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.
Steve Jelicic says
Love your posts.
Was thinking of an epoxy (water based) product but now after your posts I am planning to use polyurea/ polycuramine product to coat my garage floor.
My concern:
My garage floods (30-50ml) maybe once per year due to an overflow pit reaching capacity. (If I don’t set up the pump in time)
Is there a possibility of the coating lifting after such an event. Typically I can evacuate the water within an hour or so of the event leaving the floor to dry.
Shea says
Hello Steve. Coatings on concrete do just fine if water sits on top of them – no worry there as they are an actual sealer. Occasional flooding will not hurt them. However, moisture and/or moisture vapor that escapes up through the concrete from underneath can be a problem. Trapped moisture under the coating can cause it to delaminate and peel. It sounds like your concrete slab is below grade and may suffer from moisture vapor. Have you done a moisture test during the wetter months to check?
LouAnn Wagner says
I have followed all of the instructions to the letter in applying the rock solid garage floor product. We used two 2.5 car garage kits on a two car garage and the finish has dried very blotchy. It is incredibly uneven in color. We have already put down the color chips and my question is can I go over the floor with a second coat and they reapply the color chips again. I realize that this will create a texture because of the original color chip application, but I don’t see another alternative. Thoughts?
Shea says
Hello LouAnn. Yes, you can do that. RockSolid allows for up to 7 days to recoat without any further prep providing you don’t get the coating dirty. Your issue is a common complaint about RockSolid and is the primary reason we recommend reducing the coverage rate by 15%. What is puzzling though is that you used two 2.5 garage kits on a 2 car garage? That’s enough to cover almost 900 square feet. Most 2-car garage floors are 380-480 square feet.
LouAnn Wagner says
There are likely two factors at play, one is that thiere is a 5’ wide landing that runs the width of the garage so that adds sq footage and the garage is a bit over size as well. Secondly, the concrete seems very porous and likely soaked a lot of product. The second coat is going on nicely. Thank you for this forum. Very helpful.
Shea says
You’re welcome LouAnn. We are glad it has helped you.
John Wallner says
I applied the Rock solid coating to my basement. It turned out great and I did the same thing LouAnn did by having extra material. I also applied the post clear 72 hrs later, and wow did that ever make a difference.
I had the same color issue, but mine was clearly a color miss match between pouches. I believe color issues can be induced by two other reasons.
1. Not keeping the edges wet. (wet on dry)
2. Different pouches not mixed together.
I am doing my new 30 x 40 garage in a week or two and what I am planning to do is have more people applying the material. This allows multiple burst pouches to be mixed into one batch which eliminates color variation without compromising the open time (always wet).
Best regards,
John Wallner
Shea says
Hello John. Yes, RockSolid has had some issues with color matching and is why it is a good idea to mix all the part-A color pouches together first. You can then pour into a separate mixing bucket the part-B hardener from one pouch and the appropriate amount of part-A resin from the mixed colored resin bucket. If you have four separate pouch kits, then you would be mixing the appropriate amount of part-A and part-B together a total of four times.
Do Not mix all the kits together at once. 2-part coatings are thermosetting. The hardener is what activates the chemical curing process and this process creates heat. If you mix more than one kit together it will build up excess heat and dramatically reduce the pot life. It will actually begin to thicken up and become unworkable as you are rolling it on the floor. This is why you don’t see larger volume kits to mix together. Using more people is a good idea for a large area. One person has the job of mixing to keep the job going and two people can work on application.
Chris says
In regards to porous concrete and blotchy results, could you lay down a primer first then apply the Rock Solid? I wanted to use the Silver Bullet Metallic Rock Solid and was going to lay a gray primer base coat first. Would that help with blotchy conditions some have experienced?
Thank you
Shea says
Hi Chris. The RockSolid Metallic product goes down twice as thick as the standard colors. That is why the coverage rate of the metallic version is half that (125 sf vs. 250 sf) of the standard colors. We have not heard reports of problems in terms of the cosmetic appearance with RockSolid Metallic. That said, you could put down a coat of RockSolid grey first if you like.
