When RockSolid introduced its new line of Polycuramine garage floor and interior coatings, we were left scratching our heads at first. After all, what in the heck is Polycuramine? We admit we had never heard of it before. Moreover, what happened to the old RockSolid Polyurea garage floor coating, and why the change? Furthermore, why is Rust-Oleum’s name on RockSolid’s product?
After being asked by more than one reader, we decided it was time to see what the Polycuramine fuss was about. We wanted to know if it’s better than garage floor epoxy as RockSolid claims. In addition, we wanted to know why Rust-Oleum is involved.
Lastly, we wanted to determine if the Polycuramine garage floor coating is better than the older Polyurea coating that it has replaced. As a result, we have done a deep dive into RockSolid to get a better understanding of what this coating is and if we recommend it.
This article was first published in July 2014 and has been updated to reflect the latest information. Please read the latest update near the end. It reveals the most common complaints and issues over the years that you need to be aware of.
What is Polycuramine?
To best describe what Polycuramine is, we need a brief history of RockSolid Floors. This will help explain why Polycuramine was developed and how Rust-Oleum became involved.
RockSolid Floors was established in 2007 as an affiliate of Citadel Floor Finishing Systems. Citadel is a well-established, 40-year-old plus industrial floor finishing manufacturer that specializes in polyaspartic and polyurea technologies.
Realizing that there was a DIY demand for polyurea coatings, RockSolid Floors was born to provide a friendlier DIY version of the commercial quality Citadel polyurea. The RockSolid brand is probably best known for providing the A and B components in ready-to-mix sealed burst pouches that do not require a mixing bucket.
In January 2014, Rust-Oleum acquired Citadel and thus inherited the RockSolid line of floor coating products. As a result, all RockSolid products now come with Rust-Oleum branding. All customer service inquiries for RockSolid go directly to Rust-Oleum as well.
Polycuramine is a newly trademarked product that was developed the previous year by Citadel and found its way into the RockSolid lineup. It’s a proprietary blend that is alleged to combine the best benefits of Polyurea, Polyurethane, and Epoxy.
The following is a quote from a RockSolid sales page:
RockSolid Polycuramine™ is the best of Polyurea, Urethane, and Epoxy chemistries. It combines these three chemistries and their key attributes into ONE indestructible, self-leveling, flexible, fast curing, high gloss coating system.
RockSolid states that its Polycuramine garage floor coating is 20 times stronger than epoxy paint. It has a 96% solids content, a high gloss finish, and is impervious to all chemicals. The coating can be installed in one day, walked on in 8 – 10 hours, and driven on within 24 hours.
It also has the added advantage of an installation temperature range of 40°F – 90°F. In addition, RockSolid has a low VOC content with minimal odor and a limited lifetime warranty as well.
Each Polycuramine Garage Floor Coating kit consists of one burst pouch of colored Polycuramine to cover up to 250 ft². Included are decorative color flakes, the required foam roller, concrete etch solution, and of course instructions. There are six colors to choose from as well – Black, Dark Grey, Grey, Tan, Mocha, and Modern Griege.
You can view their information page and color chart here.
Our evaluation of RockSolid Polycuramine Garage Floor Coating
We feel that this new lineup for RockSolid couldn’t have come at a better time. Though the Polyurea garage coat kit that it replaced was a fairly good product, many of the reviews for it by the average DIY installer were less than great.
There are many benefits to a polyurea garage floor coating, but the pitfalls for the old RockSolid polyurea DIY coating was is in the installation. As a result, there were numerous complaints about delamination and finish issues.
Many if not most of these issues were due in part to the limited application time available. Polyurea cures fairly quickly. If it wasn’t applied in 20 to 30 minutes, it would begin to thicken up and problems ensued. It just wasn’t that DIY-friendly.
For example, it would not have enough time to seep into the pores of dense concrete that was prepped by etching and not by grinding. This led to delamination issues of the coating. Secondly, if you didn’t get the product down fast enough, the finish would not be very glossy and could get bumpy or lose its smooth texture among other issues.
After doing a bit of research, we learned that these problems should be solved with the new RockSolid Polycuramine coating.
First, we called the Rust-Oleum tech line. They stated that the new RockSolid Polycuramine formula has superior wetting characteristics (similar to epoxy). As a result, it allows the coating to penetrate the concrete much better for superior adhesion. This is a big help for concrete that is etched instead of prepped by grinding.
