Before I tell you all the details on me applying the Rust-Oleum RockSolid Garage Floor Coating Kit, click on the picture and it will open all the other pictures of the process and what I am about to describe. I would like to get you caught up to what has been going on. Since I last saw you, I mentioned that I was working on some of the details and I was painting the engine rack. As I was dreaming to put all my cars back into the garage, I realized that I now have 8 portable garage storage tents and that I will need a place to store them. I then created shelving that mounts to my support beams to store those away and not consume floor space. Doors and trim were painted and then news came from the weather man that we were going to have unseasonably high temperatures for the month of March!

With good weather coming, it is time to prepare the floor for the Rust-Oleum RockSolid Garage Floor Coating Kit. I saw a large crack in the middle of the floor, so I cleaned it out with a wire wheel on a grinder and removed all the debris that I could. I used Rust-Oleum Fast Patch Concrete patch and repair. I highly recommend this stuff. This is a 2 part system where you mix equal parts of compound A and B into a liquid putty and then you spread it into the crack. You need to wait 8 hours for this stuff to set up but once it does, it becomes SUPER Hard! You should sand it smooth and take the gloss off of the Fast Patch Concrete patch and repair so that it can accept the RockSolid Garage Floor Coating. I used a Belt Sander with 80 grit sand paper to sand the patch down and level it with the rest of the floor. Although the sanding can be done by hand, a belt sander or a DA sander reduces fatigue.

Now It is time to clean the floor. I started with purple power to remove the gross grease that was on the floor and a stiff bristle brush. After rinsing and squeegeeing the floor, I then applied Rust-Oleum Quick Prep 3 in 1. It cleans, degreases, and etches in one step. The floor bubbles while it etches and the areas that I thought were cleaned from the purple power, looked amazing after Rust-Oleum Quick Prep 3 in 1. After the entire floor was scrubbed with a stiff bristle brush, it was rinsed and squeegeed 3 times, removing all traces of any dirt on the floors.

After giving it a couple days to sure that it's dry, I took a 2' by 2' piece of plastic and taped it to the floor to be sure there were no water or moisture issues. Assuring that everything was dry, I applied Rust-Oleum Recoat Primer because there was a previous sealer on the concrete. The floor looks nice in the grey, but If I could change a product, I would love to have the primer available in a similar tone to the floor being applied (ie. a tan primer for tan coating, and a grey primer for grey coating.etc). Why would I do this? If an area has a texture and is a little thin at the edges, or lets say that you sweat and a droplet hits the floor right before you apply the coating, the coating will not stick there leaving a bare spot (of course, once it drys it will cover). A similar color will allow you to keep going and the "imperfections" would blend in with the flakes.

Once the Rust-Oleum Recoat Primer was dry and within the 3 day timeframe described in the instructions, the RockSolid Garage Floor Coating was applied. Since I did another section of my garage before, I have found that the ideal temperature for me to apply the RockSolid Garage Floor Coating is 65 degrees. When your temperature is between 40 and 75 degrees, the time you have to apply the coating is one hour for each mixed pouch. If it is warmer than 75 degrees, that hour of work time is reduced. I have also found that cooler temperatures tend to have a lower relative humidity for a nice application and make applying the coating fun and enjoyable.

My favorite part of applying the floor coating was flaking "as I go". I wore a tool belt that held the bags of flake. Once I rolled out roughly a 4-foot by 4-foot section, I tossed the flake high into the air to allow it to fall with a nice random pattern on the floor. It was fun! Nothing is more manly than feeling like a pretty princess sprinkling fairy dust while riding a unicorn that poops ice cream and farts rainbows. Maybe it was the fumes that brought about those visions? So next time, I should work with a little more ventilation.

On Friday, I will be applying Rust-Oleum RockSolid Textured Clear Garage Floor Coating. This product will reduce the reflective sheen, add a non slip texture if the surface should ever get wet, and seal in the flake to help keep the floors looking great!

It's GO Time!! Wrap up the "extras" and Let's apply the Epoxy!