Adam, N.C. says
Yesterday we laid down our first two boxes of the Pearl Black onto a lightly etched very porous, 25 year old, two car garage. I kept waiting for the color to even out as the product dried but that was not the case. We rolled the entire thing as we would with regular paint; a paint roller, paint tray, and then brushed the edges. The silver mica powder that we mixed in adhered to the brush more so than the paint roller and caused the edges to have much more shimmer to them than the portions that were rolled on. Needless to say I was quite disappointed. We have gone back today with 4 more boxes of the pearl black ($166 ea. This time using a squeegee to spread the product and then very lightly rolling the paint roller across the entire floor, only to even out any lines or puddles that remained. We had not patched any imperfections prior to starting the project assuming the product would level them out. As the product was squeegeed on today it did fill in/level the small groves, dents, holes, chips, etc, however as soon as the brush rolled across the blemish it re-appeared. I am now investing in the rock solid top clear coat ($105 ea.) and plan to add my own mica metallic flake to the top coat rather than applying the basic rock solid chips to the last coat of color, prior to the clear coat. Looking back my only regret for the this project is not spending the time/money to rent a diamond grinder and smooth every imperfection prior to start. A smooth starting surface would have given MUCH better results. I’m very disappointed in the fact that it took 6 single garage boxes to do a simple two car garage and that I do still have some remaining blemishes that would take quite a bit of product to fill evenly. At this point We will be applying the clear top coat quite heavily and then calling it quits. This was a huge investment and quite frankly I’m not satisfied. Not to say it isn’t my own fault for not completing a better prep but unsatisfied none the less. Will check back again after the drying of the top clear w/mica powder mix.
Shea says
Hello Adam and thanks for the great feedback for others to read. As you have discovered, RockSolid (as well as other thin mil DIY kit coatings) does much better on concrete that has little defects to begin with or a surface that has been properly repaired. In RockSolid’s defense, they do state to fill-in any cracks or damaged areas before application. Based on your results when trimming in the edges, it might be better for others to try pouring a very thin ribbon near the edge and trim-in that way. We look forward to hearing how the clear coat goes.
Adam, N.C. says
Today we applied three single garage boxes of clear gloss to our pearl black base, however we first separated it into five separate buckets and in each of the buckets we added a different color glitter; black , purple, holographic white, copper, and aqua. Next we poured small amounts from each bucket onto the floor and squeegeed it into an even coverage. The different colored glitters mixed but retained their individual characteristics better than if we had mixedthem into one big bucket and poured it. Timing was key as we finished the last portion of the garage just as it began to thicken. Of course we then used a paint roller to smooth out any lines left over from the squeegee. It maybe a little soon but I feel quite optimist with the results. The blemishes have become near invisible and the floor shimmers better than you can imagine. It will be interesting to see how smooth the floor is tomorrow after it has finally finished curing. We will end up putting on another layer of clear gloss just to better seal any exposed glitter that maybe resting near the top of the current clear coat but I am much more satisfied with this project than I was yesterday. I only hope that this glitter addition will stand up to the test of time. And for anyone who may consider something similar to their flooring; the black glitter was a waste as it doesn’t show up on the black pearl whatsoever, the holographic glitter added a shimmer effect however remain mostly camouflaged without direct light shining on it. The aqua and purple complimented the pearl black nicely and could have easily stood by themselves without any help from the other colors. The copper was very predominant and bright, more so than what I was expecting or frankly wishing for, but overall the combination of all five (minus the black) made for a very nice overall top coat and gave a shimmering effect that I appreciate more so than the flakes sold by rock solid. I Will update you all again once we are finally finished!
Shea says
Wow! Your garage floor sounds like a a beautiful art project, Adam. Once you are done you are welcome to send pictures if you like to info@allgaragefloors. We can post one or two in our gallery.
