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 says
Hi, I just had a contractor use this product for my garage floor. Two coats were applied just over a week ago, and the floor looks nice…but is still very sticky. Is it really taking this long to dry or did something go wrong?
Shea says
Hello Richard. No, something went wrong and it’s most likely to do with how they mixed it. If it’s still sticky then the curing process has been inhibited. RockSolid should not be tacky after about 8 – 12 hours. When applied correctly, you can drive on it within a couple of days after application. We suggest contacting Rust-Oleum and tell them about your issue. Sometimes they will recommend applying another coat as it will help the tacky coat to activate and cure properly. They will ask a few questions to determine if that is the case or not.
Kim Henry says
Hello, I am about to apply this product to my basement floor and after reviewing the directions carefully, I am concerned about the fumes it produces. If I shut off the gas to my hot water heater and allow a fan to vent out through the garage, how long will it be before I can relight my pilot light?
Shea says
Hello Kim. Most of the fumes you will encounter is during the application process and a few hours afterwards. You should be able to relight your pilot light after that. While it does have a distinct smell, the fumes are not heavy with this product and we hear very little complaints about it.
Therese says
If I am are putting two coats on, should I wait until the second coat to use the color flakes? How long do I wait before I can put on the second coat? Also, Rustoleum suggests an anti-slip additive. Since I can’t add that to the bags, could I mix that with a clear top coat?
Shea says
Hi Therese. The color flakes are added immediately after the final color coat. Clear is recommended to lock in the flakes and it makes for a good medium for the anti-skid as well.
Jim says
I purchased the Rust-oleum Rocksolid Garage Floor Coating Kit (Industrial grade polycuramine) about 1 year ago (in July 2017) and I have not had the chance to use it yet. Is it still usable or do I need to trade it in for a “fresher” box?
Thank you for the help
Shea says
Hi Jim. 1 year is the average shelf life for coatings. We suggest contacting Rust-Oleum and they can tell you if it will OK to use or not based off the batch number or serial number on the box.
Eric says
I just messed up, big time. I applied the RockSolid floor and it looked pretty nice, albeit with a few small holes and cracks. I thought it might be a good idea to put on a top coat and at the store I saw that there was a Rust-Oleum EpoxyShield clear coat that says it could go on coated or uncoated floors. I thought, perfect! Well, I should have known, but with the high gloss finish of the RockSolid it looks like this top coat isn’t taking. It’s been a few hours now I’m wondering how much I messed it all up. Will it eventually at least dry and harden and just not adhere well, so I’ll have to sand and redo the floor sooner? Or is it going to stay sticky and in globs? I now know that I should have purchased the RockSolid polycuramine top coat to go with the floor. As I said, I messed up.
Shea says
Hello Eric. I’m not sure what you mean by “not taking”. It does take a little longer to cure than RockSolid. Also, the EpoxyShield clear should adhere, but it’s not nearly as glossy as the RockSolid clear. We recommend that you contact Rust-Oleum customer support if the epoxy remains tacky. They should be able to walk you through the process.
Eric says
Thanks so much, Shea! I guess I was worried that the slick surface of the polycuramine floor would prevent the EpoxyShield top coat from adhering. As you said, it is just slower to dry. It’s not as shiny, there seems to be a bunch of tiny bubbles or grains of some sort. But at least it’s drying. I don’t care too much about the shiny appearance, it was nice but with the chips it looks fine. Thanks again for responding!
Joel says
The home we purchased had carpet on the garage floor. I need to remove the adhesive used for the carpet prior to cleaning and prepping correct? Or can I just clean prep, etch and apply?
Shea says
Hi Joel. Yes, the adhesive has to be completely removed first. Generally a chemical adhesive stripper can be used. Etching will not work on adhesives.
Cam says
Be sure to try water before you purchase a chemical stripper for the carpet adhesive. I had the same situation and water was all I needed.
Ben says
Hi!
Your website has been very helpful with my plans to finish my garage floor with RockSolid pearlescent blue, which is a translucent finish. I have de-greased, cleaned and sanded my floor but I still have quite a bit of discoloration from deep staining and repair compound. Would a self-leveling primer help to make the color more uniform? Thanks for any help!
Shea says
Hello Ben. The coating is not translucent, but it is possible for darker colors in the concrete to show through since RockSolid is not a thick coating to begin with. What you can do is apply one coat of standard grey RockSolid first, then follow that up with a coat of the Pearlescent. FYI, an epoxy primer will not smooth out a garage floor if that was what you were thinking.