In addition, we learned that you have 45 minutes to one hour to apply the Polycuramine. This should be more than enough time to apply up to 250 ft² of product. The longer pot life should alleviate many of the finish issues that resulted from the short installation window of before.
However, we do have to question some of RockSolid’s marketing methods. They claim that their new Polycuramine formulation is 20 times stronger than epoxy paint. Really? Their older polyurea product claimed it was only 4 times stronger.
Try as we might, we could not find an actual 2-part epoxy floor coating with only a 33% solids content as RockSolid compares it to. After digging a bit deeper, we discovered that what they are comparing it to is paint – 1 part epoxy paint that is (link). That is like comparing apples to oranges.
1-part epoxy paint is not an epoxy coating and the only product available with such a low solids content. We feel that this is misleading if not deceiving. They should be comparing it to a true 2-part epoxy. It’s tactics like this that create ruined expectations of garage floor coatings.
They also claim that the new Polycuramine blend combines the best of Polyurea, Polyurethane, and Epoxy. That isn’t necessarily true either. History has shown time and again for sealers and coatings that by combining the best of everything you will not get the best attributes of each ingredient.
Polyurethane for example is known for being very resistant to chemicals, has high abrasion resistance, and is U.V. stable. Though RockSolid Polycuramine has good chemical resistance, it is not U.V. stable and can yellow if exposed to direct sunlight for lengths of time – just as epoxy does.
It’s also not nearly as resistant to abrasion as most polyurethane or polyurea coatings. For example, the abrasion rate for Polycuramine is 40 mg. That’s about equivalent to a high solids epoxy and better than the inexpensive epoxy garage kits. However, a typical abrasion rating for polyurea is approximately 8 – 12 mg. You can find the RockSolid datasheets here.
This means that a polyurea coating would last much longer or wear many times slower than Polycuramine. We suggest reviewing how to read datasheets for coatings to learn more.
Another concern is that RockSolid Polycuramine is a thin coating. It has a dry film thickness of only 3 mils. That’s about half as thick as a typical polyurea coating. A high solids epoxy is approximately 8 – 10 mils thick for a DIY kit. Our guess is they need the coating to be thinner to get the coverage rate they require to keep the price point competitive.
As a result of the thin mil color coat, we recommend a second coat of clear Polycuramine to provide for an overall thicker coating. This will protect the color coat, and provide a deeper glossy look.
Would we recommend RockSolid Polycuramine?
With all that said, initial responses from consumers have been positive. Reports are that the new RockSolid Polycuramine garage coating formula is easier to apply DIY than the previous polyurea formula.
Few issues about the finish have been raised so far that we are aware of. In fact, it’s one of the most glossy coatings you can apply. Plus, the added benefit of being able to apply it in a wider range of temperature extremes is something you cannot do with epoxy garage floor coatings.
One nice advantage to the Polycuramine garage coat that we failed to mention is that it has a 7-day recoat window. This means that you can wait up to 7 days to apply another coat to the floor without having to prep it first. All that is required is to make sure it is clean.
This can be a great advantage to the average DIY installer who may only have a limited time to work on their floor. Most coating products have a recoat window of 24 hours or less.
Though the new RockSolid Polycuramine Garage Coat is only 3 mils thick, we feel this formulation is superior to that of comparable DIY coatings such as Rust-Oleum’s 2-part EpoxyShield product, Quikrete Epoxy garage floor coatings, or Valspar Epoxy Coatings as an example.
Yes, RockSolid Polycuramine is more expensive than these traditional DIY garage coat kits. However, the warranty is much better. Plus, it fills a void for the consumer who wants a quality DIY product that is easy to apply but may be intimidated by the cost and application of the thicker and more expensive multi-coat garage floor coatings.
RockSolid also has an easy-to-apply metallic garage floor coating which is now gaining some attention. It goes down twice as thick and has a very nice appearance.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you use these links to make a purchase, we may earn a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, All Garage Floors earns from qualifying purchases. You can read our full disclaimer here.
Where to purchase RockSolid Polycuramine products
We’ve had to update this section on multiple occasions since we first posted this article in early 2014. Rust-Oleum has since expanded the distribution of RockSolid and it is now available from most home improvement centers and online.
If you don’t have one of these stores near you, we suggest purchasing RockSolid Garage Floor Coatings here at Amazon. We have found that on many occasions it is available at a cheaper price.
In addition, you can find the optional RockSolid Clear Coat here.
