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.
Susan Dworaczyk says
Hello. I have just finished coating a 2.5 garage floor with Rustoleum Rock Solid Polycuramine. The garage floor had previously been coated with epoxy (twice).
Prior to the new application, the floor was sanded and primed with the Rustoleum primer for old concrete floors (the epoxy had adhered well, except for large tire gouges). Holes, tire gouges, and cracks were filled in with the recommended Rustoleum concrete patch that is compatible with the Rock Solid polycuramine product. After the patch had dried, was sanded, and thoroughly cleaned, I used the etch product that comes with the Rock Solid kit. The floor was thoroughly cleaned with no dust residue remaining.
Finally, the polycuramine product was applied (one coat), flakes added, and a day later a clear coat. The result is very nice, and the product worked as described.
All instructions were follwed to the letter (temperature, humidity, curing time, etc.) I am, however, concerned about hot tire pick up, as I have had trouble with tire gouges in the past.
My question is: Would adding a garage floor mat to park vehicles on help prevent the hot tire pick up? If so, which mat would be best?
Thank you for any recommendations you can provide. This installation was a lot of work and expense, and I don’t want to ruin the floor–but the purpose of the garage is to give the cars a place to be protected from elements!
Shea says
Hello Susan. Yes, a parking mat would solve the problem. The reason for the hot tire lift is due to one or two issues. The first is that concrete primer should never be used with floor coatings. It’s latex acrylic paint and not compatible with coatings. In addition, it does not adhere to properly prepared concrete as well as epoxy. It essentially creates a weak link throughout the entire floor. The second issue may have been the epoxy that was used. If it was a low solids, water-based epoxy like Rust-Oleum EpoxyShield or similar, they are susceptible to hot tire pickup to begin with. RockSolid does not have issues with hot tire pickup if it’s applied direct to concrete (no concrete paint primer). Hopefully, you roughed up the surface of the old epoxy with 120 grit sandpaper before applying RockSolid. Etching does not work on coatings.
Susan Dworaczyk says
Thank you so much. What type of mat would you recommend?
Shea says
We would recommend any of the mats from this vendor here. They have the lowest prices and best quality. Plus, shipping is free. Just choose a pattern you like and a size that is slightly larger than your vehicle/s.
Steve A says
Shea,
Are you stating that Rustoleum Recoat primer should not be used with Polycuramine? Its a newer product designed to be used with it. Just making sure and thanks for your feedback
Shea says
Rust-Oleum Recoat Primer should only be used over bare concrete that has previously been sealed or coatings that are adhered properly. It’s not for bare, unsealed concrete. It’s only warrantied to work with Rust-Oleum paints and coatings. While the adhesion level passes Rust-Oleum standards, it does not achieve the same adhesion as a properly prepared surface. It was designed for the DIY public that does not want to go through the required prep for such surfaces and only plans on using DIY residential quality coatings. We did an article on the Rust-Oleum Recoat Primer here.
Rudy Gonzalez says
Just finished clearcoat on new rocksolid dark grey floor coating. I am disappointed with the thickness of the clearcoat I was expecting a deeper finish and I use the 90oz for 2.5 cars. At $170 a box for 2 1/2 garage box would it even out with 2 coat or can I put in another ploycuramine product that would give me a deeper finis
Shea says
Hi Rudy. The initial look of depth comes from the color coat. A clear coat then accentuates that depth. Most all clear coats are thin anyways. Depth is achieved when using commercial quality, high-performing color coats. 90-100% solids epoxy is an example. It can be applied from 9 – 20 mils thick in one coat. RockSolid polycuramine color coat and clear coats are thin at 3 mils and cannot be applied in one thick coat or it will bubble and not cure correctly. Multiple color coats of RockSolid will not change the appearance of depth, nor will more clear coats. You would have to apply a completely different product.
Rudy Gonzalez says
Thanks for the heads up on trying additional coats at 3 mils not going to achieve what I was looking for. Anyhow it still will look better than it did before.
Thanks for the quick response and for saving me the additional expense.
Daniel says
Hi , I have applied the Rock Solid Dark Grey and have the issue of the small areas with no shine . Can I repost with Rustoleum Shimmer Clear coat with no issues or another product ?