Adam, N.C. says
We certainly will! Next we are replacing the old/broken halogen lights with a 4 pack of 8ft led shop light fixtures from LDSS on Amazon.com. Once we have better lighting we would love to show off our final product! Also I’d like to thank you for maintaining a very informative site as well as taking the time to answer everyone’s questions and comments quickly! It has personally helped me in my decision making as I’m sure it has many other so sincerely thank you. I’ll send and email as soon as possible! -Adam
Luis Carrera says
Trying to weigh my options using using the Rocksolid product and was curious if the Clear Top Coat can be used to give a “sealed” concrete look finish. One reason is that in case of flaking for any reason, it would be less obvious if the clear coat flaked than a colored coat. Any thoughts/suggestions?
Shea says
Hello Luis. RockSolid will not flake. It’s possible for it to peel if that is what you mean. However, if your concrete is prepped properly it will not be an issue. RockSolid has had few complaints about peeling. We do recommend using a clear coat whenever you can. RockSolid has a clear coat in their lineup and achieves a chemical bond (which will not peel) when applied within 7 days of the color coat.
John W says
This forum thread has been very informative! I have paid special attention to Adam from NC and his project while planning my own. I am blessed with the problem of coating the floor of my 1800 sqft garage/shop space in new construction. In addition to parking cars and trucks, there will be a 2 post lift and a bit of workshop in the space and I am hoping a nice floor coating will really make the space “pop.” I like what I have read about the RockSolid polycuramine, but have concerns about coverage in such a large space. Just popping down to my local BigBox and getting another 18 kits when I need to smooth it out isn’t going to fly. Can I get the toughness and shine of the RockSolid product and the coverage of EpoxyShield by using both products? I’m kind of over the chip look, so I would want to put down the dark gray EpoxyShield without chips, then go over with clear RockSolid and add some of the shimmer ingredients that Adam was talking about to get that metallic look. Is this good reasoning? Thanks for your information and help! John
Shea says
Hello John. If you have a lift and plan on working on vehicles and performing other mechanical duties for such a large area, RockSolid would not be our first choice. Besides the coverage issues that you pointed out, it’s a residential quality coating that is designed for the average garage floor that sees the occasional automotive work and light maintenance projects and etc. All of your home improvement store garage floor kits are designed more for easy application and lower cost first. We would highly recommend going with a commercial quality coating that is not going to have coverage issues and provides for a thicker coating. If you want something that is easy to apply, I would suggest that you look at a single-part polyurea. The last thing you want is recoat issues for an 1800 square foot garage.
John W says
Thank you Shea! While my garage shop is technically residential (hobbyist), I recognize I don’t have typical residential use goals. I love the look of the metallic RockSolid, but I will look into the commercial options available as well. I value and appreciate your input! John
Dylan F. says
Where is the proper place to terminate the rock solid floor coating? My garage, and most other garages I assume, has a strip of concrete that protrudes out into the driveway and will be exposed to a lot of sun, but this article mentioned that UV protection is poor with this product. Should I make sure to stop the coating at or inside of the garage door? I am not concerned with the floor yellowing, I just want to make sure it does not peel up because of the UV damaged exterior portion and none of the instructions seem to address this. Thanks!
Shea says
Hi Dylan. You will want to terminate the coating at the inside of the garage door. The main problem (besides ambering) with extending it past that is that the U.V. rays can actually cause the coating to chalk after a year or so.
Mike says
I appreciate all the information in this article and your entire site. I really like the idea of the RockSolid product but I worry about the statement that it’s not UV stable. Is there any way to quantify the amount of UV exposure that would cause problems?
My overhead garage doors have windows in the top panel. On the weekends we tend to leave the overheads open while we’re working around the house. The garage faces west, and we’re at Denver mile-high altitude.
Given those factors, should I consider other products instead? Or am I overthinking it?
Shea says
Hi Mike. If you have a west facing garage that has the doors open for periods of time, then you will experience the yellow tinting (ambering) of the coating at some point. It will be most prevalent where the sun reaches in onto the floor with the doors open. If you want a coating that will not amber, we suggest that you look at a single-part polyurea. It will not amber, it will last longer, and it is easier to apply. We discuss the benefits of single-part polyurea coatings here.