Final thoughts
It’s too soon to know if RockSolid Polycuramine is the DIY wave of the future in garage floor coatings. However, it does appear to have much better performance and wear than the traditional DIY epoxy garage floor kits found at your local home improvement centers and auto stores.
Reviews so far have been positive and you can bet we will be keeping a close eye on the developments of this new product.
———- 2023 UPDATE ———-
It’s been over 8 years now since we first evaluated and wrote about the new RockSolid Polycuramine garage floor coating. To date, we have heard very few issues relating to the actual performance of the coating in terms of adhesion, hot tire pickup, and wear.
This is a strong indicator that it performs and lasts longer than the traditional low solids DIY garage floor coating kits such as EpoxyShield.
However, we have found that there is one primary flaw with RockSolid. Simply put, RockSolid does not provide enough coating material for the coverage rates they list. And this creates a couple of irritating issues that people are not happy about. The first is color uniformity and finish.
If you scroll down you will see that we have well over 900 comments for this article. A good percentage of these are questions or complaints regarding cosmetic problems with single-color coat applications.
These people have been reporting patchy areas or sections of the coating that appear less glossy and/or slightly different in color. Some have also complained about small spider cracks showing through.
The source of these issues is due to the coating being too thin in those areas. As with all coatings, if a single coat application on bare concrete is too thin, the appearance of the coating will not be good. The color tone and finish will change and lose gloss. It can even look slightly transparent with the concrete color showing through.
There is a reason why this happens with RockSolid.
As we originally stated, Polycuramine penetrates properly prepared concrete well – as it should. In addition, the density and porosity of a concrete slab can vary. This means that some areas of the concrete will absorb more coating than others. This is normal.
When RockSolid Polycuramine is applied to slabs that are less dense and/or more porous in areas, the limited amount of material (90 oz) provided in one burst pouch mix does not provide enough thickness at the recommended coverage rates to counteract the additional penetration and absorption of the material. As a result, the coating is too thin in those areas after it cures.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing in terms of performance. You achieve a very good bond when the concrete absorbs the coating. However, this means you need to purchase and apply a second color coat to achieve the rich color, glossy finish, and durability that it should have. The first coat essentially acts as a primer coat.
The reason spider cracks tend to show through is due to the good penetration qualities of Polycuramine. It allows the thin cracks to absorb more material as it cures. As a result, the cracks show through and look dark. This can be avoided by properly filling spider cracks in the concrete (link) beforehand or by the application of a second coat.
The 250 ft² maximum coverage rate is only possible under ideal conditions consisting of newer concrete that is smooth, consistently dense throughout, and with no cosmetic defects. It can be obtained, however, when being applied as a second coat or over a previously coated floor that will not absorb the Polycuramine.
If you purchase RockSolid, we recommend a maximum coverage rate of no more than 200 ft² when applied to bare concrete. Slightly less is preferable. This should help provide for a thicker application. When it cures, it should be thick enough to provide a consistent color and glossy finish.
If you prep your garage floor concrete via grinding, then you will require a minimum of two color coats – period. The first acts as the primer coat and the second provides the required thickness to obtain the proper color and gloss.
There is something else to be aware of as well. RockSolid Clear Coat states that a single-car kit can be applied over the color coat of a 2.5-car kit – up to 500 ft². This makes the clear coat especially thin. Though consumers like the way the clear coat performs and looks, the number one complaint is that you need to use more than what Rust-Oleum RockSolid recommends.
The second big issue with RockSolid Polycuramine garage floor coatings is that it is more expensive than epoxy, particularly for what you get. And this is why we believe that Rust-Oleum RockSolid recommends the overly generous coverage rates. We are guessing that this was a decision that was made to try and keep the cost down to compete against epoxy kits.
To make things worse, Polycuramine has become even more expensive in the past few years. At the time of this update, you can purchase a much better commercial-quality single-part polyurea floor coating with the same coverage rates for less money.
These polyurea coatings are almost twice as thick as RockSolid. They have a very long pot life for easy application, they are U.V. stable, and have far superior abrasion ratings. Here is an example of a single color coat of AWF Polyurea that costs less for the same coverage.
The one consideration with these commercial quality polyurea coatings is that they are not low VOC coatings as RockSolid is. They should only be applied in a garage or similar environment and not inside a home such as a basement.
Our goal with this update is not to talk you out of purchasing a RockSolid Garage Floor Coating kit. However, what we are trying to do is inform and educate you about the issues you need to be aware of before making that decision.
