We have an asphalt driveway which is about 5 years old. The second and third year we paid someone to seal it with a hot sprayed on oil based sealer. We skipped last year and this spring we figured we'd do it ourselves this year and are looking into the 5 gallon buckets of sealers at all the local big box stores to apply ourselves. As we have a steep driveway and live in the northeast, anything that can be done to improve traction or anything to stay away from?

 

STAY AWAY from the 5gal bucket stuff, it is junk. Have it done like you have had in the past. I think there are some companies that will or do install a sand into their mix and that would help with some traction but not sure on how much.

 

The stuff you typically find at hardware stores is not up to the task. At one point it may have been a quality product, but that was long before it hit the shelves.

Most hardware store sealers are greatly watered down. Any hope of gaining traction is lost due to the fact that water has NO sand retention.

I would definatly hire this work out.

Here is what you should ask for:

You want a sand slurry mix. Bare minimum you want a mix of 4 lbs of sand per gallon. If you are dealing with a steep incline, you may consider a grit mix. The plant I work for mixes an additional 2-4 lbs of heavy grit sand into a 4lb/gallon sand slurry mix to create a heavy sand/grit mix.

This mix is perfect for steep inclines, expecially in areas prone to water exposure. We use a mix like this in some theme parks around the water rides to reduce foot slippage.

In order to apply a mix such as this, it will have to be squeegee or brush applied. The grit sand will eat up any pump it goes through. And honestly, this leads to a better coat overall.

I will note, that any such mix will benefit mainly foot traffic. It will help car traffic some, but usually the tires will be the defense against water.