Got a landscape slope on your property? Is it slippery when wet? Adding "landscape steps" makes going up and down a long slope easier and safer. While conventional stairs follow directly after one another, landscape steps are flat planes placed at random intervals to provide better footing -- only where needed. Thus, you can have two together, then an open stretch of turf or soil where the angle is less treacherous, and a few more where the angle of the incline increases, and so on. And there are many choices of materials, too. These random flat planes can be achieved with stone, paver's brick or poured concrete. However, wood is both easy to work with and has a warm natural look when in place. One common error is using railroad ties for steps. This practice is not a good one, as toxic creosote ultimately soaks into your soil. Instead, used pressure-treated lumber that resists both moisture and insect problems. Check out the new ?generation two? safer treated wood (called HCQ) being offered today. And that's your On The House Tip for today.