While bollards are often thought of as commercial equipment, they also provide residential benefits. One of the most common residential uses of bollards is to protect cars and houses in the driveway, especially if the area around the driveway has landscaping and hardscaping elements. Finding parking spaces, shopping carts and places to park vehicles is the most common cause of distraction for pedestrians and drivers. If you are a business owner of commercial property including parking lots, consider arranging for bollard installation.
If your driveway requires bollards, use the following tips to make the best decision for property safety.
Vehicle Type
The first thing you need to consider is the height of the vehicle. Are the vehicles in your residential driveway higher off the ground, and would they benefit from higher bollards for better visibility, especially at night? Taller vehicles such as trucks and SUVs benefit from high bollards, especially reflective bollards, to clearly see where your driveway is. This is especially important if you live in a poorly lit residential area with limited visibility.
Driveway Traffic
How much traffic does your driveway receive on a daily basis? Are you the only family member with a car, or do other family members also have cars? Automatic bollards are perfect for families with multiple daily vehicle entries and exits because they can be raised and lowered with the push of a remote key. If you and your family need to enter your driveway at most a few times a day, then your manually raised and lowered telescoping security bollards may be sufficient. Keep in mind that permanent or high security bollards are not suitable, as they cannot be removed once installed.
Groundwater Level
When looking at bollard options, keep in mind the water table or the level of soil infiltration in your area. A high water table can cause premature rusting of metal bollards. While this doesn’t mean you have to forgo bollards, it’s a good idea to mention this to your installer so a team member can add a waterproof coating. Removable bollards are arguably the best solution for high water table areas because there is no risk of rusting.
Provide safety
Removable bollards offer many advantages, such as keeping bumpers away from private activities in public places. They also provide a premise liability allowance because placing them around construction sites, in front of parks or city streets that need maintenance, and anywhere else that is dangerous eliminates associated lawsuits. For example, if removable bollards and “Danger” and “Construction Zone” signs are placed around a construction site, anyone who enters the site and is injured cannot sue.
Protecting Nature
Bike paths and walking trails in local parks can benefit from bollards as they encourage people to stay off the grass and flowers that border said trails. If damage to park property has become an issue, bollards are attached with chains because they let people know to stay away from the site. Bike paths and walking trails with bollards protect natural elements, allowing them to thrive and contribute to a vibrant ecosystem. They also help protect local wildlife that is often disturbed when hikers and bicyclists cross areas they should leave alone.
Finally, find the ideal bollard for your needs today at ZASP, your premier bollard partner on the web.