Do we still think RockSolid is a good-performing DIY garage floor coating? Yes – if you follow our recommendations about coverage rates. However, there are now better performing easy-to-apply commercial-quality polyurea coatings that can be purchased for similar pricing.
Richard M says
How does Rock Solid hold up to jack stands and floor jacks with wheels that move when you jack up the car?
Shea says
It holds up fairly well Richard as long as you don’t drag a stuck wheel or something like that. If you do, it may create some cosmetic scratches on the surface, but it will not chip it up. The same goes for jack stands. Just don’t drag them across the surface.
sc says
I want to use RockSolid in a garage that has already been primed with Glidden’s Gripper primer… It has very stong adhereing primer, but it is an acrylic.. Will the epoxy adhere to the acrylic primer if it is lightly sanded?
thanks SC
Shea says
Hello SC. You will need to contact Rust-Oleum to see if RockSolid is compatible with latex acrylic. It may soften it upon application. Even if it is, we don’t recommend it since you are applying it to a weaker coating foundation. Coatings only adheres to concrete as well as the first coat. Latex acrylic primers do not adhere nearly as well as epoxy or in this case, polycuramine. You will most likely encounter hot tire pickup at some point and possibly peeling. This peeling will be the acrylic from the concrete, not the RockSolid from the acrylic.
Mark says
My garage floor is 25 years old with some pitting. I live on a county maintained dirt/gravel road so my driveway (asphalt) and garage floor pick up quite a bit of dirt/salt etc. My question is can I use this product and will it make clean up any easier?
Shea says
Hello Mark. Yes, you can use RockSolid and it will make clean up much easier. Keep in mind it will not fill in your pitting and it will be important to clean the concrete well before prepping the floor for the etch or grinding. We recommend two coats, particularly if your tires collect a lot of gravel. The floor may not stay as glossy due to the conditions, but it should withstand the dirt and salt.
Jerry cole says
What is the best way to add the anti-slip to the flooring? Do you sprinkle it on after applying the coating or somehow add it to the coating before you apply it?
Shea says
Hello Jerry. You want to gently mix the anti-slip in with coating before pouring it out onto the floor. Just use a small clean bucket and a paint stick. Be sure to remix before each time you pour it out onto the floor or the anti-slip will settle to the bottom of the bucket.
Nancy Seamons says
Shea,
Last Satuday I applied the Rustoleum Rocksolid polycuramine, in mocha, to my 2 car garage floor. I power washed the floor, used the citric acid etching, and then waited for the floor to dry. I also vacuumed the floor after the floor was dry to make sure there was no debris on the concrete.
The temperature was around 80 degrees. The product went on well for the first pouch. However, the second pouch seemed to cure quicker than the first and I didn’t have as much time to roll out the material, even though it was within the recommended time frame.
The time was around 4-5 pm that I painted the garage floor. I did notice the first foam roller lasted for the entire pouch. However, the second roller fell apart for about the last 50-75 sq ft of the garage.
I noticed, after the floor dried, there were several very small bubbles in the coating in multiple places on the floor. What is the cause of this and can anything be done to remedy the problem?
Shea says
Hello Nancy. How long did you let the floor dry before application? When concrete is pressure washed it drives water deep into the concrete and it takes time to completely dry out. With the warm weather, water vapor that is rising up through the concrete from within as it is still drying can get trapped under the coating as it starts to cure, forming small bubbles that get trapped within the coating. We recommend waiting a minimum of 24 hours to dry when using standard cleaning methods and 48 hours for a pressure washer.
The only real solution to fix the issue is to apply another coat. RockSolid allows up to 7 days to recoat. Any longer than that you will need to rough up the surface with 150 grit sandpaper and then wipe the surface down with denatured alcohol to remove any remaining dust, dirt, and residue. We recommend calling Rust-Oleum and explain the issue you had with the second batch and the foam roller. They may help you out by sending out another kit.
Nancy says
I waited about 6 hours after power washing the floor before applying the coating. I didn’t realize I needed to wait 48 hrs after power washing for the floor to completely dry.
Almost all of the areas with the small bubbles are close to the opening of the garage and in the area of the second application. Because the house faces south I wondered if the concrete could have been warmer in that area and caused the bubbling.
I do suspect the roller had something to do with the problem because it was very hard to roll the coating while the roller was falling apart. Consequently the last 10-20 sq ft didn’t have as much coating as the rest of the garage.
I appreciate your response. I will contact Rustoleum and see if they can help.