Charlie says
After reading all this information I’ve decided to use the product. That depends on your answer to my situation. 21 years ago we built this house and had an epoxy finish put on the garage floor. A few years ago there were bare spots, so I used regular concrete paint to recoat the floor. It didn,t take long to start showing wear. I’ve stripped this paint off. What do I have to do to the remaining epoxy to recoat? Charlie
Shea says
Hello Charlie. Providing that the remaining epoxy is holding firm, it will require roughing up the surface and the concrete before applying the RockSolid. We have an article on how to do that here. Keep in mind that if you have many spots of bare concrete, those area may look different if you only apply the one coat of RockSolid.
Kirk says
I’ve applied the Rocksolid product (flakes included) and noticed some thinner spots from uneven application after inspection after 15 hours of dry time. I’ve purchased another kit for a second coat. Should I scrape up the flakes before application of the 2nd coat in those thin areas? Much thanks guys – great website.
Shea says
Hello Kirk. You won’t be able to scrape up flakes that are adhered to the coating. It’s OK though, you can just coat right over them and apply more color flakes.
Brenda Oftedahl says
Hi. I recently had concrete poured in a shed and now I want to put the Rocksolid down in a portion of the shed. The concrete was sprayed and is less than a month old. I realize I need to etch the concrete, but wondered if there was anything more, since the concrete and spray are so new. Thank you!
Shea says
Hello Brenda. You need to wait a minimum of 30 days for the concrete to fully cure before applying a coating. If you apply it any sooner, it can peel due to the moisture that is still being released from the slab. What was the concrete sprayed with?
Jason says
Will rocksolid work on vertical surfaces such as concrete walls and the riser section of concrete stairs? We are planning to use rocksolid to coat our concrete basement stairs (treads and risers) and would like to coat the adjacent walls as well. The walls along the stairs stay dry most of the time, but they do get damp and seep a few drops of water in some places when we get lots of rain. If rocksolid can be applied to walls, could applying the moisture stop product to the walls give us good results despite the underlying moisture?
Shea says
Hi Jason. RockSolid will work on a vertical surface if it is not applied too thickly. It may require two coats. The reason it has to go on thin is because it is much thicker than paint. Combine that along with the time it takes to set before curing, you run the risk of it slumping or running if it’s applied too thick. Do not apply it too concrete that shows signs of moisture. What we recommend instead is color matching with a latex acrylic concrete paint instead. Regular paint breathes and will allow some moisture vapor to pass through. Better yet, you may want to look into Drylok concrete wall paint. They offer products that help to seal the moisture out of concrete walls.
Dave Herrmann says
My garage floor is 1 year old and has a very smooth finish, so I know I’ll need to etch but wondering about using a deep penetrating sealer before applying RockSolid. Weather is very humid in summer time and concrete is wet from sweating most of the time. Is a deep penetrating sealer recommended in this situation?
Shea says
Hello Dave. You don’t want to use a penetrating sealer before applying a coating. It will effectively block the coating from penetrating into the concrete in order to achieve a good bond. The main purpose of a penetrating sealer is to seal liquids from the surface. Applying a sealer will not stop concrete from sweating. I suggest you read our article about concrete sweating to learn more.
Dave says
Thanks Shea for the quick reply. Because my concrete surface is so smooth and resists water absorption would it be ok to etch with muric acid instead of mild etch solution provided with RockSolid kit? Also, my garage is 528 sq ft. Do you think I can get by with one 2 1/2 and one 1 car garage kits, or just plan for two 2 1/2 car kits?
Shea says
Are you sure that your concrete does not have a sealer, Dave? Or is it just a very smooth machine troweled finish? If it does have a sealer, etching products will not work on it. You will have to grind. This article tells you how to test for a sealer. If you don’t have a sealer, then we suggest using what comes with the RockSolid kit first. If the concrete does not absorb water well after that, then you an go stronger with a muriatic acid etch.
Do not stretch the coverage rate of RockSolid polycuramine. If you do, it will go on too thin, it will take on a patchy matte finish, and it will not be very durable. The biggest complaint about RockSolid is that their coverage rates are too generous and not accurate. We recommend reducing their coverage rates by 15-20% depending on how porous the concrete is. A 2.5 car garage kit has a maximum coverage rate of 500 square feet. So one kit is not going to come close to covering 528 square feet. We would suggest marking off the first 400 square feet and use the 2.5 car kit on that. You can use the single car kit for the rest. That will ensure that you get the coating on thick enough to avoid those issues if you only want to apply one coat.