Shea says
Hi Daniel. You need to apply another coat of RockSolid Dark Grey if you want to solve the color issue. You have up to 7 days to apply another coat before further prep is required. Adding a clear coat would only highlight the problem. FYI, Rust-Oleum Shimmer Clear is an inferior coating and should not be used. It’s a water-based acrylic clear that will not perform well in a garage environment. One of the primary rules for concrete coatings is that the clear coat should be just as durable in not more so than the color coat. RockSolid clear would be the correct clear coat to use.
Daniel says
Thanks
Zeke says
Thanks to your great advice—I feel much more prepared for putting down RockSolid in my garage. I am planning on using slightly over double the amount of recommended product. I have two questions. First, I have a wall type curb of about 6”. How best to “cut-in” this while laying down the floor—from a process standpoint.
My second question is this—if I am applying 4 of the mixed bags and I have the floor marked out accordingly and I switch out the roller heads…how do I best deal with where the areas overlap to best blend so that with my seamless floor you will not be able to tell where my application quadrants were.
I also read something about “color blending”…which I can’t imagine I can do given the curing time? Please explain best practices if you could when using 4 bags.
Thanks so much. Zeke
Shea says
Hi Zeke. Do the 6″ stem walls first. The expansion joint between the stem wall and the slab acts as a natural border. Stem walls are typically rougher than the floor and will use more product. If you still have some of the coating remaining, start applying it in the back of the garage and then slightly overlap with the next kit. As long as you are keeping a wet edge, you will not be able to tell where one mixed batch ended and the next batch started. You have about 10-15 minutes to begin applying more. This is why it’s good to have a helper that can begin mixing a new batch just before you finish applying the current one. However, if it’s just you, it can be done in enough time with RockSolid as long as you plan ahead. As an FYI, tossing color flakes at the wall can be tricky if that is what you plan to do. Use small pinches and stand back when you do it. There will be a lot that will fall to the bare concrete that you can sweep and recover to use again.
The 2.5 car RockSolid kits have two separate batches per box to mix. The colors should match since they are from the same color batch at the factory. However, there is no guarantee that two separate boxes/kits of RockSolid will color match. We called Rust-Oleum and there is no way to tell which color batch each box came from. If one 2.5 car kit will cover the entire floor, then there should not be a need to batch mix. If it will require more than a 2.5 box kit for one coat, then you may need to color batch. We discuss that procedure here. Also, do not apply RockSolid in one thick coat. It will cause bubble and not cure correctly.
Howard says
Thanks for all the help you provide us. Here’s my plan for a shop floor:
* 940 sq ft
* 5 pouches of polycuramine ( about 190 sq ft per pouch )
* 6 backs paint flakes (6 lbs, 150 sq ft per lb. )
* 4 pouches of clear ( about 235 sq ft per pouch )
* 0-6 8 oz. packs of anti-skid
Use, typically wood working, but metal work (lathe, mill, welding. . .) and anything else diy happens in here. No cars though.
Questions:
* is 190 sq ft per pouch of polycuramine adequate considering the added clear coat too?
* I’m looking for a medium / Heavey chip coat, but certainly not full coverage. Is 6 bags (6 lbs.) of flakes adequate?
* I assume clear coat at 235 sq ft per pouch is adequate since the floor has the base coat on it already, is this a good assumption?
* I don’t want a slippery floor, there may be an occasional liquid spill, yet I’m not a big fan of anti-skid texture. Do I need it with the chip application above, maybe reduce the anti-skid by 1/2, 1/4. . .none?
Thanks for all your help!
*
Shea says
Hello Howard. Your material estimation looks good. You might want to reduce a pound of flakes per 150 square feet if you want medium to heavy coverage. You will get a better idea once you start tossing them if you need the extra pound or not. The color flakes are not going to provide anti-slip. You need to add the anti-slip media for that. As long as you are using a polymer bead and not aluminum oxide, it will still be smooth enough for bare feet and you can sweep or mop with ease. It just tones down the gloss a little.
If you’ve read the article and many of the comments, then I’m sure you are aware of the color tone issues and color mismatch that people have had. Hopefully, you should not have color tone issues with the conservative coverage rate. However, there is a possibility of having a color match issue between kits. You might want to batch mix the colors to ensure even color throughout the floor.