Jonathan says
I’m using the Dark Gray Rocksolid 2.5 kit for my 1-car garage so that I can do a double coat. I would also like to do a clear coat on top but was considering a higher quality polyurea. Have you had any experience or heard of any experiences using polyurea on top of polycuramine? I don’t know if the two are compatible.
Thanks for your reviews, not just this one but all the literature on the site!
Shea says
Hi Jonathan. Polyurea makes for a great clear coat option – better than RockSolid clear. However, we are not aware of anyone who has applied polyurea over RockSolid within a 24 hour recoat window in order to achieve a chemical bond. It should work fine, but we cannot confirm that for certain. If you would rather not take that chance, you can always wait 48 hours and then degloss the surface with 150 grit sandpaper or go over the surface with a floor maintainer with a black scrubbing pad. Vacuum and then wipe the surface with denatured alcohol before applying the polyurea. The other option would be a test patch. Mix a very small amount of the RockSolid and apply it a 6″ square area. Let it cure for about 12 hours and then apply the polyurea over it. Wait 72 hours and then use a razor blade to score the surface in a hatch pattern at about 1/4″ spacing. Press a strip of duct tape real hard over the coating and then pull it up. If all the coating remains adhered, then you are good to proceed with the entire floor in the same manner.
Jonathan says
Thanks for the suggestion. I think i’ll be a first test case then. Is there any particular brand of polyurea clear top coat you’d recommend for this given scenario?
Shea says
Yes, we recommend a single-part polyurea. We have an article here that discusses the advantages along with links to a view vendors that we recommend.
Howard Hint says
How long should new concrete cure before applying Rock Solid coating. Also, what type of finish should the concrete be for this product
Shea says
Hi Howard. You need to wait a minimum of 30 days for the concrete to cure and allow moisture out. A regular troweled finish is preferred. Once it has cured, you will need to etch the surface before application of the RockSolid coating.
Anthony Jeffery says
Hi I’ve just bought the rocksolid primer and top coat and clear coat.
Have upgraded to some better rollers but have been told by the hardware store that its to cold to coat my garage floor? Average day temp in the next few is low 8c to high 15c. The product states it can be applied down to 4c. I would be applying 11am when the temp is usually 12-13 degrees so would have at least 10 hours above 10 degrees will this have any adverse effects?
Thanks Anthony.
Shea says
Hi Anthony. As long as the temperature does not drop at or below the minimum during the application and curing stages for the next few days you will be fine. It will just take longer for it to completely cure due to the lower temperature.
anthony jeffery says
Thanks Shea, your site has been very helpful. I’ll let you know how I go in a few days.
Michael Weber says
I applied thoroughly cleaned and etched my concrete and applied the Rust-Oleum garage floor primer (the one for sealed or coated floors). The primer went on fantastic and looked fantastic when it was dry. I was so excited to apply the coating given the success I had with the primer. The temp was 80 and humidity 53%. I applied the Rocksolid coating 8-10 hours later. The primer felt completely dry and wasn’t tacky in the slightest.
The coating did not apply correctly. It has severe and extremely large fisheye over the entire garage floor. Its like the primer is actually repelling the coating. I have not been able to find any stories or pictures of people that suffered the same issue as me. It is just awful. I don’t know what to do. Please help me!
Shea says
Hi Michael. We recommend that you call Rust-Oleum and tell them of your issue. Fisheyes is a sign of some sort of contaminant on the surface. A microscopic layer of moisture at the surface will do this if the humidity is high, but that does not seem to be the case. It might be something with the primer. They typically provide good customer service for those with these type of problems and will work you through the solution.
Lenny Arnold says
What was the recommended fix?
Shea says
Hi Lenny. We don’t always hear back when an issue was solved. Hopefully Michael will report back with the answer.
Troy Woods says
HI, some of the rocksolid metallic coating appeared in a local restore for $45. I am thinking of trying it on the floor of my 7×12 dump trailer which is steel. I cannot find anything that deal with temperature or coating other materials other than concrete. The video I found said “If you are coating concrete…” What are your thoughts?
