Prepping concrete after moisture barrier, and before polycuramine coating?

[RiskRebel]

Hi All,

First-time poster here seeking advice on additional step of prepping for optimal polycuramine coating results. I've learned a ton from you all and I believe this is the only place that can help me with a specific question regarding moisture barrier.

Current status:

• Floor has been diamond ground; Cracks filled and re-ground. Unsure about existing moisture barrier and not very optimistic

Next steps:

• Apply moisture barrier, then polycuramine coating following both product's insturction. Both from Rust-oleum

My concern:

I learnt from this forum that mositure barrier is basically a modified sodium silicate densifier, which will form a gel in cracks, pores and capillaries. Yet in my understanding, part of the mechanism of polycuramine coatings rely on penetration of the concrete's porous surface and forms a strong molecular bond. Am I creating a problem here?

Questions:

• Would prep the floor again after the moisture barrier cures help? Maybe pressure washing + dehumidifer?
• Or am I overthinking this and should just follow the moisture barrier instructions?

Any advice from those who've tackled similar projects would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Shea]

Hi All,

First-time poster here seeking advice on additional step of prepping for optimal polycuramine coating results. I've learned a ton from you all and I believe this is the only place that can help me with a specific question regarding moisture barrier.

Current status:

• Floor has been diamond ground; Cracks filled and re-ground. Unsure about existing moisture barrier and not very optimistic

Next steps:

• Apply moisture barrier, then polycuramine coating following both product's insturction. Both from Rust-oleum

My concern:

I learnt from this forum that mositure barrier is basically a modified sodium silicate densifier, which will form a gel in cracks, pores and capillaries. Yet in my understanding, part of the mechanism of polycuramine coatings rely on penetration of the concrete's porous surface and forms a strong molecular bond. Am I creating a problem here?

Questions:

• Would prep the floor again after the moisture barrier cures help? Maybe pressure washing + dehumidifer?
• Or am I overthinking this and should just follow the moisture barrier instructions?

Any advice from those who've tackled similar projects would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Moisture Stop by Rust-Oleum is not a moisture barrier. As you stated, it's a densifier. Densifiers can slow down moisture intrusion and sometimes stop light moisture issues, but they are not a barrier. It doesn't do anything for cracks. Those have to be repaired properly to stop moisture. Rust-Oleum does not require any further concrete prep after Moisture Stop has been applied when applying RockSolid.

Do you have moisture issues now? If so, have you done any calcium chloride testing to determine how much you have? If you have a moisture problem, it's important to know how much you are dealing with or you can end up with a failed coating and a big headache.

As an FYI, RockSolid is a thin coating that penetrates concrete well. One coat over a floor prepped via grinding will not be enough. You will have varying cosmetic issues due to the concrete absorbing more of the coating than usual. It will look blotchy with spots not glossy and the color tone not very rich because the concrete color underneath is ghosting through. It's the number one complaint of RockSolid for people who only etch. You will need two coats. The first acts as a primer coat. Rust-Oleum used to advise against grinding, but they have since removed that from their data sheets. I believe they were questioned too much as to why. They have since advised to reduce the coverage rates for more porous surfaces.

Something to consider is that one coat of single-part polyurea is cheaper than two coats of RockSolid. It's a thicker coating that does not require two coats when applied to concrete prepped via grinding. It is also more durable, UV stable, and even easier to apply. We have an article below that compares it to Rust-Oleum. Hope that helps.

Why the Best Garage Floor Coating Kits are Single-Part Polyurea | All Garage Floors

Discover the secret of polyurea garage floor coating kits. See why they are easiest to apply, have the best protection and last 4x as long as standard epoxy.

allgaragefloors.com

 

[RiskRebel]

Moisture Stop by Rust-Oleum is not a moisture barrier. As you stated, it's a densifier. Densifiers can slow down moisture intrusion and sometimes stop light moisture issues, but they are not a barrier. It doesn't do anything for cracks. Those have to be repaired properly to stop moisture. Rust-Oleum does not require any further concrete prep after Moisture Stop has been applied when applying RockSolid.

Do you have moisture issues now? If so, have you done any calcium chloride testing to determine how much you have? If you have a moisture problem, it's important to know how much you are dealing with or you can end up with a failed coating and a big headache.

As an FYI, RockSolid is a thin coating that penetrates concrete well. One coat over a floor prepped via grinding will not be enough. You will have varying cosmetic issues due to the concrete absorbing more of the coating than usual. It will look blotchy with spots not glossy and the color tone not very rich because the concrete color underneath is ghosting through. It's the number one complaint of RockSolid for people who only etch. You will need two coats. The first acts as a primer coat. Rust-Oleum used to advise against grinding, but they have since removed that from their data sheets. I believe they were questioned too much as to why. They have since advised to reduce the coverage rates for more porous surfaces.

Something to consider is that one coat of single-part polyurea is cheaper than two coats of RockSolid. It's a thicker coating that does not require two coats when applied to concrete prepped via grinding. It is also more durable, UV stable, and even easier to apply. We have an article below that compares it to Rust-Oleum. Hope that helps.