Howard kinkade says
Thanks for the input. I changed up my anti slip per your recommendation. I have a couple more questions:
* I have a one car kit, plus the large box of 4 pouches. Are the four pouches likely to be from the same color lot?
* the control joints in my floor are exceptionally deep, +1”. I’d like it fill the joints completely, yet the cost would likely be more than I want to spend. To minimize the difficulty of retrieving small stuff from the cracks I’m considering only partially filling cracks with something that would pour in easy and self level and not too costly. Any recommendations?
Shea says
Hi Howard. If you have one box with four kits in it, then they should be from the same color batch. If you are referring to contraction/control joints, then 1″ deep is correct. They need to be cut or troweled to a depth that is 25% the thickness of the slab (typically 4″). If you want to keep costs down, then we recommend filling the joint with a polyurethane self-leveling sealant after you are finished coating the floor. SikaFlex is an example.
Howard says
I’m making good progress on the floors, soon I’ll be applying the finish. Note to everyone – huge shoutout to Legacy and their Extreme Set 100. I used it to fill my control joints. It’s a wonderful product!
Ok my question: should I lightly scrap the floor after flakes are added or sense I’m top coating with clear is this necessary?
Shea says
Hi Howard. Yes, the Xtreme Set 100 is an excellent product. Since you are going with a medium to heavy flake coverage, it would be wise to lightly scrape the surface to knock down any flakes that are standing on edge. If not, they can poke through the clear coat.
Howard says
One last question before I coat the floor. As indicated I filled all the control joints with extreme set and ground smooth; pressure washed floor and the acid etched with the rustoleum acid etch from the kit. The ground areas were the extreme set was ground are, as expected, more porous than the acid etched surface. Will this be notably visible with my coverage plans noted in my original post?
Shea says
Hi Howard. Though you are applying a coverage that should provide good color uniformity, it’s still not as thick as commercial quality coatings that would adequately cover the more porous areas without issue in one coat. You may be OK, but we can’t say for sure with confidence. What you may want to do is apply a very thin coating over those areas first with a little bit of the first mixed batch. Those areas may begin to set up enough before you reach them that when you run over them with the actual coat it will not allow that coat to penetrate more and thin out.
Howard says
How about I add one more pouch of polycuramine ( 6 pouches for 950 sq ft vs the 5 originally planned?
Shea says
You have to be careful about how thick you apply a single coat, Howard. It’s not like a 100% solids epoxy that can be applied up to 20 mils or more in one coat. The recommended coverage rate by Rust-Oleum results in a 3 mil dry film thickness. You can get up to 6 mils, but no more. That is a coverage rate of 125 square feet per mixed batch. If you go thicker, the coating will create bubbles and other cosmetic issues as it cures.
Howard says
Ok if I use 6 pouches my coverage is 155 sq / ft per pouch, 5 pouches is 185 sq / ft per pouch. Am I pushing my luck at 6? I’m not certain if temperature makes a difference, but I suspect concrete is in the low 60’s to high 50’s deg f.
Shea says
Hi Howard. As long as the temperature and substrate stay above 40 degrees during application and curing, the temps won’t make a difference if you go with an extra batch or not.
Howard says
Well the floor is done and turned out very well. I used the five pouches of color for the 950 sq ft, batch mixed the color. About one pound of flakes per pouch and four pouches of clear. Thanks for all the help and suggestions, great sight and very helpful. I’ll check in again in a year to two and let folks know how it holds up, but first indications and very positive.
Shea says
That’s great to hear, Howard. We are glad it turned out well and look forward to your progress report.
William David Allen says
Hello,
I’m wanting to use this polycuramine clear coat over my 2 part epoxy garage flooring I did 3 days ago. Do you know if I can just apply this over epoxy?
Thank you
William
Shea says
Hello William.
Polycuramine has not been tested or approved for compatibility with epoxy when applied to achieve a chemical bond within the recoat window. However, you are past the recoat window for a coating to be applied over the epoxy without further prep anyways. In other words, it’s too late to obtain a chemical bond.
Once epoxy has exceeded the recoat window you can apply any coating you like over it. This included polycuramine. In order to do so, it requires that you degloss and rough up the surface with 120 grit sandpaper. This allows for the clear coat to obtain the proper mechanical bond. If this is not done, the clear coat will peel.
