Applying Stone Coat's Ultimate Top Coat Natural finish including timelapse while drying clear

Stone Coat Countertops's Ultimate Top Coat is an excellent product and top coat although, I know there are some who are struggling with it. I created this tutorial to show an application process that works for me, and in hopes it can help others. I'm not affiliated with Stone Coat, I just love the product and the benefits it provides to our customers and added durability to the countertops.
This video will cover:
Cleaning the surface
Prep for UTC (Ultimate Top Coat)
Mixing
Applying with wet roller and dry roller
Timelapse showing how it dries clear

[@cynthiamcfarland284]

Keith you are a phenomenal teacher. Your videos are so thorough and easy to understand. Best video on UTC - I struggle with UTC

[@kcdcdesigns]

Thank you, Cynthia and that makes me so happy knowing I'm able to help others. Thank you!

[@justinmalone8640]

I used this stuff on some faux granite. 1 session, and I hated it. It was super matte, and I was not pleased at all. I just used it on my main counter with the sink in place following your directions to the “T”. Looks absolutely amazing, I had a mirror epoxy granite look. This made it a very natural matte, and you can still see the layers. I would say the leveling the top coat out with the wet roller, and back rolling with the dry roller only 1 time was the most useful information. Thank you sir, as you have saved me time and money.

[@kcdcdesigns]

Wow, Justin comments like that are what make the hours and hours of filming and editing so worth while. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and I'm so glad I could be of help. Thank you again!!!

[@maggiebrattoli383]

Thanks for the video. Perhaps I need to see one in person but from the video, I prefer the shiny finish.

[@kcdcdesigns]

Hi Maggie, prior to the Ultimate Top Coat coming out everyone's countertops had the high-gloss finish e.g., the final clear coat of epoxy and I still have many customers with that finish. There's pro's and cons to each finish including the Natural (matte) and Gloss of UTC. Although the high-gloss finish shows the most depth it also shows every fingerprint, smudge, micro-scratch, etc., not to mention a lot of glare (and 30 days to fully cure). For me personally, the UTC Natural provides the most authentic look as well as durability, especially in high traffic kitchens. The UTC Gloss does show more depth due to being glossy but there's also the issue of fingerprints, smudges, micro-scratches and glare. The UTC Gloss also has some visual orange peel/texture that some people don't care for. It's really personal preference and yes, seeing all the different sheens in person is much different than photos. Thanks for your comment! Keith

[@StoneCoatCountertops]

Keep up the good work!! You Got This.

[@kcdcdesigns]

Thank you for the great products, support and tutorials!

[@gingerginger4669]

My only problem with UTC is whether to use the gloss or natural on the vanity tops I create! I absolutely love UTC! Great video, I like the strainer idea. I'm going to use that 👍

[@kcdcdesigns]

Hi Ginger! As I always leave it up to the customer on Natural or Gloss, for me it depends on the design I've created. I prefer the Gloss for the alcohol dye technique/design as it really seems to highlight the colors, especially the gold accents. As well as the calacatta and other white/marble designs if they include any bling or the accent colors that remain on the surface, because they really shimmer/show with the Gloss more than the Natural. If the design and colors are darker and/or replicate natural stone, I feel the Natural gives it a much more realistic look. One other consideration is the amount of traffic and/or high-use (as well as natural daylight due to glare) in the customer's kitchen, because the Gloss will have a tendency to show all fingerprints, smudges and micro-scratches. As far as straining, for me it's a must with the Natural because some of the matting agents seem to not be completely dissolved and I hate having those little bits of debris on the surface. With the Gloss, I've not found a reason to strain it. Thank you for watching and your comments! Happy New Year!

[@GufranKhan-fi6jm]

Osm

[@ronherkey148]

When I sanded my surface with 220 prior to the UTC, there was absolutely no shine or reflection left. You mentioned you did that too. Thing is, your surface was still so shiny that the reflection of your ceil light could be seen . I don't know what was the deal with that table surface being so shing when you said you sanded it off camera.

[@kcdcdesigns]

The reason this piece is still shiny is because I just lightly sanded with 220 grit by hand, opposed to sanding with an orbital sander to remove all the shine. The advantage of sanding with an orbital sander and removing the shine, is IF you happen to miss a spot with the UTC Natural (matte) you won't be able to see it because it's not shiny underneath. If I would have missed a spot on this one, you'd be able to see it since it's shiny underneath. If I can wait several days before sanding for UTC I will use the orbital, but if I'm sanding 24 hours after the flood coat I will sand by hand because the sandpaper has a tendency to "load up", and I can keep the sanding disc clean when doing it by hand. If it loads up when using an orbital, those little balls can cause deeper scratches that the UTC may not fill. I hope that makes sense, and I appreciate you comment and question!

