Tread grippers/non slip ideas

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North West Indiana
Josh, Eric and I are building a ramp so my dad can get into my house this summer. All of the design is done, the flower bed in front of the back steps was torn apart last Saturday and this coming Saturday the boys are coming to help me put the ramp together and install. Dad doesn't know this is happening, he has fallen again and is weaker. So all steps to keep him coming for dinners is appropriate. I have checked and am planning a foot of run for every inch of drop (ADA specs) what I am having problems with is what to do for traction on a wet, angled, slippery slope for all of us. Tread grippers look expensive and I can see them peeling up after a couple of rains. So, those of you in the know, ideas please.
 
i seem to remember (not sure exactly what it is) that you could add to paint to give it an especially rough surface. it isn't sand, but it is something like that. i took a quick look, this is the stuff.
 

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If all else fails, what about the material like they use in bath tubs, on indoor stair steps, or something else and fastening it down with weatherproof staples or nails?

That was not much in the way of constructive thinking. However, I thought it might get your thought box going some different directions.

Enjoy,
Jim

Tell Dad Hi for me.
 
Some of the deck top coating products have a pretty heavy texture (which I don't particularly like the look of for wood decks, to plastic for me):
I believe both of these are available at most of the borg stores:
http://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/restore/deck-and-concrete-restore-10x
http://www.behr.com/consumer/produc...-cleaners-and-strippers/behr-premium-deckover

What Ryan suggested - or just stir some sand into porch & deck paint.

My brother-in-law used the Behr product on his deck a couple years ago. It's held up well, and has a coarse texture to it. Might be the best way to go.
 
We had a plywood ramp going into the back of the parish hall in my church. It would get pretty slippery when wet. We solved this with a layer of indoor/outdoor carpet. Or actually I solved it after damn near breaking my neck on it one wet day.
 
We had a plywood ramp going into the back of the parish hall in my church. It would get pretty slippery when wet. We solved this with a layer of indoor/outdoor carpet. Or actually I solved it after damn near breaking my neck on it one wet day.

Roger, how was the wood underneath this carpet? Does the indoor outdoor carpet allow the wood to dry or am I significantly shortening the life of the wood underneath it? How was it to shovel snow off of it??
 
jonathan you should be using treated lumber first of all, and i have seen the the stuff ryan mentioned last quite awhile and snow shoveling will work on it carpet looks nice but can get slippery to once the snow and ice lodge in it... what about some steel cat walk stuff no shoveling trouble and grip for ever? check out local salvage yard. and find someone that knows how to weld:)
 
Good quality rolled roofing, the kind with the sandy grit was suggested by several google search ramp builders. It's waterproof, so it should protect the wood and the grit surface should be relatively slip free, although all bets are off if you get an ice storm. About $35 for enough to do a ramp. Regular asphalt shingles could be cut and applied in strips every foot or so too.
 
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