Niles Fox says
Urgent question. I had a bad result putting down the 1 car garage Rocksolid garage floor coating (polycuramine) and would like to coat over the first application. However, I already put down the decorative flakes on the first application. Is it a bad idea to try and coat over this? Afraid the flakes will create imperfections in the second coat (?). I have until Tue (29th) to do this if I want to be within the magic 7 day window for second coats.
Shea says
Hi Niles. Yes, you can coat right over the decorative flakes. You may or may not see the outline of them as the coating cures, but most of it is camouflaged by the application of more decorative color flakes. What went wrong with the first coat? Make sure to sand out first any imperfections that you may have such as bubbles or ridges.
Niles Fox says
Shea. Thanks for the quick reply! The first application was very odd. I did everything by the book. The garage had never actually been used as a garage as it had been converted to a room. When I renovated the house I converted it back to a garage. The concrete had some dried adhesive on it which I easily removed with polisher & grinding attachment followed by an etching attachment. It was absolutely clean with no stains. I did not use the chemical etcher. I applied the product with the supplied roller with no issues and flaked it as I went. It looked great when I was finished. As it dried however I began to notice a blackish ting appearing that was most apparent at the back of the garage where I started and faded out toward the entrance where I finished. Many of the roller overlaps were also bracketed by a blackish ting. It’s especially noticeable in the very corner where I first started. The only explanation I can come up with is that the colorant in the (defective?) BLACK roller that was supplied had leached into the polycuramine then was purged back out by phase separation as drying occurred. Like I said, very odd. Unfortunately it wasn’t noticeable as I was applying the coating otherwise I would have just stopped. I wrote Rust-oleum with the complete story and sent them pictures and they are refunding my purchase but didn’t comment one way or another. At least there’s that! Too bad I can’t attach pictures here, it’s really unusual. Needless-to-say I won’t be using the supplied roller if decide to do it over!
Shea says
Hello Niles. It very well could have been from the roller. Another possible reason for the blackish color may be the concrete prep. RockSolid is a thin coating that penetrates concrete well. The grinding opens up the pores of the concrete much better than etching and allows for easier penetration of a coating in order to achieve the best possible mechanical bond. When the RockSolid coating is applied it penetrates deeper than intended as it cures. When this happens, the coating becomes too thin. As a result, it can develop a matte finish with the darker concrete color showing through the coating. It essentially acts as a primer coat. A second coat fixes the problem. How many square feet is your floor? We would not recommend exceeding 160 square feet of coverage for a single car kit on a floor that was treated via grinding or this can occur.
Niles Fox says
Thanks for the additional feedback Shea. You may be right, hard to say. If so, then putting this down has more nuances then I might have expected. I went ahead and applied a second coat yesterday (used a specialty “epoxy” roller). Once again it looked great when I finished. This is in a rental property that I’m getting ready to sell and I only had about 2 hrs to watch it dry before I had to leave. The only unusual thing I observed were some rather large bubbles appearing in a few spots, primarily where the previous tinged coating was. I’m hoping when I go back to see it this won’t have spread. The garage is ~180 sq ft and I’d say I had just enough coating to do the job each time. It took me 1hr and 10 min to put it down. Temp was ~52 degrees. Going up to 60 today so it should dry enough to walk on by the end of the day-I hope, need to finish the trim. I’ll not be driving any cars on it and won’t be around to see how durable it turns out to be but will post my final impressions.
Niles Fox says
Update. Upon returning to the job I found the “bubbles” (1/4-1/2″ diameter) actually appeared throughout the floor. They were pretty sporadic and collapsed to create spot-like rings on further drying. They are noticeable but not that big of a deal and overall the floor looks great. That said, if there are any thoughts on how I might avoid these bubbles next time around I’m all ears. I’d really like to do this again on my 3 car garage at home in the future but would like it to be as near perfect as possible. I suppose getting the first coat right would be one solution but want to be ready for any contingency!
Shea says
Hi Niles. Bubbles like that are commonly called “fish eyes” when they appear in coatings. It’s typically a sign of reacting to a contaminant. The coating actually repels the contaminant by forming bubbles that collapse around it. Did you clean the surface before applying the second coat?
