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Item being reviewed: Rocksolid Polycuramine Floor Covering
What's this all about anyway? This is supposedly the mutt's nuts when it
comes to residential garage floor coverings. I needed three of the 2-1/2 car kits.
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Manufacturer: Rustoleum
Manufacturers of all kinds of paints and paint products
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Retail price: ~$250 for each 2-1/2 car kit
Supplied by the manufacturer, discounts are likely to be found
with some searching.
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Appearance: Up to showroom quality
Simply, how does it look. It is somewhat subjective but clean lines,
professional appearance, etc. This looks great and comes in a variety
of colors. Tinting may be added for further customization. Decorative coloring chips
come with the kit and can be ordered separately in a variety of palates.
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Packaging: 9
Is it thrown into a box or packed like a new smartphone.
This is slick, compact, and securely packaged.
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Initial set-up time: Lots
After removing contents from box, how long before the first use.
Make no mistake this is a serious project. I spent many weeks prepping the floor:
cleaning, scrubbing, grinding the surface,
treating rust and other stains, spot degreasing the worst parts,
patching gouges and cracks, four treatments with oil-eating microbes.
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"Plug and play": Somewhat
Is everything included or do you need to purchase additional
equipment, supplies, or parts. You will need to clean the floor however you see fit
so additional supplies and equipment are required.
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Additional costs or equipment: Yes, it can be costly!
Not included with the purchase, what else will lighten your wallet .
This required degreasers, scrapers, patch repair kit, paint rollers and brushes,
buckets, anti-slip additive, and more.
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Set-up time for each use: N/A
From being stored properly and completely, is it grab-and-go or
much more involved. This goes on a floor. Sweep it and mop it like normal. Or don't - it's
highly resilient and impervious to nearly every normal household or garage chemical.
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Storage provisions: N/A
Factory provisions to store equipment when not in use.
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Storage time: N/A
Time it takes to store it safely and completely, cleaned and
lubed, liquids drained, and ready to go.
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Ongoing costs: N/A
Replacement parts from wear-and-tear, expendables, supplies, etc.
This item will need, or should need, nothing. If the epoxy chips, Rustoleum will provide
a patch kit free of charge.
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Maintenance: None
What is expected to keep it working properly.
Sweep and mop like a normal floor to keep it looking new.
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Usability: See notes
Is it a pain in the ass or complicated to use?
This is not a morning project. It takes considerable time
to get everything prepped though is not overly difficult. The amount
of work may put many people off and there is an impetus to skip some steps...at
your peril.
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Functionality: 9
How well does it do its job. It's difficult to find something better
even from a professional surface-coating company.
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Robustness: Excellent
Durability, how well-constructed or flimsy it is. They named it RockSolid
for good reason.
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Value: Your perspective
Based on the price-vs-performance-vs-function, is it worth it.
It's expensive, takes a long time to apply in worst-case situations, but it's
supposed to last forever. It was a no-brainer for me.
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Adjustability: N/A
Can it be easily modified to accommodate different situations.
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Meeting expectations: 8
Does it work as well as others say or the manufacturer claims.
It all depends on how good the floor is before it's applied and whether or not the anti-skid additive
is used as it textures the finishes somewhat. Not ugly but definitely not smooth like glass.
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Innovation: 7
The ingenuity of the design or concept. It's a two-part
epoxy-like system. Nothing new there.
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Results: 8 so far
This may or may not replace a manual method or previous way of doing
something. In any case, what is the quality of the finished product or process.
Anything below 6 is not good.
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Timeliness: Subjective
How do the results compare to the amount of time it took.
If it replaces a manual method, what are the differences. The only comparison (at many times the
cost) is hiring a professional. Any industrial coating would be marginally, if at all, better.
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Skill level: Minimal
What mechanical aptitude or skills does one need to set up and use
it. This item required lots of time. Following instructions is paramount as fixing a mistake is far
more of a time toilet than proper preparation.
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Documentation: 7
Does it have detailed instructions, whether written (which it should
no matter what) or on-line. Written instructions were so-so but their website had excellent tutorials.
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Customer service: 8
How quickly they respond, can you speak with someone on the phone,
are their answers satisfactory. I called probably a dozen times and all questions were answered
quickly and without incident. It was easy to speak to a real person.
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Comparative: See notes
If other machines or tools are available within the general price
range that do the same thing, how does this compare. Going by the online reviews
and research, this is as good as it gets for a DIYer. Some industrial coatings
are purported to be marginally better but ridiculously more expensive.
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Recommendation: Yes
My personal assessment of the device - basically, would I buy it
again knowing what I learned about it. Don't skimp on anything is all I'm going to say.
Order more than you think because it spreads thick.