Shea says
OK, that explains it then. The roller falling apart on you didn’t help either, that’s for sure. As long as the bubbles did not pop and leave large craters, you should be able to apply another coat and it will look just as it should. The good news is that the second coat will make your coating more durable.
john says
I have to go buy another product…. it worked but I wanted a blue floor not clear and see through blue this stuff sucked…. p.s. I paint for a living and followed directions to the letter.
Shea says
Blue? What were you trying to accomplish John?
Ann says
My garage floor was once painted. Most of the paint has worn or peeled away. I see in a few areas that it has “bubbled up” due to moisture. What is the best way to prep my floor before using Rock Solid? Or, does the existing paint render it a bad match for this product. If that is the case, what would you suggest. I am getting my home ready for resale and I’d like the garage to look good.
Shea says
Hello Ann. If the paint has bubbled up due to moisture, then new paint or an epoxy coating will do the same thing. You need to solve the moisture issue first. RockSolid offers a product called Moisture Stop. You would need to apply it to properly prepared bare concrete first before applying the RockSolid coating. This will require you to completely remove the existing paint from the floor first.
Sue says
We applaud you for coding to a new home garage floor. We pressure washed it and vacuumed and the service was very clean. We waited three days after washing before applying. We do have pics heat pipes and plasticunder the concrete. After the first pouch was applied we noticed we were getting spiderlike lines where the paint was separating and also fisheye’s little circles around the scattered paint chips. Can you help us identify what this problem is.
Shea says
Hello Sue. Anytime you get fisheyes and the coating separating in places it’s a sign of some kind of oil based contaminant on the surface.
Sheila Harris says
I’m interested in this product, but can’t find the colors shown on the commercial. Where can I find the red or blue?
Shea says
Hello Sheila. We haven’t seen the commercial, but we are guessing they are showing their metallic floor coating colors. You can see them here.
Gail Dunn says
My husband and I recently, 2 weeks ago did our own garage floor. Product worked well. We spent the last here days helping friends do their garage…they chose he grey color. We had very bad color match issues. So having done floors professionally most of his career, my husband convinced me it is usually operator error….WELL….we return to store to purchase 500 more in product…as painful as this was….so today we leave the beautifully done floor with again….color problems. At this point the issue is definitely with the product….looked on the boxes. Two were from 2014, the others were 2015. Big problem here…. We purchased from Home Depot…..customers have no way of being warned of this. Look forward to getting this addressed….not only an extra day of labor, but still have an ugly floor. Not happy.
Shea says
You make an important point Gail about production dates. We recommend contacting Rust-Oleum and explain your issue about the color uniformity between kits and production dates available from Home Depot. Hopefully they will step up and offer to fix the problem with fresh kits.
Valia Penichet says
Hi there! I’m trying to quote A job to cover a restaurant patio of 2800 sqft… I know this kits are expensive and covers up to 250 the must. I was wondering where I can get This product at a better price or if the manufacturer will give me any special discount for buying several kits. By buying the kits to cover that area we r talking about between 12-14 kits so that’s quite a bit of money there. Can anyone give me an idea where it can find it at the best price because Home Depot is over $230 each kit? Also the best recommendations on how to apply it to this big space. Thank u in advance
Shea says
These kits are designed for the DIY market Valia and generally are not sold as commercial product to contractors at lower rates. We recommend that you contact Rust-Oleum and ask if they have a distributor they could direct you to for such pricing. That said, this product may not be what you want. It’s not U.V. resistant and being exposed outside on a patio will cause the coating to amber after a while. These are indoor coatings only. If you still think polycuramine is the product for you, you may want to contact Citadel Floor Finishing. They are the ones who created polycuramine and sell it to contractors in large batches.
In regards to application, you need to keep a constant wet edge. If not, overlapping will be noticeable by roller marks. Contraction and expansion joints make for good borders.
Bill kincannon says
I need help finding a control crack filler, and are trying to keep costs within reason, be for starting my garage floor–I am using the RockSolid product. Any advise–Bill
Shea says
Hello Bill. Garage Flooring LLC has a couple excellent options that you can find here.
Yusra says
Hi shea, hope you are doing good and thanks for the above information. I actually want to have glitter floor in my concrete floor garage. now I am thinking to use
Rust-Oleum Tan RockSolid Garage Floor Coating – 2.5 Car Garage Kit and sprinkle glitter instead of flakes beacause it is better than epoxy. Is this product suitable for doing glitter floor and do i I need to use some top coating to seal the floor. If there is any better option for glitter floor I would really appreciate if you can suggest me and thanks for replying on my comment on other post 🙂
Shea says
You can find glitter for floor coating from Torginol Yusra. Here is a link. You will want to seal the glitter in with a clear top coat. If you don’t, it can make the floor harder to keep clean and bits of glitter will come up and get tracked into your cars and home. RockSolid makes a polycuramine clear coat that you can apply and will work very nicely.