Niles Fox says
Thanks for the follow-up Shea. I didn’t clean the floor before the second coat since the garage was thoroughly cleaned originally and had been virtually “sealed” since the first coat was put down with zero foot traffic. It was literally as clean as an operating room. I probably would have introduced more contaminants trying to clean it. That said, I can’t rule out that something got tracked in on my shoes while I was putting down the second coat despite being careful not to do so. More likely the “contaminant” was a carryover from that which screwed up my first application. In any case, the “fish eyes” are not a big deal so I’m moving on. The floor actually looks very nice and has a high, even gloss throughout. I am wonder though if I would have been better off just going with standard epoxy-based product instead of polycuramine? Don’t know if one is more “reactive” than the other or maybe more temperature sensitive? I would have preferred to have done this when the weather was warmer and more consistent but I needed to get this house on the market.
Shea says
Hi Niles. No, all coatings react the same to contaminants. Epoxy would have been no different. Polycuramine does allow you to apply it in cooler temperatures than epoxy.
Niles Fox says
Good to know.
Thanks for all your help Shea!
Signing out for now…
Stu MacMillan says
Our neighbors had a subcontractor install an epoxy product on their garage floor, and every time we went outside, my wife complained about the smell which seemed to last for about a week before the oder was gone. Based on what I’ve read, I’d like to use the RockSolid Polycuramine product on my garage floor, will it have the same smell that lasts for multiple days? I also would not want to use it if it had an ongoing toxicity. What are your thoughts?
Shea says
Hello Stu. No, RockSolid does not have much of an odor. Solvents in coatings are what causes the odor. As the coating cures, the solvents evaporate and create a smell that eventually dissipates. RockSolid has very little solvents in it. You will notice a slight smell as you apply it, but that goes away fairly quickly. Keep in mind, RockSolid is not a high-quality commercial garage floor coating. It will not be as nearly as thick and durable as what your neighbor had installed.
Milan says
Hi,
I Plan to use the RockSolid 2 part dark grey polycuramine in next few days.
My worry is the dark spots from the oils/grease that have been there for years.
I tried few products and power washed with 3000 psi to clean them off but no luck in removing the dark stains and patches. Also some tire marks.
Will these show up after I apply the rock solid ? I plan to power wash and clean one more time on the day i apply it and also use extra bag of chips as well for mid/heavy look.
Thank you in advance!
Shea says
Hello Milan. The concrete being darker in those areas is not necessarily bad. Once that actual oil has been removed, it can still impart a permanent stain that does not have a bearing on adhesion – if the actual oil is gone. The same goes for tire marks. Once you properly etch the concrete as required, do a water drop test in those areas once the concrete is completely dry (24 hours minimum, longer if it’s humid). Sprinkle some water drops in those areas and observe their reactions. If the concrete turns a little darker and absorbs the water fairly easily, then you are good to go. However, if the water beads or just sits there for quite a while before being absorbed, then you have more work to do.
Milan says
Thank you for quick response Shea, you are awesome!
Regarding the water test, I added some water today around the dark spots and within 5 to 10 minutes, I could see about 30% of it was gone. Temp was under 60 degree with no direct sunlight. Color was also darker where water got soaked.
Also, yesterday, I used this 3 in 1 product from Seal-Krete’s Clean, Degrease and Etch, and had it brushed and power washed. I still see the dark spots and i don’t think this product made a huge difference. Its not really slippery though and almost same as other areas of concrete, its just very dark.
Couple of more questions I have is, – would it be a good idea if I grind the affected areas with hand grinder? Will this help with absorption and remove dark spots? Hoping to avoid grinder as i don’t have the tool. Assuming orbital sander for woodworking with about 60 grits wont work on concrete.- I believe Rock-solid comes with etching as well. Should I do another etching on the day of actual application? since i did it yesterday, not sure if doing it once more creates other issues.Thanks again!
Shea says
Hi Milan. Taking that much time means you need to clean them up better. A few drops of water or teaspoon should be absorbed within a minute. The fact that the spot is dark is not the problem. The problem is that there is still oil or chemicals from the tires leaching that is blocking liquid penetration. Light grinding and then cleaning afterwards will definitely help. I would recommend reading our article about cleaning oil spots. And yes, use the supplied etch by RockSolid. The Seal-Krete product is even less aggressive than what RockSolid provides.