Dave says
Sorry for all of the questions but can’t get RockSolid to respond.
We have a lot of snow in MN so concerned about being slippery. I’d like to use flakes, will that help for traction? If so, do I need a clear coat over flakes? Is there something to add to clear coat to make anti slip or are the flakes enough?
Shea says
Hello Dave. No, color flakes are not going to provide the grip you are looking for in those conditions. You will want to use an anti-slip additive in the final coat. RockSolid offers such a product. A clear coat over flakes is always good as it will lock in the flakes to protect them as well as protect the color coat.
Sherry Weaver says
We just finished applying rock solid to our double care garage (4 kits) so the coverage seems good, although there is some color difference towards the back of the garage where the concrete was more porous. After doing the first coat, it is apparent that we will want an additional anti-slip coat. We have two more of the black kits so I am wondering if we are better off to use them with the antislip additive and do a second top-coat to even out colour or if it is better to use the clear coat with the antislip additive?
Thanks!
Shea says
Hi Sherry. You want to use the anti-skid media in which ever coat is the final coat.
Sherry says
Is the clear coat more durable than second coloured (rock solid metallic) coat? Or are both equally good?
Shea says
Hi Sherry. The durability is the same. RockSolid uses the clear formula initially and then adds tints for solid colors and metallic powders for the metallic effects.
Ray Swiney says
Purchased 3 kits Rock solid mocha at Home Depot for roughly 630.00$ applied as per instructions to 1200 sq ft garage. New concrete 60 day cure in 95+ temp. Looks awesome until it started peeling a couple weeks later. Rustolium claims I needed their moisture barrier product, however it states 28 day cure on instructions. Not too happy at this time.
Shea says
Hello Ray. We’re sorry to hear about your coating peeling. Of the different complaints that RockSolid receives, peeling is not one of them. In fact, I believe you are one of the first we have heard of. Was there a “cure and seal” applied to the concrete to help retain the moisture during the warm temps? You did etch the concrete, correct? Also, you mention 95+ degree curing temps for the concrete. It wasn’t that hot when you applied the coating, was it?
Ray Swinney says
Regular 5 sack mix with no curing agents. Etched concrete per instructions, pressure washed after etching 2 times . Let dry 24 hours prior to sealing. 95 degree temp 2 pm. We applied @ 6 am 70 degrees no direct sunlight ever on floor. Tech said we should have moisture tested prior to application, but instructions only say wait 28 days on new concrete, we waited 60. Summary: product failed , my bad luck. Rust-Oleum is replacing product with moisture barrier as well, which I appreciate. Only thing is, removing existing product will be labor intensive and costly, with no allowance for that. Honestly, I’ve never heard of this happening either.
Shea says
Interesting. Thanks for informing us and feel free to follow up with an update. One thing we have to say about Rust-Oleum is that their customer service seems to be very good. Almost every report we have received about issues included Rust-Oleum sending out free product to correct it.
Andre says
Would you still recommend applying a primer before this product?
Also, if I want to apply joint sealant (caulking), would there be any issues if I did it before the first coat? I’ve seen Rust-Oleum joint sealers. Curious if that caulking will be a good surface for the main coat to stick to.
Shea says
Hello Andre. No, you don’t need to use an epoxy primer before applying RockSolid. It already penetrates concrete well. It is for that reason, along with overstated coverage rates, why people complain of RockSolid being too thin in places creating cosmetic issues. Caulk should never be used on a garage floor. I’m assuming you are referring to a self-leveling joint sealant? If so, you will want to apply that after the coating is applied. If your goal is to provide a seamless looking surface, then you need to use the proper materials for that. We have an article here about filling contraction joints.
Jamison says
Can you apply a second coat over the first coat that already has the flakes. I believe I applied to thin which left me with uneven color when dry.
Shea says
Hi Jamison. RockSolid allows for up to 7 days to recoat. If you are past that point you will need to first degloss and rough up the surface with 120 grit sandpaper. Coating over the flakes is not a problem, but you may see some of the outlines of them when you do. You will just need to add more flakes to the second coat.
Chris says
Hello,
I purchased the rock solid mountain glacier white instead of the marble. Wanted to know if I purchase the marble additive and mix it with the glacier white, would that give me a marble look?
Shea says
Hello Chris. Are you sure you didn’t purchase the the Glacier White with marble additive? We searched all over their website and could not find any white other than that with the marble additive. If you don’t have the marble additive you can add it to create the marble effect. Just an FYI, the Marble White is an off white that many feel looks more like light gray.
