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“Discourage skateboarders from skating on your property”
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| Gind to a Halt, Inc.
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Skateboarding is not a crime! Skateboarders
tell us that all of the time.
However, damaging property is a
crime, whether the damage is intentional
or unintentional. The current skateboarding
trend has many youths and
young adults out in public areas scouting
for new skating adventures. The
skaters look for long smooth surfaces
on which to “grind” or skate. Grinding
consists of landing on a hard edge with
the center of the skateboard, the part in
between the wheels, and sliding along
that edge as far as possible. Skaters
like to use wax to reduce the friction
against their board. This wax gets left
behind and is absorbed into the material,
which will then show a permanent
stain, and this is in addition to the
cracks and broken edges left in the surface
as a result of the skateboarding.
Many skateboarders fail to recognize
that when they skate on ledges,
benches, retaining walls and handrails,
they are damaging these surfaces. Of
course, many skateboarders do realize
they are causing damage, but that is
matter best saved for another time.
Skateboarders are often perplexed
about the anti-skateboarding attitude of
property owners. They think they are
skating on “just” stone or concrete, so
what’s the big deal? Well, the damage
is a big deal, especially if you are
the property owner paying to repair or
replace the damaged areas. Let’s not
forget to mention that there is also liability
involved. It is dangerous to have
skaters using your property – for both
the skaters and the pedestrians.
Are there solutions to this problem? Of
course there are. Remember, the main
goal is to get the skaters to move on
from your property, and the only way
to accomplish this is to avoid providing
them with a long, smooth surface
that is perfect for grinding. If you are
building a new area or installing new
landscape features, you can design
the walls and railings with textured or
uneven surfaces that do not appeal to
skateboarders. Installing products that
are specifically designed for deterring
skateboarders are also available.
These skateboard deterrents can be
used in new or pre-existing landscape
features. They can be installed while
setting concrete, or retrofitted into existing
concrete or stone.
Skaters warn that noone “can stop
skateboarding” and that skateboarders
“will always find a way to skate”. This
is true. Skateboarders love their sport,
feel it keeps them from getting into
worse trouble, and relish finding new
places to practice their skills. Where
does this leave property owners?
Sometimes in a real pickle!
Keep in mind that skaters will skate, no
matter what. Your goal is to keep them
from skating on your property. Designing
your property to discourage skating,
and installing skateboard deterrents is
a wise thing to do. First, look for skating
deterrents that are designed to be
sturdy and are made of strong material
to be as maintenance free as possible.
Second, look for deterrents that seem
attractive to you. Attractive solutions
that compliment your surroundings
rather than detract from them do exist,
you only need to do your homework to
find them. Lastly, spend some time on
the internet, not only looking for solutions,
but also researching what skateboarders
are saying and doing about
skateboard deterrents. You will find a
wealth of information that will help with
your decision, as many deterrents are
removed with ease.
For a thorough and beautiful repair
job, you will want to work on removing
wax stains. Clean with a solvent or
with a heated pressure washer. The
heat of the water helps to melt the wax,
while the pressure of the water washes
it away. Heated pressure washers
may be available for rent in your area,
or available through a professional
pressure washing company. Installing
skateboard deterrents on a clean
surface will restore your property to
its original undamaged state, leaving
you with an attractive and professional
looking area to be enjoyed by many –
just not the skateboarders!
Written by:
Grind to a Halt, Inc.
info@grindtoahalt.com
www.grindtoahalt.com
Grind to a Halt has been in business
for over 6 years, offering
skateboard deterrent solutions for
concrete/stone surfaces, benches,
and metal handrails. In addition,
Grind to a Halt is part of a machining
business that can make
custom pieces meeting the customer’s
specifications. |
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