Vivienne says
Hi. Is the Rocks old finish non slip? Thanks
Shea says
Hello Vivienne. No, it was not non-slip. Most coatings will be slippery to some extent when wet.
Karel Fort says
You didn’t mention anything about VOC and odor compared to other paints and coatings. Do I have to use chips? Is it only decorative or something else?
Shea says
Hello Karel. We mention in the article that it has a low VOC content and is low odor. If you click on the information link we provided you can see that Rust-Oleum has updated it to VOC free. The color flakes are decorative only and do not serve any other purpose. You do not have to apply them if you don’t want to.
Tito says
Hi, I just applied the garage and clear coatings, the RockSolid garage was more VOC than the Clear coat. I found out that if you try to ventilate the area it makes it worse, as in it will be more noticeable in a wider distance. So I turned off the fan and it was better by being more settled in the area. The clear coating was very low VOC, although still noticeable within a few feet. Definitely wear a respirator, I had to remove mine for a quick second during the Garage coat and wow it was very strong.
Shea says
Hi Tito. I was going to reply to this with your other question about your clear coat issue but thought it best for others to hear this as well. RockSolid has a 96% solids content. The remaining 4% is a variety of surfactants, some of which are solvents. Most of the solvents that represent this 4% number do not have VOCs. This is why it is approved for use indoors within the home. In addition, the color coat is the same as the clear coat. It is just tinted for color. It is also the same for their metallic coatings. The metallic tinting is actually mixed into the clear coat before you apply it.
VOCs are measured in grams per liter or g/L. Any product with less than 5 g/L VOCs is technically considered a no VOCs product. RockSolid has less than 1 g/L of VOCs for both clear and tinted products. You can review their data sheets here. You cannot create more VOCs than what is actually present. Respirators are NOT required.
I bring this up because there is an abundance of misinformation on the internet, home improvement centers, and many DIY forums about coatings. Making claims like this is how this misinformation gets started. Also, never run a fan during or after a coating is applied. Coatings do not dry like paint. They cure due to a chemical reaction that is created with the reaction of a catalyst. This is how they become very hard. Running air across the surface can create many cosmetic issues including bubbles.
We do not doubt your claim that there was a strong smell (which is unusual). It may have been created by running the fan across the surface. However, it was not VOCs. If you have any concerns about the smell, we suggest contacting Rust-Oleum to discuss. This is only meant as constructive criticism and we don’t mean to sound harsh. We can understand how you may have come to this conclusion about VOCs without knowing much about the product.
Tito says
Yesterday I applied the RockSolid Garage and today the Clear Coating, and in one small area overnight water leaked onto the clear coat before it was dry. There is a hazy discoloration, what is the best correction for this? I am hoping to get a quick response since I have just 5 days left before the option to apply an additional coat on the area closes. I am leaning toward applying another coat to that area because I am doing another section and will have the clear coat available to use there. But I am really not convinced the discolorized area can be blended. My only hope is to add more chips there, but it would be great if just the clear coat actually did the correction. Anybody have experience with this situation? Thanks.
Shea says
Hello Tito. RockSolid polycuramine is a proprietary formula of epoxy, polyurethane, and polyurea. Hopefully the water created an amine blush on the surface. This is something that can happen with epoxy. It’s a hazy substance on the surface that is water soluble. Try cleaning it first with a solution of 1-part ammonia to 6-parts water. Just scrub the surface lightly. However, if it reacted with the polyurethane contents of the coating, it may be embedded within the clear coat. If so, you will need to sand it out before applying a new coat of clear.
Tito says
Thanks. I think it’s going to need a coat of the garage to blend, I scrubbed it with a towel and a very thin skin of the clear layer removed which is good and bad. The discoloration to the original black is obvious, but I think another coat of clear and chips might be a good work around. They don’t sell touch up packages of this stuff so it’s not something that I want to spend over 100 to fix. It would be great if they had smaller touch up packs.
Chris says
Recently we coated our garage floor with Rust-Oleum Gray 2.5 car garage kit. It came out nice but I noticed there were dimples where the sprinkles were. I wanted to apply the Clear coat (292514) as a sealant but it is not available. Further research turned up your articles on Rocksolid products now being ofered through Rust-Oleum. Can I use the Rocksolid Polycuramine clear over the Rust-Oleum gray? If so what product number should I ask for?