Chris says
I purchased the marble floor coating kit, mountain white color. And recently ordered online separately the marble additive. I’m assuming the marble additive is a powder which will change the color similar to the rock solid products. Like gunmetal. I was planning to add the marble powder to the mountain white in hopes to get a marble look.
Shea says
Ahhh…. OK, I misunderstood what you were getting at. The Marble additive is designed to be applied to their universal clear. The additive provides both color as well as the marbling effect. Combining the Marble additive with an off white tinted color is going to produce a completely different color and look, unless that is what you are trying to accomplish. For example, if you add the Stone Obsidian to the Mountain White, you would end up with a very light to medium colored grey of some sort.
Chris says
Ok. I appreciate the response. Thanks again.
Aric says
Hi I put down a black layer of rocksolid. Then covered it with red metallic. Came out really nice. I followed that with the textured topcoat. All of it completely dried but now I’m seeing water stains in different parts of the floor. I think my lip was too damp when I cleaned the floor. Is there a way to get the water stains out?
Shea says
Hello Aric. Sometimes wiping those areas with a mild solution of CLR will do the trick. Just be sure to wipe it down with clean water afterwards.
Aric says
Thanks for the reply. I contacted the company and they said use denatured alcohol. It worked on some spots but I have a spot that the white stain is deep in the Rock solid. I had a car mat over the area where my wife was parking. I’m in Chicago so I didn’t want snow to get on the actual floor. Under that mat some moisture got on a spot and left a deep white spot. I tried the denatured alcohol on that but it didn’t pull the moisture out. What would you suggest for on a spot like that? Thanks in advance.
Shea says
Hi Aric. Unfortunately, if the white spot goes deep into the clear as you state, then the only real option to fix it would be to sand it out and apply a new coat of clear. Unless it is something that you just can’t live with, our suggestion would be to wait until your current clear coat starts to develop other cosmetic issues over the years from natural traffic abuse and use. You can then sand the entire surface of clear (removing imperfections) and then apply a new clear coat to make the floor look brand new again. Applying a new coat of clear to just that one area will stand out. Touchups on coatings do not blend well like paint on a wall for example.
Paul K says
Your site has been so helpful, more so than even the OEM.
Just a quick tip question. I have to recoat in some areas as the coating soaked in unevenly in areas where the concrete was particularly porous. Probably doesnt help I etched the slab with diluted Hydrochloric acid (1:4) before I decided to purchase the Rock solid coating. If I add another coat, after about 24 hours, only in these “patchy areas”, do you think the coatings will reasonably blend, or will i have to recoat the entire floor? Doesnt need to be perfect. Hoping to save my self 160 bucks and buy just the single car package to cover these areas, vs repainting the entire 2.5 car garage.
Thanks!
Shea says
Hello Paul and thanks for the kudos. RockSolid allows up to seven days for recoats. One important note is that coatings are much different than paint when being reapplied. They are much thicker and they don’t blend well when touching up like paint on a wall does. Any areas that are recoated will stand out with obvious roller overlap marks. Also, RockSolid has had issues with different kits of the same color not matching in color tone and you could run the risk of it standing out even more. Unfortunately, if you want a uniform look of gloss and color it will require recoating the entire floor.
Paul K says
Solid advice with technical reasons Shea. Thanks for the response. It will hurt the pocketbook more, but now I know what I need to do to make it look right, and why.
I just wish I saw your site before I used this this first time. Their coating area is just so over estimated. It’s really such a nasty stain in an otherwise brilliant product.
Shea says
Yes, we feel they have dropped the ball on that as well. It most likely has to do with production costs to compete with the more traditional epoxy kits.
Matt says
What do you think is the maximum flake coverage I can get using the RockSolid Polycuramine coating? I have a 600 sq ft garage and since it’s a bit thin, I am going to use 4 one-car garage kits that according to the box, should cover 800-1000 sq ft. I purchased 75 lbs of flake to achieve full broadcast and have two 2.5 car Clear kits to apply as a top coat. If the Polycuramine won’t accept all the flake, do you think there is any harm in broadcasting it all?