[@leesa117]

Hey Keith - Thx for the video; it helped me see some things I can do better! One question - what rollers do you like to use for UTC?

[@kcdcdesigns]

Hi Lee and you're so welcome! I use 6", 1/4" nap white woven roller covers and I get them from Home Depot. Same if I'm using 9" rollers for larger projects. Just be sure it's 1/4" nap whether you use 6" mini or 9" roller. Here's the Home Depot link if it works: www.homedepot.com/p/Best-6-in-x-1-4-in-Woven-6-Pack-HD-MR-100-6-6/202097475 Thanks again, Lee and please let me know if I can help further!

[@cheryllicata4198]

Could you use a lint roller instead of tape

[@kcdcdesigns]

Hi Cheryl, we've found that a regular lint roller could deposit a chemical of some sort to the surface, so we don't recommend them. Great question and thanks for asking!

[@justinmason5307]

QQ, so you dry rolled perpendicular (short ways) to the wet roll? not an additional long ways roll? right?

[@kcdcdesigns]

Hey Justin, I don't always roll perpendicular and usually wet and dry roll in the same direction on countertop pieces. This one, because I back-rolled with my wet roller one last time, and had no heavy lap lines or roller marks, I was confident in rolling it perpendicular. I couldn't tell you if one way is better than the other, I just know that if you have enough product on the surface, and when you back-roll one last time with your wet roller, if you've done that effectively, it shouldn't matter which direction you dry roll. I try to make it where the dry roller is picking up very little product, yet giving it one last smooth-over. I hope that helps.

[@selin23-oc5mu]

After using natural top coat, can you use the original Gel-gloss or something else to give it a bit more shine?

[@kcdcdesigns]

Hey, I'm not sure what you're referring to when you say Gel-gloss?

[@mrahaley4]

Question for you! Looks like the finish of your piece was glossy to start. Did you not sand at all prior to applying the UTC? I have a existing counter with matte clear on top and need to redo part of it. So was wondering if I should sand the entire thing before applying!

[@kcdcdesigns]

Hey there and so sorry for the late reply! It may not look like it but yes, I did sand the entire surface with 220 grit (red ScotchBrite pad for the rock edges) to create a mechanical bond for the UTC.

[@caseyjohnson6573]

Have you ever tried to spray it out of an hvlp gun? Wonder if orange peel would be eliminated altogether.

[@kcdcdesigns]

Hi Casey, it's been tried unsuccessfully (although not by me). The UTC Natural has zero orange peel for me by following the RK3 Designs formula including how much water to add. Rhonda at RK3 has worked with UTC tirelessly to obtain the best results and it's been working very well for me. Regarding the UTC Gloss, although you can't feel it, there's still going to be a visual orange peel and we haven't found a way to eliminate it. To date, I've not had one customer that has complained about it but they also know what it looks like when they decide on Natural or Gloss finish. Thanks for your question and feel free to reach out if I can help in any way! If you're on FB, you can contact me through my FB Business page at KCDC Designs.

[@tonyaddy7825]

Hey Keith! Thank you for sharing!! Question for you? I have a long 9.5 ft. countertop would you break that up or one big roll with UTC?

[@kcdcdesigns]

Hey Tony and great question! I will always roll the entire piece because when done in sections, in my experience I will always see that transition line of where I stopped and re-started. With a 10' long countertop being around 20 square feet, I would definitely roll the entire piece in one roll. If I were rolling it by myself (I usually have a helper dry-rolling on larger pieces) I would likely use a 9" roller as I can cover more area in less time. And if rolling it by myself, it's even more critical to be sure you're adding enough UTC with your wet roller, back-roll lightly with your wet roller to remove heavy laplines and to smooth everything uniformly, then dry-roll length-wise and ONLY ONCE! Hit me up with any other questions and thanks for your question!

[@tonyaddy7825]

@@kcdcdesigns Sweet!!

[@tonyaddy7825]

@@kcdcdesigns Hey Keith!! I have a helper for UTC application can we get by with 2- 6in rollers applying it and I do to dry roll with 6 in?? if not what 9 inch roller would you recommend ??

[@kcdcdesigns]

@@tonyaddy7825 Hey Tony, Not to say you can't use 6" to wet-roll and 9" to dry-roll on the same project, I just normally use one or the other. If it were me, I would start wet-rolling then have my helper start dry rolling after I get about 5' in (after I've back-rolled lightly with my wet roller to remove heavy lap lines and smooth it out) . Keep in mind when doing your 20 sf top, there's no need to overly rush yourself. Take your time to be sure you get good and adequate coverage with your wet roller, knowing your helper is right behind you and I can't stress enough to get enough product on the surface. A thin layer will be your enemy!. You should easily be able to complete that top in less than 10 minutes, start to finish. As far as how many rollers, for that project you should need only 1 wet roller and depending on how much product you apply, 1 dry roller should be enough unless it starts loading up and/or dragging. Always have extra rollers de-shedded and ready in case you need them.