Why the Best Garage Floor Coating Kits are Single-Part Polyurea | All Garage Floors

Discover the secret of polyurea garage floor coating kits. See why they are easiest to apply, have the best protection and last 4x as long as standard epoxy.

allgaragefloors.com

Thanks for the detailed info! I haven't done any moisture testing yet - now going to grab a kit from Amazon. If it shows high emissions, should I look into dehumidifying before applying Moisture Stop and the rest?

For the RockSolid, I was planning 1 coat + flakes + 1 coat. Read in this forum that Rust-Oleum's coverage estimates are optimistic, so I got a 3.5 car kit for my 2-car garage. Too bad those are non-returnable or else the polyurea looks like a great alternative.

I still have some fine crazing after grinding and they were too thin for epoxy filler. So my original thinking was to lay down a thicker first coat (maxing out Rust-Oleum's recommendation), letting it cure 24+ hours, then hitting it with flakes and the final coat. Will that help even things out?

 

[Shea]

Thanks for the detailed info! I haven't done any moisture testing yet - now going to grab a kit from Amazon. If it shows high emissions, should I look into dehumidifying before applying Moisture Stop and the rest?

For the RockSolid, I was planning 1 coat + flakes + 1 coat. Read in this forum that Rust-Oleum's coverage estimates are optimistic, so I got a 3.5 car kit for my 2-car garage. Too bad those are non-returnable or else the polyurea looks like a great alternative.

I still have some fine crazing after grinding and they were too thin for epoxy filler. So my original thinking was to lay down a thicker first coat (maxing out Rust-Oleum's recommendation), letting it cure 24+ hours, then hitting it with flakes and the final coat. Will that help even things out?

If you have a high moisture vapor transmission rate, then a densifier is not going to fix your problem. Coatings can only handle 3 lbs of moisture flow per 1000 square feet per 24 hours before they delaminate. Depending on the rate, it may require a moisture blocking epoxy primer. Primers such as these cost more than RockSolid.

As I said before, RockSolid is a thin coating. It's not going to "even out" any irregularities in the concrete. You need a much thicker 100% solids epoxy for that. Any small spider cracks not repaired will be coated, but they will be somewhat visible because the coating will shrink slightly as it cures. Applying the color flakes helps to camouflage that though. The flakes need to be applied immediately after the coating, not 24 hours later or they will not stick. You may want to familiarize yourself with application procedures.

A 3.5 car kit should be three separate burst pouch bags. I would recommend dividing your garage into three sections and keeping each mixed kit within those parameters.

 

[RiskRebel]

Moisture Stop by Rust-Oleum is not a moisture barrier. As you stated, it's a densifier. Densifiers can slow down moisture intrusion and sometimes stop light moisture issues, but they are not a barrier. It doesn't do anything for cracks. Those have to be repaired properly to stop moisture. Rust-Oleum does not require any further concrete prep after Moisture Stop has been applied when applying RockSolid.

Do you have moisture issues now? If so, have you done any calcium chloride testing to determine how much you have? If you have a moisture problem, it's important to know how much you are dealing with or you can end up with a failed coating and a big headache.

As an FYI, RockSolid is a thin coating that penetrates concrete well. One coat over a floor prepped via grinding will not be enough. You will have varying cosmetic issues due to the concrete absorbing more of the coating than usual. It will look blotchy with spots not glossy and the color tone not very rich because the concrete color underneath is ghosting through. It's the number one complaint of RockSolid for people who only etch. You will need two coats. The first acts as a primer coat. Rust-Oleum used to advise against grinding, but they have since removed that from their data sheets. I believe they were questioned too much as to why. They have since advised to reduce the coverage rates for more porous surfaces.

Something to consider is that one coat of single-part polyurea is cheaper than two coats of RockSolid. It's a thicker coating that does not require two coats when applied to concrete prepped via grinding. It is also more durable, UV stable, and even easier to apply. We have an article below that compares it to Rust-Oleum. Hope that helps.

Why the Best Garage Floor Coating Kits are Single-Part Polyurea | All Garage Floors

Discover the secret of polyurea garage floor coating kits. See why they are easiest to apply, have the best protection and last 4x as long as standard epoxy.

allgaragefloors.com

I have reread your article and your comment on topic about full broadcasting with polycuramine (how it is not going to work), now I’m seriously reconsidering the coating choice. Would polyurea hold a full-broadcast flaking? Wife suggested that we might be eligible for credit card return protection protocol so I have some flexibility on choices again.

Update:
I browsed through all three vetted stores listed on your review and seems like the thickness of the polyurea would be able to hold a full-broadcast flaking. Thanks again for the recommendation and for potentially saving me $$$

 

[Armorpoxy]

Hi our SPGX one part Polyurea works great for full and partical fleck broadcasts. First though test for moisture to see if you need a true moisture barrier epoxy MVB which we carry, then you apply the coating over that.