Shea says
Hello Matt. RockSolid is not designed for a full flake coverage. You could do a medium to heavy coverage and get away with it. The main problem is that the coating is too thin for that. For full coverage, flakes are applied to the wet coating until you can’t see the coating at all. Many of these flakes overlap each other and need to sink down far enough for the coating to envelope all the flakes that come in contact with it. Once it cures for 12 hours or so, it requires that you sweep all the excess away and then scrape the top of the flakes to remove high spots and other loose flakes. The average thickness of the full flake layer alone is 5 mils. The thickness of RockSolid at the normal coverage rate is approximately 3 mils. It’s not thick enough to accept all the overlapped flakes and will have many patches where you can see the coating. If you applied the coating at a maximum of only 125 sq ft coverage you might get it thick enough, but it would require 5 single car kits at the minimum.
Also, a full flake coverage requires a minimum of two clear coats when using a thinner coating (RockSolid is similar in thickness to polyurethane). Much of the first coat is absorbed in all the nooks and crannies of the flakes and the coverage rate is reduced by 30% or so. The second coat will add some thickness and has a much better coverage rate. You can actually purchase a commercial quality high solids hybrid coating system from a good floor coating vendor for less money than you would end up spending with RockSolid at that rate. It would include an epoxy primer, high solids commercial epoxy base coat, color flakes, and high performance polyurea clear coat at a total thickness over 25 mils. It would be almost twice as thick and much more durable.
Matt says
Shea – thank you so much for your reply. I forgot to say so in my first post, but thank you for putting together such a great site and sharing so much information with the community. It’s been a big help.
I understand I can get a less expensive full flake system.
Unfortunately, I have already purchased the flake, four single car base coat kits, and two 2.5 car clear coat kits. Shipping costs make it expensive to return them (plus I’ve already used the etch) and I need to put the coating on this weekend to be ready to move in next weekend, so I won’t be able to order a full kit from an online supplier in time.
It sounds like I have two options: 1) Purchase 1 or 2 more base coat kits to make a 5-6 mil thick base coat for a full flake installation and probably buy at least one more clear coat kit or 2) Do a heavy broadcast with the supplies I already have and be left with 50+ lbs of unused flake.
Like I said, I already have a lot of sunk costs, and I prefer the full flake, but I don’t want to attempt and then compromise the durability / adhesion of the polycuramine. What would you do? Play it safe and go with a heavy broadcast or try the full flake?
Also, in case it matters, for concrete prep, I washed it with the Rustoleum de-greaser, ground with the Dimabrush Concrete Prep tool, and used the etch included with RockSolid kits.
Shea says
Based on your concrete prep, Matt, we would recommend going with no more than a heavy flake application to ensure a successful outcome. The reason is that RockSolid penetrates concrete well. In fact, RockSolid does not recommend acid etching in most cases because it reduces the coverage rates and makes the coating even thinner due to the better penetration. They prefer that you use their milder ECO friendly etch. In addition, grinding provides a more porous profile than etching does, and you etched in addition to the grinding (not necessary). This means that more of the coating will be absorbed and make the coat thinner. If you reduce the coverage rates further, then you can make up for it. More than likely you can be successful with a full flake coverage if you can get a full 6 mils dry film thickness, but we just can’t guarantee you would be fine. I hope that helps and let us know how it turns out.
Bryan says
I plan on using the rock solid product in Ana areas that has an aluminum cove base that’s about 3 or 4 inches up the wall with stainless wall panel above that. I’d like to be able to run the rock solid over the cove base up to the bottom of the stainless. My question is if I scuff the cove base with sand paper will the rock solid stick to it?
Shea says
Hello Bryan. Yes, it will stick if you rough it up with some 120 grit sandpaper. Just keep in mind that it will not provide a seamless look from where the coating transitions from the floor up the cove base.
Ash Bennett says
I am planning on putting this in our basement with finished walls. Wanted to avoid Etching and power washing. Would grinding the floor be enough of does it still need to be acid etched? The concrete has always been bare.
Shea says
Hello Ash. Grinding is more aggressive than etching and is the preferred method for most coatings. However, RockSolid is a thin coating and they do not recommend it since it can be too aggressive and will most likely require two coats. The first one is absorbed real well by the concrete. This isn’t bad, but it will cost more in materials and is why they do not recommend grinding.
Nathan says
I have applied the RockSolid metallic polycuramine coat. Looks great! I would like to put on a clear coat, but not really apt to paying another $127 for the clear coat kit. Can you recommend another cheaper Rustoleum clear coat product?
Shea says
Hello Nathan and sorry for the late reply. We completely missed your question. You are not going to get the proper clear coat for much less than that. The better clears go up in price from there. The clear top coat is the last thing you want to save money on since it’s the coat that has to take the wear and abuse. If you put on something inferior, it won’t take long for your good looking floor to look less than stellar.