Rocksolid plan?

[bmather9]

I'm planning to coat my garage floor in my new house before moving in. I've searched around and am drawn towards Rocksolid's product, although I understand they may not be the absolute highest quality, they seem to be the best bang for the buck to me. Although epoxy is tried and true, poly floors seem to be superior from what I've read.

In the garage I do some auto work, and other semi-serious random projects as a well as using the garage as a gym for lifting weights etc... I do plan to get rubber mats for the exercise area. Regardless I want something that looks decent and is extremely durable, but don't need a showroom.

So I just want to know if what I'm planning makes sense.

1. Test concrete for water evaporation
2. Fill cracks with a 2 part concrete crack repair kit
3. Diamond grind surface
4. Clean our dust with water/concrete cleaner
5. Put down gray Garage Coat from Rocksolid
-I don't plan to use any flakes as I like the solid color for finding dropped screws etc..
-I plant to use Shark Grip for traction

My questions are:
-I don't really like the idea of a glossy clearcoat, but am I sacrificing durability if I don't put one down? Is a 1-coat solution worthwhile?

Is there any primer I should use with Rocksolid?

Should the Shark Grip be added to the mixture of Polyurea? Or should it just be spread on top of the floor while it's still wet. How much shark-grip for 420 sq. ft. garage?

Is there a better solution for the price of what I want to do?

Any other tips are appreciated!

Edit:
Forgot to mention I live in the Savannah, GA area and would be willing to consider a contractor to do the job for me, but haven't found one that seems up to the task yet. Any references would be great. Thanks!

 

[NitroShark]

IMO...If you are going to put the effort in Diamond grinding the surface..

Then I would use a true coating system and not a "floor paint" like that looks like.

Shawn

 

[bmather9]

IMO...If you are going to put the effort in Diamond grinding the surface..

Then I would use a true coating system and not a "floor paint" like that looks like.

Shawn

I'm not sure what you mean by a "floor paint". There seem to have been at least a few members of the garage journal who have used Rocksolid with good results, along with a few complaints. In my humble opinion it certainly seems to be a true coating system, but maybe not as high quality as some other. Certainly it must be better than an epoxy kit from big box stores.

As for the effort of the diamond grinder, it seems to be one of the most important steps, and I think I would be planning to use it even if I were going with a kit from Lowes.

 

[Shea]

Your plan looks fine.

-I don't really like the idea of a glossy clearcoat, but am I sacrificing durability if I don't put one down? Is a 1-coat solution worthwhile?

Yes, you are sacrificing durability. Think of the clear coat as the sacrificial top layer over your color coat.

Should the Shark Grip be added to the mixture of Polyurea? Or should it just be spread on top of the floor while it's still wet. How much shark-grip for 420 sq. ft. garage?

Your anti-slip is mixed in with your top coat. Polyurea coatings are generally too thick for Shark Grip however. It will usually sink too far down to be effective. That is why Rock Solid recommends adding silica sand to the top layer mixed in with paint chips. Without the paint chips it will be obvious that there is something in the coating. It's not what I would recommend and it will give your floor a grainy look, though it would cut down some on the gloss. It will catch mop strings and be somewhat abrasive. Your best bet would be to sprinkle shark grip over the coat immediately after rolling it on.

The best method is to thin the top coat and mix the Shark Grip in with it, but the Rock Solid mixture system in the bag will not allow you to thin it.

One other note, while Rock Solid makes an easy to use DIY polyurea coating system, it's not the same as commercially used polyurea applied by professionals. I couldn't find a Technical Data Sheet about the product to make comparisons as well as to find out what the dry film thickness is.

If you follow your plan you should have a decent floor coating for your effort however.

 

[bmather9]

Your plan looks fine.



Yes, you are sacrificing durability. Think of the clear coat as the sacrificial top layer over your color coat.



Your anti-slip is mixed in with your top coat. Polyurea coatings are generally too thick for Shark Grip however. It will usually sink too far down to be effective. That is why Rock Solid recommends adding silica sand to the top layer mixed in with paint chips. Without the paint chips it will be obvious that there is something in the coating. It's not what I would recommend and it will give your floor a grainy look, though it would cut down some on the gloss. It will catch mop strings and be somewhat abrasive. Your best bet would be to sprinkle shark grip over the coat immediately after rolling it on.