Shea says
Hello Chris. Yes, you can use Rust-Oleum Rocksolid clear polycuramine. Here is an example. It will require that you degloss the current epoxy surface first by scuffing it up with 120 grit sandpaper. Sweep/vac and then do a chemical wipe with denatured alcohol or equivalent using a microfiber mop pad. Ten minutes or so after that you can apply the RockSolid.
Donn says
Hello Chris,
I applied a 2nd coat of Rust-Oleum Rocksolid in gray as I didn’t quite have enough to finish my 400 sf garage floor. I had used the Rust-Oleum degreaser and followed the directions to apply Rust-Oleum Redcoat primer over a well-bonded paint. After putting on the 2nd coat, I was away from the floor for seven days and and returned to discover a few sticky patches. Can I add a 3rd coat? Should I wipe it clean and then recoat those areas? I thought I mixed the bags well, but I am wondering if the tacky areas are the result of some of the bag not being mixed well enough? Tips?
Shea says
Hello Donn. Your assessment is most likely correct. If there are areas that are still tacky, then that is a sign that it was not mixed appropriately. Rust-Oleum typically recommends applying another coat. The new coat has a tendency to reactivate the uncured areas and allow them to harden. However, you are past the recoat window. It will require that you degloss the surface first by scuffing it with 120-150 grit sandpaper and then wiping the surface down with denatured alcohol or equivalent. Before you start, we recommend calling Rust-Oleum Customer Service and tell them what has happened. They do a good job of working with the end consumer and will advise what to do. They may even supply you with a free kit as many of our readers have reported after they contacted them.
Mike B says
I am planning to apply Rocksolid Polycuramine to my 900 square foot garage and plan to place the clearcoat as well. Do you know if you can apply flake to full rejection with this product? I hope to apply the flake, then knock down with a plastic scraper and vacuum before clearcoating. How long do I have to wait to apply the clearcoat? I can see in the literature that I have up to 7 days to recoat, but can’t see how long to wait as a minimum between coats.
Shea says
Hi Mike. No, RockSolid is the wrong product to use for a full flake coverage. It is a thin coating with an average of only 3 mils dry film thickness under ideal conditions. It’s thinner than a color flake which is approximately 5 mils thick. There is not sufficient enough wet coating to accept and adhere to all the color flakes that are required. This is one of many reasons why RockSolid does not sell a full flake or even heavy color flake coverage kit. Technically, you can apply the RockSolid garage kit at half the coverage rate (same coverage rate as the metallic version) which will double the dry film thickness to accept all those flakes. This would require 4 2.5 car kits for a single coat. In addition, there is the issue of the required clear coat. One clear coat is not sufficient to cover all those flakes. It requires a minimum of two coats with an average overall thickness of 4.5 mils to cover all the nooks and crannies created by the color flakes. For some reason, Rust-Oleum charges almost the same price for one 90-ounce clear coat kit as a 2.5 car kit which is 180 total ounces. It needs to be applied at 3 mils dry film thickness which would equate to 1 clear kit at a coverage rate of 250 square feet. With the reduced coverage rate of the first coat due to all the nooks and crannies of the color flakes, you would require approximately 5 clear coat kits for the first coat and 4 for the second. Based on the best current prices we could find, it would cost $2800 in coating materials alone. This does not include the 135 lbs of color flakes required for 900 square feet. That would cost approximately $700.
A proper full flake coverage requires the use of a high solids epoxy coating (85% or greater) or a polyaspartic or polyurea coating that has a minimum 5-6 mils dry film thickness in a single coat. A full flake epoxy kit includes an epoxy coating primer, high solids epoxy color coat, full color flakes, and the proper amount of clear. It would be almost twice as thick as attempting it with RockSolid and would cost less. Here is an example of a quality vendor that sells such kits. They also sell a full color flake polyurea kit for less money than the epoxy kit.
Rick says
Used Rock Solid in previous garage and went down great. Etched floor. Two coats of Gray Epoxy, then a clear coat. Easy, looked great’
Built a new garage and purchased Rock Solid again. Etched floor, two coats of Epoxy, went well. Waited a few days for the clear coat. It wont dry, Very tacky after 48 hours. Now what? Good luck getting anyone from there to help. Do I put another coat of clear on top of the tacky coat? Please help.