Please email me with your thoughts.
Shea says
Hello Troy. RockSolid polycuramine is intended for concrete only and was not developed for steel surfaces. That said, if you were to rough up the surface of the steel with a 20 or 30 grit sanding pad, you can most likely get it to stick. What I can tell you is that even if you do, it’s not going to stand up to materials sliding out of the dump trailer. It will get scratched and worn just as paint does, just not as fast. It will also amber (turn a yellow tint) because it is not U.V. stable and is intended for indoor use only.
Troy Woods says
Thanks Shea,
This is the response I got from Rustoleum.
Good morning Troy,
Thank-you for contacting Rust-Oleum Consumer Brands Canada.
As per your inquiry, the Rocksolid Metallic coating is only meant to be
applied to concrete.
It needs a porous surface
If you have any other questions please contact us at 1-800-387-3625
Barbara Peckham says
We finished applying Rocksolid garage floor coating kit some 30 hours ago and there is still an odor. How long does this last and have there been any health concerns with the vapor smell.
Shea says
Hello Barbara. It’s not uncommon for the smell to linger for a few days. It will be mostly gone by then. The coating is low in VOC’s so the smell is not unhealthy, just not pleasant.
Robert says
Hi – I appreciate the information/discussions on the post – my question is – I hadn’t decided on the finish or the product until I visited your site – I used the rust-oleum clean and etch after I ground out the carpet glue (no small task) – when I used the etch, where I poured it bubbled immediately and after moving it around I noticed the initial contact point was cleaner than the other places – should I use the etch with the rocksolid kit or just go straight to coating? Could I add the metalic flakes to the clear coat with the clear grip beads?
Shea says
Hello Robert. Did you grind the entire floor? If so, you don’t need to etch. You just need to make sure the dust was swept and vacuumed up well. If you didn’t grind the entire floor, then you will need to etch. The Rust-Oleum product is a cleaner as well as a citric acid etch, so it’s no surprise that the concrete looked cleaner. When you say metallic flakes, are you referring to metallic color flake chips? If so, then you want to apply those immediately onto the color coat after application. You will then mix in the anti-slip additive (clear beads) into the clear coat and coat over the color coat with the metallic flakes.
Robert says
Is the clear coat the same product as the colored or metallic? I was thinking to add the metallic additive to the clear over a solid top coat – I have a large area and a consistent complaint is color mismatching – 800 sqft is the coverage.
Here were a couple of ideas
https://amzn.to/2YKHYJx
https://amzn.to/2H5KL4U
Shea says
RockSolid already has a metallic coating kit, Robert. You can read about it here. Their metallic pigment mixes with the clear and is made specifically for polycuramine. You do not want to experiment mixing some other metallic pigment that is made for epoxy. As for glitter, it is used to add some bling to the clear coat. The clear is applied over a color coat with a ratio of 3-4oz glitter per gallon of the clear coat. You cannot make a solid glitter floor. As for color matching, we have an article here that explains exactly what you need to do to ensure perfect color match when having to use more than one kit for a solid color coat. It’s not an issue with metallic coatings since the metallic pigment is being mixed in at exact ratios. Lastly, the biggest mistake people make is stretching coatings too thin. You need to factor in approximately a 15% reduction in coverage when doing floors with a single color coat DIY kit.
Sarah says
I am looking for a way to waterproof my basement floor before putting down rubber tiles. What product would you recommend for this purpose? I would prefer a one step project if possible.