The best method is to thin the top coat and mix the Shark Grip in with it, but the Rock Solid mixture system in the bag will not allow you to thin it.

One other note, while Rock Solid makes an easy to use DIY polyurea coating system, it's not the same as commercially used polyurea applied by professionals. I couldn't find a Technical Data Sheet about the product to make comparisons as well as to find out what the dry film thickness is.

If you follow your plan you should have a decent floor coating for your effort however.

Thanks for that; I'm still debating about going with or without the clearcoat, but that's just me being indecisive. I understand that their polyurea probably isn't the best stuff out there, but with 1 coat their product seems quite cost effective compared to my perception of quality that I'd get at a big box store. Even if I go with the 2nd clear-coat the price isn't bad, but that's all factoring into my decision. I'm just trying to decide, if I don't pay for the 2nd clear-coat now, will I pay for it later in durability? I'm guessing not, since my garage shouldn't be seeing heavy duty work. I want a floor that will last more than a year or 2, but don't want to spend a fortune, it is a garage floor after all.

If I go without clearcoat, it seems my only choice is to sprinkle the sharkgrip on top.

If I go with a the clearcoat, I believe it is a 2 part system so I could theoretically mix in the shark grip or choose to sprinkle it on top. Rocksolid seems to recommend the sprinkle method, but the shark grip says that it should be mixed in. What is the correct answer here?

I prefer not to use sand since I hear that shark grip is more comfortable for bare-feet. I will be exercising in the garage as well, and although I intend to put some large rubber mats down, I know I'll end up walking barefoot or doing pushups directly on the flooring. So I want slip resistance and comfort; hopefully sharkgrip offers that to some degree.

Since I want a solid color, I was planning to go without flakes, but I read some people who claim the flakes add durability and traction, while others say that the flakes are just for looks. So who is correct? Do flakes add durability and traction or not?

 

[bean_counter]

I had good results with the Rock Solid. I used the Medici color which is a 2 color blend. I also decided to go with the clear coat for extra durability and used the aluminum oxide from Rock solid. (i disbursed by hand)
I rented the grinder from home depot and used a hand grinder as well for the edges. This may have been overkill but my floor was 60 years old. The flakes will definately add durability and traction especiall if you do a full broadcast. but that gets pricey. Good Luck!

 

[bmather9]

Ok so I think I've found answers to most of my questions; I'm probably going to opt for the 2-coat system but still debating about the color flakes. Where can I find flakes that are only 1 color? Gray to match the rock solid flooring?

One more question that came up, how do you deal with the garage door? Part of the floor, probably an inch or so extends outside beyond where the garage door touches the floor. So do I just put the floor coating down all the way to the seam where the garage concrete meets the driveway? Or do I tape it off so that the coating stops before any of it shows outside the garage door?

About how much shark grip should be used for 2.5 car garage, approx 420 square feet?

 

[jonzer12]

I am on year 2 with my 1 coat rocksolid application. Apart from the Sun giving areas a yellow tint, it has proven tough as nails for my use. I left a bare strip concrete at the door area, the rocksolid stops a hair short of the door seals.

 

[bmather9]

So I'm quite busy with work these days, and I hired a contractor to grind my garage floor and put down the Rocksolid garage coat and a clear coat. Unfortunately I don't think they are doing a very good job so far.

I've attached some photos of their grinding job. Sorry some of them are a bit blurry, but the lighting was low. You can quite easily see that some spots were ground to the point that the color and roughness of the concrete changed, but the majority of the floor looks very similar to the way it looked before grinding with just a few light scratches from the grinder. Most of it remains quite smooth and I'm afraid that this isn't going to work well when they put down the floor.

They used a large upright grinder from home depot with diamabrush head; I believe it cost about $100 for the day.

Also they filled the cracks the same day they ground the floor, but didn't wait for the crack filler to dry completely before grinding over top of the filled cracks. It seemed to work fairly well, but it just didn't seem right to me.