Scott Ferguson says
Hi Shea,
I’ve applied the metallic Rock Solid to my 2.5 garage floor in 2 separate coats the I applied clear with anti slip. I’m happy with the finish but noticed when moving things back into the garage that a wet container on the base left a milky imprint which is very noticeable and I’m not too happy with. It was only wet from the rain and I left in on the floor over night and it has left a milky imprint. I’ve emailed the Rustoleum guys here in Sydney but not getting any response? Any tips please, I’ve spent a small fortune and not confident enough to bring my wet vehicle in yet?
Shea says
Hello Scott. It sounds like blushing occurred from the moisture. What was the humidity when you applied it (you mentioned rain) and how long did you wait before moving things back in? Humidity can affect curing times. If it wasn’t cured enough yet, the moisture that came in contact with it would cause it to turn white like that.
Scott Ferguson says
Thanks Shea,
I must admit it did rain through applications. The first one was applied with good weather there was a bit of rain around during the second. The clear went on and cured about 12 hours or more before I started to move stuff back in. It was during this period that over night my container left the permanent mark the next morning. It looks like I can’t do anything with the mark but Is there something I can do like apply another clear coat or coloured coat to prevent further marking?
Shea says
An additional clear coat will still show the white marks Scott. In order to put any additional coats down you will first need to rough up the surface with some 100 grit sandpaper, clean up the dust, and then wipe the surface down with denatured alcohol applied to a lint free towel or large rag. Generally these white marks or blushing do not go all the way through the clear coat. Check to see if sanding it aggressively will remove it. If it does, rough up the rest of the surface (just rough it up, you don’t have to aggressively sand like the white marks) and apply a new coat of clear. If not, you will need to put down a color coat first to hide the white marks.
Scott Ferguson says
Thanks Shea,
I’ll let you know how I go. Is denatured alcohol the same as Methylated spirits. I haven’t heard of it but I think it is the same. Us Aussies have different names over here? Haha
Shea says
Yes, that will work Scott.
Ethan says
Can this product be applied over VCT?
Shea says
Hello Ethan. Rust-Oleum does not recommend applying it over VCT that we know of. You would need to contact Rust-Oleum customer service and ask for a definite answer. What we can tell you is that not all coating do well over VCT. If you want to attempt it, you will need to strip all the wax off of the tile and then rough up the surface with 60 grit sandpaper to provide enough bite to form a mechanical bond.
Zach says
I have an older garage floor 30+ years old but in good condition. The surface is brushed. Can I just clean and acid etch before coating? Will the coating need to be built up alot to look decent? I have 624Sq ft area to cover and bought 1200sq ft worth to build up if needed.
Shea says
You can Zach, but we have know idea whether or not 2 coats will come out smooth – most likely not. RockSolid is approximately 3 mils dry film thickness. That’s about the same thickness as a sheet of notebook paper. Most broom finishes have much deeper grooves than that.
Josh Griffiths says
Hi,
I have put down a coat of rocksolid floor paint and am now wondering if a clear coat over the top is worth the cost? The only benefit I can see is it will ensure the plastic flakes don’t peel off. Would you recommend the clear coat or not?
Cheers
Shea says
A clear coat has a quite a few benefits Josh. You can read about them here.
Paul Hutchins says
My feedback after using this product…
I am a professional Paint contractor and have applied dozens of epoxy floors.
First off, I am extremely satisfied with the Rustoleum Epoxy -Shirld system and only tried RockSolid because I like using the premium products on customers floors.
Wrong idea for several reasons. Number one, the coverage is exaggerated to say the least. This in not only due to the fact you can’t spread it that thin, but also because the curing starts immediately upon bursting the packs. Even one pack at a time was so thick by the time we got it down, that we knew we were going to have a battle trying to keep the coating consistent.
The second and more distressing issue is the color variations from pack to pack are very noticeable upon completion.
We (unfortunately) used our first RockSolid on a 500sq.ft. Garage, and upon completion, had 3 very different colors (3 burst packs). Terrible.