Shea says
Hello Sarah. Is there a specific reason you want to use rubber tiles? It’s extremely difficult to waterproof a basement from the inside due to the high forces of hydrostatic water pressure. It’s something that should have been done from the outside first when it was built. A vapor barrier under the slab and french drains along the walls are examples. Trying to stop this relentless pressure from the inside is dependent on how much moisture you have. The first thing you need to do is a proper calcium chloride test in a few area on the basement floor. This article on moisture testing will explain how they work. Ideally the tests should be performed during the wettest time of the year to get accurate results. The results will determine if you can use a special epoxy moisture vapor blocking primer. This is the only product that can stop moisture if your results falls below 20lbs/24hr/1000ft². These primers require an aggressive grind of the concrete first in order to apply them. Cost for these primers run approximately $200 per gallon for a coverage rate of just over 100ft².
kevin aycox says
hi, we recently coated a portion of my shop (630sqft) with 3 kits of the rock solid polycuramine finish without the chips. I etched the concrete and rinsed 3 times with a pressure washer. there are many inconsistancies, fish eyes and many many tiny bubbles. the surface isn’t smooth at all due to the bubbles.
1. what causes the bubbles?
2. will a second coat correct these issues? or give me more of the same?
I don’t mind spending the money again but ill be ticked if I get the same result again.
thanks a bunch!
kevin
Shea says
Hello Kevin. How long did you let the concrete dry after pressure washing? Pressure washing drives water deep into the concrete and it takes a good 48 hours or more for all that moisture to evaporate out. If the concrete did not dry long enough and it was applied while the temperature was slowly rising (or real warm temps), then the moisture that is still escaping gets trapped in the coating and forms bubbles. Fisheyes are generally from contaminants such as oils. The coating repels from such contaminants and forms a fisheye. All is not lost though. You can degloss the coating and sand down the edges of the bubbles with 120 grit sandpaper. A floor maintainer with a 100 grit sanding screen will make the quickest work. Once you are done, vacuum and wipe down the surface with denatured alcohol on a microfiber mop pad. You can then apply another coat and it should look very nice.
Michael says
Hi Shea, I have a lift-in the garage that I want to coat, it is smooth concrete. The lift had a bad seal and leaked a clear hydraulic fluid over a fairly large area. I tried brake clean and used car liter that I scuffed with my shoes which lightened the area. I will be working on cars, so what coating should I use
Shea says
Hi Michael. You will need to make sure all the fluid is out of the concrete or it will not accept a coating. For your use, we would not recommend RockSolid or the other home improvement store DIY epoxy kits. They will not stand up very long with that type of use. We suggest a single-part polyurea kit or a hybrid system of an epoxy primer, high solids base epoxy color coat, and a high performance polyurethane or polyurea clear coat. Many of the vendors that advertise on our website have such products. Good concrete prep is key. You will need to acid etch at the minimum or grind the surface.
Neil Hochreiter says
I just recently completed my garage floors but sprinkled the flecks on a little heavy in spots. Can I now polyurethane over the top of the floor and what do you recommend?
Shea says
Hello Neil. Yes, you can apply a clear coat. We recommend that you stay within the RockSolid line when doing so. They have a polycuramine clear coat that you can use. They allow up to 7 days to recoat without having to rough up the coating first. Polyurethane may work, but we don’t know of anyone who has tested it yet with polycuramine.
stephen says
Hi, Im planning on using Rocksolid in my garage. Just wandering as I have a 25yrs concrete floor that has only seen a pressure washer twice in its life time, should I consider using a prima as a base coat before putting down the rocksolid mixture to ensure a better coverage, as I don’t want to see the mixture end up blotchy etc
Shea says
Hello Stephen. No one makes a quality primer that is compatible with RockSolid. Rust-Oleum makes latex acrylic concrete paint primers that RockSolid can be applied over, but they do not provide the same adhesion as RockSolid and could lead to peeling or hot tire lift. We would suggest two coats of RockSolid for the best color uniformity. Either that or invest in one of the better DIY garage floor coatings on the market.
Kendal Spinks Shepherd says
What an informative article! My question is, how do I prep a chipped bare concrete floor before applying the kit? It’s pretty beat up in places but perfectly smooth in other places. Thanks!
Shea says
Hi Kendal. We have an article here on how to repair pits and spalling. This article here shows how one or our reader’s repaired his garage floor for a coating.
Fabian says
Hi,
Do you know if Polycuramine will bond to timber or metal floors? I would like to coat the floor of a shipping container that has both timber and metal in the floor.
Thank you in advance.
