 2010 20:26:00 -0500, Dean Hoffman
wrote:
Have you thought about the reflective tape used on semi trailers
and train cars?

Would it hold on concrete? Where would I get it? Sounds interesting.

Edward

Look at this tape. Even comes in "Glow in the Dark"

http://www.grippytape.com/

(No affiliation or prior usage)

Oren wrote the following:
On Mon, 04 Oct 2010 02:05:57 -0400, Edward Reid
wrote:


On Sun, 03 Oct 2010 20:26:00 -0500, Dean Hoffman
wrote:

Have you thought about the reflective tape used on semi trailers
and train cars?

Would it hold on concrete? Where would I get it? Sounds interesting.

Edward


Look at this tape. Even comes in "Glow in the Dark"

http://www.grippytape.com/

(No affiliation or prior usage)

It still requires that the surface be sealed and smooth. It will not
stick to porous surfaces.
Read the Application Instructions.

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeroes after @