Choosing Between Water-Based Sealers and Oil-Based Sealers

Deciding what type of sealer to use for your driveway requires digging into the pros and cons of both options to determine which is the best fit for your needs. Although oil-based sealers have certain advantages, such as their tendency to last longer before cracking and needing to be resealed, other factors make water-based sealers more beneficial for many customers that are interested in considering the full picture before making a decision. Two of the most significant benefits of water-based sealers include: 

Shorter Cure Time

Water-based sealers take much less time to fully cure than oil-based sealers. This lessens the amount of time that you'll need to protect your drying driveway from damage before being able to add final touch ups or begin using it, and it also cuts down on the length of time that you'll have to deal with the strong odor of the wet sealer.

More Environmentally Friendly

Oil-based sealers also contain volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, which are very damaging to the environment. For this reason, oil-based sealers are even banned in certain areas. Even if they are allowed where you live, choosing a water-based sealer is a more environmentally-friendly option that allows you to resurface your driveway without releasing damaging pollutants. 

Sand for Traction

Oil-based sealers are applied with a pump and spray system that does not allow for the addition of silica sand in the mixture. When the oil-based sealer is applied, it leaves a shiny finish which can be slick and slippery creating liability of a slip and fall especially on a rainy day.

Our water-based sealer contains 2 pounds of silica sand per gallon which adds traction and durability to the finished product. If your driveway is on an incline, you definitely want to use a water-based sealer with sand additive.

Choose Maintain It All to Enhance Your Curb Appeal

At Maintain It All, we are here to make sure your residential or commercial driveway looks appealing and remains in good condition for as long as possible. Contact us today to learn more about sealcoating or any of our other driveway services!