After contacting customer service, they refunded the purchase price of the materials and recommended mixing all of part A in one container, all of part B in one container, then mixing portions as we progressed across the floor. We did this, and rolled perpendicular this time. The unexplainable happened, the second coat somehow activated the color variations and the previous 3 colors were still prevalent.
I called customer service again, but this time, they didn’t have a solution, nor a refund, nor a representative to help me resolve it.
I rented a sander and applied a third coat at my expense. Now, the customer reports that the water from the AC drips on the finish and it dulls out spots that won’t return to gloss.
Summery.
1) Every burst pack is a different color.
2) Customer service will leave you holding the bag when RockSolid fails to perform.
3) The gloss of the RockSolid color coat is better than the RockSolid clear coat. Clear is satin at best. Don’t clear coat it if you are successful with the color.
4) Do yourself a huge favor and spend half or less money. Use the Epoxy-Shield system. It works.
I hope to save someone a lot of headache and expense. I’m literally $2,100 deep now (less $600 refund) and have to sand and refinish with the Epoxy-Shield system. Another $400 or so plus rental floor sander.
Beware, and if you decide to use it, please follow up good or bad results.
Paul Hutchins
Total Painting Inc.
Hogansville Ga.
Shea says
Thanks for your input Paul. We have heard about the occasional issues regarding color uniformity as well. The whole idea behind the burst pouch is to simplify mixing. However, it sounds like mixing all of Part A in one container then all of Part B in a separate container and then mixing together in batches like typical epoxy is the best way forward if using more than one batch for a single coat.
Kevin says
Thank for this opportunity to help with my frustration in using Rock Solid garage floor paint. I have just completed my third coat and fish eyes cover about a third of the garage floor. The first coat the adsorption rate was very inconsistent. proceeded with second coat color changed as product cured and roller marks just got worse. third coat went on smooth with out color variation or roller marks. When it dried fish eyes everywhere and many spots had variations in color. I have followed the directions to the letter. The floor was 6 months cured the last coat completed at 6:00am prior temp hitting 80 degrees. I would to know if I should settle for the most recent application or try again. I do not want to spend another two hundred dollars if the result is the same. Thank you in advance for what ever suggestions you may have.
Shea says
Wow…. you definitely are having your share of issues Kevin. What’s interesting is that with the different problems people have reported, few have been for fish eyes. To be honest, it’s hard for us to recommend for you to continue or not. All we can do is tell you what generally causes these issues and how to avoid them.
Fish eyes are generally a product of either a contaminated surface (not cleaned well prior) or contact with moisture. High humidity levels or a high dew point can create a thin film of moisture at the surface that you cannot see. When the coating comes in contact with the moisture it naturally repels from it creating a fish eye effect. You said you applied it early morning and that is when humidity levels are at their highest. Hopefully this helps with your decision Kevin.
Brent Mossbarger says
Can this product be applied on top of newly set leveling compound (Custom Building Products LevelQuik Rapid Set) or does this surface also require etching/grinding first?
Shea says
Hello Brent. LevelQuik Rapid Set is an underlayment. Underlayments generally are not used for garage floors or outdoors because it is designed to have flooring such as wood, tile, and carpet applied over it. It is not a wear surface, it is not freeze thaw resistant, and it is not designed for vehicular use. We read the data sheets and it does not mention it being acceptable for coatings either. It also requires use of a latex primer. We suggest contacting the manufacturer if you are still interested.
What you want to use is a polymer-modified cement that is rated for outdoor use. Ardex K 301 is an example. These type of products are designed as a wear surface, they are freeze thaw rated, they do not require primers, they are rated for vehicular use, and they are generally rated at a minimum compressive strength of 4000 psi. Most polymer-modified cements will require grinding to prep for a concrete coating since they do not have enough free lime mixed in with the portland cement to create a reaction with the acid.
Bud Fox says
Wouldn’t a primer applied first solve the issue of the bubbles?
I’m thinking of using this product, but I was reading reviews on here and at homedepot.com. Really mixed. Although more expensive, it strikes me that going the 100% solids epoxy is the best route.
Shea says
An epoxy primer will address the issue of developing bubbles due to air being trapped in concrete pores when applied over bare concrete Bud, but in this particular case he is developing bubble after applying additional coats. These DIY kits, RockSolid, EpoxyShield, Valspar, and etc. are not designed with epoxy primers in mind. Epoxy primers can cost more than some of these kits and actually are more durable by themselves. An epoxy primer with a high solids or 100% solids epoxy base color coat is definitely a league above these DIY kits in terms of durability, but they do cost more initially. Add a high performance polyurethane or polyurea top coat to that and you have a commercial quality coating that will last 15 years or more.