[@tonyaddy7825]

Doing the calculations it put me at 5.86 oz of UTC. MATH easier go 6oz. 4 of A 2 of B. Round water .96 up to 1 oz of water

[@melissafarmer9437]

Hi Keith- I applied the UTC topcoat last night and I have lap lines this am 😔. It is very slightly tacky right now, less then gentle painters tape, so I don’t think they are going to go away. It’s a large island countertop, 10’ by 3.5’ with a sink cutout and I am did it on my own. I’m pretty sure that I was so worried about being quick that I didn’t apply enough product. Do I need to wait the full 24hrs before sanding and reapplying?

[@kcdcdesigns]

Hi Melissa, If it's still at that somewhat tacky stage, your lap lines may still dry out,,,, only time will tell (Are they lap lines or are they roller marks? Lap lines are distinct lines, roller marks you can see more of where the full roller was). If you do need to sand it and reapply, you definitely want to wait the 24 hours, assuming that it's set up/dried enough and that will depend on temp and if there's air moving over it as UTC dries differently than epoxy. Heat and air are helpful. With a UTC Gloss I applied recently, I turned up the heat and had a fan moving air to get it to set up/dry quicker. If the roller marks do not dry out, it's more than likely enough product wasn't applied, as you're guessing. I know it's stressful doing it solo and that does cause us to rush when we probably didn't need to. That's a large surface to tackle on your own and especially if not enough product was applied, because by the time you get to the other end (while wet rolling), where you started may already be setting up which means your dry roller has nothing to pick up and smooth over. Lastly, if sanding at the 24 hour mark, be cautious of how your sandpaper may load up with little balls/specks. You want to keep your sanding disc clean so those little specks don't cause deeper scratches that the new coat of UTC may not fill.

[@melissafarmer9437]

@@kcdcdesigns I think they are roller marks and they are still there. I was waiting to hear back from you before doing anything so I did not sand it down yet. I made sure to get more disks today so I would have enough on hand. I also talked to my husband and told him he needed to be my assistant when I reapply. He will be watching yours and Rhonda’s videos tomorrow. 🙂 Thank you so much for all of your help! I can’t wait to show you the finished countertop.

[@kcdcdesigns]

@@melissafarmer9437 I'm sorry I missed this until now and I can't wait to see it as well! Regarding the sanding, I don't think I saw whether you applied the Natural or Gloss? Either way, if it were me I would want to sand it to where it were completely smooth, to where in a glare you can not see any low spots. And be careful of your edges, which is why I used a red ScotchBrite pad instead of sand paper so I don't burn through. Once it's sanded smooth you're ready to reapply. If that didn't answer your questions, you're welcome to phone me as well at 402-310-0171

[@carnitacobb8821]

Whats the difference between using the mixed clear expoxy as a top vs the top coat matt or gloss?

[@kcdcdesigns]

The Ultimate Top Coat (UTC) adds a very hard protective layer over the epoxy. It also is fully cured after 48 hours so it can be installed sooner. Opposed to the epoxy layer which takes 30 days to fully cure and reach maximum durability. The UTC does not HAVE to be applied, but personally I like the added durability and as a business, I don't have to wait 30 days to install. Without the UTC, the Stone Coat Countertop epoxy layer is still extremely durable.

[@carnitacobb8821]

Thank you! ❤

[@kcdcdesigns]

You're very welcome! @@carnitacobb8821

[@wapperjaw8282]

hmmm ... if you don't like the Natual ... can you just lightly sand and redo with high gloss?

[@kcdcdesigns]

I just did an experiment with that and the Gloss had essentially the same sheen as if the Natural weren't there. BUT, that's only if there's no orange peel in the Natural finish. Any orange peel and you would want to sand it completely smooth, otherwise the low spots will not have a mechanical bond with the UTC.

[@wapperjaw8282]

@@kcdcdesigns Yeah I believe I just saw it ... here kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6TMq3prqt-kq7M I rewatched the video. At the end you put 2 diff boards together the left had the Natural and the right has a glossy. You basically said you just needed to lightly sand a bit and then applied the glossy finish ... etc. Then you have a disclaimer saying it was just an experiment, better to make it smooth according to directions. For quality issues I suppose ...

[@wapperjaw8282]

@@kcdcdesigns But the Glossy finish texture on both looks sort of like an orange peel. Does the natural have that texture or is it more smooth???

[@kcdcdesigns]

@@wapperjaw8282 The Gloss finish does have a slight (and unavoidable) orange peel, whereas the Natural it's possible to get it applied with none.

[@wapperjaw8282]

@@kcdcdesigns Hmmm ... I like glossy but not liking the texture effect. I wonder why it has that effect?