Shea says
Hello Fabian. Generally it will if prepped correctly. However, it may not be the best solution. There are polyureas that can be sprayed for applications such as yours. I would recommend contacting ArmorPoxy for more info. They are a very large distributor of polyurea and should be able to assist you.
Fabian says
Thank you very much.
Rajesh Shanmugam says
Hi Shea, I did project in my older home and it was good. In my new one car garage, i was all set to do it again.
Thought of preparing with concrete grinder. The tool i rented from HD was a wild horse. i couldnt control it and it was all over the places.
It created a dip and water puddles there. Can i just coat it ? or use the product like DAP Flexible Floor Patch and Leveler and then coat ?
Shea says
Hi Rajesh. The key with the grinder is to lower the handle to the height of your hips. You then control it by pushing down or slightly lifting up on the handle. No, the DAP product you mention will not work. It’s a flexible patch designed for sub-flooring. You need a polymer-modified concrete patch that cures harder than the concrete. Quikrete Vinyl Concrete Patch is an example.
Rajesh Shanmugam says
Thank you. What’s your opinion about fast patch that they sell? It’s expensive compared to vinyl patch that you mentioned. Or is it fine to leave the dip and coat? My only worry is that even squeeze just goes over the dip and not removing water.
Can I use this product and pour more to fill the dip. It’s easy as I will be using caulking gun. Your friend has shared a link to a Home Depot product they think you would be interested in seeing: Quikrete 10.1 oz. Concrete Crack Sealant
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Quikrete-10-1-oz-Concrete-Crack-Sealant-862017/203604186
Shea says
You can apply the coating over the dip, Rajesh. What you are dealing with is a cosmetic issue and not a structural issue. Yes, you can use the Quikrete FastSet Repair Mortar. It’s more expensive because it’s designed to be applied to vertical surfaces and needs to set faster to prevent sagging. Don’t forget that you need let either product cure for a day or two for the moisture to evaporate. No, you cannot use the Quikrete Crack Sealant. It’s a flexible sealant and you cannot apply coatings over flexible materials.
Rajesh Shanmugam says
Thank you. I referred to rocksolid fast patch. This one can be coated without curing
Shea says
Yep, that will work.
Rajesh Shanmugam says
Hi, I got two kits and for some reason one color is different from the other. Decided to live with it but thought of doing clear coat. My problem, temperature is hovering around 35. Shall I do? I already kept space heaters to warm the floor and to help dry the garage coat I did yesterday.
Shea says
Hi Rajesh. RockSolid should not be applied in temps less than 40 degrees. If you do, the coating will cure very slow if at all. The curing is a chemical process and not a drying process. You will end up with a gooey mess if it’s less than 40. Also, the coating tends to take on the temperature of the slab more than the air around it.
Rajesh Shanmugam says
The slab was above 40 I think. But, I took the risk and did a clear coat last night. Today morning it’s little tacky to touch but nothing sticking to hand. Hopefully it will cure fully today or tomorrow. I will keep space heaters too. Regarding color difference, what option I have. I can send a picture
Shea says
I’m not sure what you are referring to regarding color difference, Rajesh. Send your images to info@allgaragefloors.com
Theresa Talany says
Hello, I’m looking for a product to cover my ~500SF garage. How would the RockSolid compare to the Rust-Oleum Epoxy Shield Professional Floor Coating Kit? Thanks so much!
Shea says
Hi Theresa. Both RockSolid and Rust-Oleum Professional are better than the basic water-based DIY garage floor coating kits. RockSolid has better gloss and lists an abrasion rating that is respectable. One issue with RockSolid, however, is that it goes on thinner than the Rust-Oleum Professional and the coverage rates are poor. We list this in the article. It sometimes requires a second coat to create a nice glossy finish that is color consistent. Rust-Oleum is not known for that issue as long as you stay within the coverage rates. Also, when dealing with more than one kit, we recommend that you follow the instructions we list in this article in order to make sure you have good color matching with multiple kits. If it’s in your budget, we highly recommend this product here over either of the choices you list.