Jim says
Just a report on my experience with Rocksolid
Porch and steps – Covered – Latex Paint on top of unknown paint – every year chips and peeling occurs – Size 265 sf ft
Prep – Grind to clean concrete / acid etch / wash with TSP
Multiple layers were planned
1 – Mocha 2 car garage – quoted coverage 250-500 sq feet – results barely covers 265 – results – as expected some soaked in more than other places also the pocks sucked in the coating from the surrounding area causing a ring – high gloss finish
2 – Firepot metallic – quoted coverage 100-125 sq ft – my area required 4 containers – results – as expected the steps are the hardest since it is so thin that the vertical surfaces it basically ran off of. Horizontal surfaces went ok again I think the coverage especially for a coating on top of the first was very low. And again areas that had small holes pulled in material from the edge causing rings.
Cost – excessive at this point $700 spent on product and I will have to get one more kit of Firepot to completely cover the holes and vertical part of the steps.
Cost analysis – Compared to Sherman-Williams epoxy there is no savings and I think epoxy would have covered better (quoted coverage was 100-150) since it is a thicker product.
Shea says
Yes, we believe RockSolid’s coverage rates are a bit exaggerated. Regarding the holes, do not expect epoxy to just fill them up. Holes should always be filled with an epoxy patch repair product first before applying a coating or you will still see where the holes were.
Jim says
Thanks Shea
What is a good filler to use? And I have now sanded the floor smooth (will have to double check that)
But I will say that Home Depot stood up and took care of me in replacing the product (correct name is Copper Pot) So I plan on coating the floor a second time.
After talking to Rustoleum / Rocksolid they recommend applying the coating in the late afternoon. The assumption is that due either air was whipped into the product when mixing or there wa moisture on the floor due to the high humidity we have here (no moisture detected when applying the paint)
Shea says
Glad to hear that Home Depot took care of you Jim. Moisture on the surface is extremely hard to detect when the humidity is high, but it can be there. All it takes is a very thin layer. An yes, be careful about mixing too fast or pumping the mixer up and down. It can entrap air which causes bubbles.
If you still have pockets after you have prepped the surface, you can pick up some Rust-Oleum Epoxy Patch at Home Depot. It’s a 2-Part grey epoxy that is fairly thick. Mix a little bit at a time and fill the holes with a putty knife making sure to get any trapped air out of the pocket. After it has cured for 12 hours or so, you will want to sand those spots as smooth as possible. It’s the same process as filling holes in wood and then sanding the repaired area smooth before painting.
Mike says
3 years ago I applied the rock solid garage floor coating and their recommended clear coat. I washed my floor this past weekend with water (no soap of any type added) and a final water rinse. The floor’s clear coat now has several “milky” appearing areas. Has this been noted before and are there any recommendations for return to original appearance?
Shea says
Mike, was this the new polycuramine coating by RockSolid or their older polyurea coating? A milky appearance usually only happens due to moisture present when applying epoxy in high humidity. Obviously this isn’t the case with your floor. Is this the first time you washed it? The only reason we think that it could be doing this is from water getting under the clear coat in those areas and condensing. Was the clear applied thin to stretch out the coverage rate? Of did you have a heavy flaked floor with only one coat of clear?
ken. says
have you heard about Flextones product? it has an Aliphate WCU base and a urethane topcoat. This company marketing it in Canada is from Vancouver B.C. but I believe it is manufactured in the US. it sounds like a prep isn’t as critical, but its pretty expensive. I have 700 sq ft garage . looking forward to your comments. BTW your information is greatly appreciated.
Shea says
Ken, we answered your original question here.
Chris says
I have a new garage that the concrete was not sealed. 24 x 30. Is it better to use power washer to clean? And should I use the Eco. Friendly solution from Rock solid or a more aggressive acid to clean. The floor is really smooth.
Shea says
If the concrete is new without stains Chris, then a pressure washer is just overkill. RockSolid’s etching solution is also a cleaner and degreaser in one. Generally we prefer a muriatic acid etch for most coatings, but with RockSolid the more aggressive profile the muriatic acid provides reduces the coverage rate of RockSolid and coating thickness since it penetrates well into the concrete. This has sometimes affected the look of the floor if only one coat is applied. We suggest using their product and then check the profile of the floor after it has dried. If the real smooth feeling is gone then you should be OK. If not, then you will want a more aggressive etch.