Shea says
Hello Rick. When a coating is still tacky after two days, it’s typically an indication that something went wrong with the mixing. It tends to happen more with the burst pouch technology because you can’t tell what condition the two components are in, particularly the hardener, before they are mixed. Rust-Oleum will sometimes recommend applying a new coat over the tacky one. The reasoning behind it is that hardener in the new coat will help to activate the rest of the resin in the tacky one. However, if that doesn’t work, it requires scraping it all off the color coats and starting over.
Rust-Oleum Customer Service is only open 5 days a week. We recommend contacting them Monday and explaining the problem. They have a reputation for providing new kits at no charge when such issues arise.
Gary Fredrickson says
Am I correct that this Polycuramine may not be commercial quality? My concern is with the extreme cold temperatures and salt we get in Wisconsin. what do you recommend? Thanks
Shea says
Hello Gary. You are correct. RockSolid polycuramine is a residential quality coating and is not considered commercial quality. In addition, it is very thin. While it may stand up to a couple of winters, it will not do well in the long run. We would recommend a single-part polyurea coating system instead. We discuss single-part polyurea here and explain why it’s one of the best commercial quality DIY systems to apply.
Gary says
Thanks for your quick reply. I will check that out
victor castillo says
Good morning, I just laid down a coat of rocksolid and came out pretty good except for 2 sections of my garage floor. Will have to recoat with same color on those sections in question. My question is, which is the better clear topcoat for a rocksolid application? Rustoleum “concrete and garage clear finish topcoat”? or the Rustoleum Clear topcoat? The only thing available at my local box store is the concrete and garage clear finish topcoat. I did my research and found out that the clear finish topcoat has a much lower solid percentage (24-27%) vs the polycuramine clear topcoat of (96%). Which one should I apply?
Shea says
Hello Victor. RockSolid is a polycuramine coating. The products you mentioned are not compatible. Rust-Oleum Concrete and Garage Clear Finish Top Coat is a much lower-performing acrylic coating and should only be applied to paint or 1-part epoxy paint (not coatings). Rust-Oleum Clear Top Coat is an epoxy coating and should only be applied to epoxy. What you need to apply is RockSolid Clear Top Coat. RockSolid allows for up to 7 days to apply additional coats before further prep is required.
Joe says
Can the RockSolid Clear Coat be applied directly over 1 layer of the same RockSolid Clear Coat without prep/abrasion to surface?
Shea says
Hi Joe. RockSolid allows recoats without any additional prep within 7 days of the last coating application. If it’s past the 7 days, then you will need to prep the surface properly.
Mike says
I am building a new home and would like to cover the garage floor before using it. Do I need a concrete prep step before a surface cover on new concrete? What product might you recommend to me; the Rock Solid or one of the higher solid products. This garage will store two vehicles and have a small woodworking area. It is a 2.5 car garage.
Thanks
Shea says
Hi Mike. How many square feet is your floor? The amount of material purchased is always based on square feet and not approximate sizing such as a 2.5-car garage. Do you want just a color coat or a color coat with flakes and a clear coat to protect the flakes and color coat? You definitely need to prep the concrete. This article here explains why.
Larry Carre says
In your update, you mentioned that there are better coverings than Rock solid. What are these products. Thanks
Shea says
Hello Larry. We provide two links in the update section for those products. The links are underlined in red. Here is one of them.
Ed Sanders, Jr. says
Hello,
I just applied RockSolid to half of my 960 sq. ft. garage floor, yesterday. The floor is brand new concrete, never sealed and poured about 6 months ago. I used the Tan High Gloss which advertises to cover 450-500 sq. ft. I followed the instructions to the letter, covering the floor as instructed and applying the decorative chips.
Today, when I look at it, there are areas where it’s obvious that the coating is thin and the color is inconsistent.
I’m thinking that I should apply another coat, but can it be applied over the decorative chips? Furthermore, I’m unhappy with Rust-Oleum’s advertising of adequate coverage. I’m going to have to make a decision quickly so if I can apply over the first coat, I can do so before it’s too late. Thank you for any advice.
Shea says
Hi Ed. Yes, this is a common complaint which we discuss in the article above. RockSolid allows up to seven days to apply additional coats of RockSolid. As long as you are in that seven day window, you will be fine. It’s OK to go right over the decorative color flakes.