So am I right that the grinding job should be fairly even when finished? All of the youtube videos I can find seem to leave the floor with an even grind. Is the grinder from Home Depot sufficient to grind my floor properly?

I'm not sure where things will go from here, but could I acid etch over top of their poor grinding job to fix things?

Either way there is still significant dust that comes off if you touch the floor with your hands; what is the proper way to clean this after grinding or etching?

Thanks in advance for any help or opinions. I'm planning to ask them to re-grind it and see where things go from there.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

It's tough to see if its ground properly. Dust should be swept and vacuumed off, several times. If still dusty wipe with denatured alcohol.

 

[bmather9]

It's tough to see if its ground properly. Dust should be swept and vacuumed off, several times. If still dusty wipe with denatured alcohol.

Sorry the pics are so bad, but for example in the second picture, the right side seems to be quite evenly ground, while the rest of the floor was barely touched by the grinder. It mostly feels like the original surface. How rough should the concrete feel after grinding?

 

[Shea]

Scotty is correct about trying to evaluate a grind just on pictures alone. Keep in mind that there are a lot of factors that can cause the color changes in the concrete itself. The darker areas of the slab could be more dense than the lighter areas. When grinding this will make the less dense areas turn lighter from the dust.

It sounds like they used a Diamabrush attachment. The Diamabrush type of grinding wheel is more forgiving in terms of leaving swirl marks, cup marks, kiss marks, and so on that a cup wheel can leave. The resulting finish can look more smooth than other traditional methods of grinding, but it doesn't mean it's not profiled correctly. The profile should be anywhere from 80 to 150 grit sandpaper depending on the product. If you have doubts about the profile, do a small water test in a few spots to see if it is absorbed immediately. If not, I would have a talk with the guys you hired.

Also, there are many fast cure polyureas that are used as crack fillers. You can start grinding withing 20 minutes of filling a crack. Maybe they used something like that. Just ask.

Where can I find flakes that are only 1 color? Gray to match the rock solid flooring?

The flakes are used to create a colored accent to the floor. Using the same color would make it look like a bad coating job. Just go without flakes if you like the gray.

 

[bmather9]

Scotty is correct about trying to evaluate a grind just on pictures alone. Keep in mind that there are a lot of factors that can cause the color changes in the concrete itself. The darker areas of the slab could be more dense than the lighter areas. When grinding this will make the less dense areas turn lighter from the dust.

It sounds like they used a Diamabrush attachment. The Diamabrush type of grinding wheel is more forgiving in terms of leaving swirl marks, cup marks, kiss marks, and so on that a cup wheel can leave. The resulting finish can look more smooth than other traditional methods of grinding, but it doesn't mean it's not profiled correctly. The profile should be anywhere from 80 to 150 grit sandpaper depending on the product. If you have doubts about the profile, do a small water test in a few spots to see if it is absorbed immediately. If not, I would have a talk with the guys you hired.

Also, there are many fast cure polyureas that are used as crack fillers. You can start grinding withing 20 minutes of filling a crack. Maybe they used something like that. Just ask.



The flakes are used to create a colored accent to the floor. Using the same color would make it look like a bad coating job. Just go without flakes if you like the gray.

I understand the pics are pretty much useless, but on a close inspection I can see where the grinder basically didn't touch large parts of the floor. There are a few scars from the grinder in those very smooth parts, but most of it seems just like the original garage floor finish.

As for the water beading test, I've tried this a dozen times or so now. Call me stupid, but I don't really know what I'm looking for. I pour water and at first it beads up, but then it begins to run down small slopes or whatever and spreads out. Then part of it seems to absorb into the concrete but with enough water sitting in a puddle it seems like it doesnt always absorb.

So how long should it take to absorb the water? 30 secs or 30 minutes?

I tried this test on lots of different places, those that were ground well and those that were not, but didn't seem to have much of a difference in the results.

As for the fast cure crack filler, they actuall used crack filler that I purchased and it's not fast cure and seems to take about 24 hours.

I gave up on the flakes, and am going with solid gray and adding shark grip for traction. I'm considering broadcasting the shark grip on both the gray base layer and the clear top layer. Any opinions on this or should I only broadcast it on the top clear layer?