What Is Rhino Shield? The Ceramic Coating Michigan Homes Use Instead of Paint
Rhino Shield is a ceramic elastomeric exterior coating that looks like paint but goes on 10 to 12 mils thick, about five times thicker than standard latex paint. It is built with ceramic microspheres, flexes with the house, lets moisture escape, and is backed by a 25-year transferable warranty.
Installed across Michigan by Rhino Shield of Michigan, a family-owned dealer based in Brighton.
25-Year Transferable Warranty | BBB A+ | 4.8 on Google | 2,000+ Installs | MI Lic #2102200455
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Is Rhino Shield Paint or Something Else?
It looks like paint. It goes on with a sprayer and a back-roller, like paint. But it is not paint.
Rhino Shield (you will sometimes see it written RhinoShield, and no, it has nothing to do with the phone case brand) is a ceramic elastomeric coating with an acrylic urethane base. So when people search “what is Rhino Shield paint” or “what is Rhino paint,” they are really asking about a coating designed to replace the paint cycle, not repeat it.
Here is the simplest way we explain it at the door. Paint is a thin color layer that wears out. Rhino Shield is a thick, flexible protective shell that happens to come in color.
We are Marc and Sheryl Mercier, and our family has spent more than 25 years in home improvement. The question we hear most during an estimate is not “how much?” It is “what exactly am I paying for?” This page is our honest answer.
If you want the bigger picture first, here is why homeowners choose Rhino Shield.
What Is Rhino Shield Made Of?
Rhino Shield is made of resins and urethane, pigments, ceramic microspheres, and a much smaller share of water than regular paint. Titanium dioxide is added for fade resistance and biocides for mold and algae resistance.
| Component | Approximate share | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Resins and urethane | 38% | Binds the coating, gives flexibility and adhesion |
| Pigments | 23% | Color, including titanium dioxide for fade resistance |
| Ceramic microspheres | 18% | Reflect UV, add film build and texture |
| Water | 21% | Carrier that evaporates as the coating cures |
| Additives | Small amount | Biocides to resist mold, mildew and algae |
What Ceramic Microspheres Do
The microspheres are tiny hollow ceramic beads packed into the finish coat. They reflect a good share of the sun’s UV, which is a big reason color holds up longer. They also add thickness and give the surface its slightly textured feel.
Why Less Water Matters
Most exterior paint is largely water. Once it evaporates, what stays on your siding is a thin film. Rhino Shield carries far more solids, so more of what goes on the wall actually stays there.
That is where the 10 to 12 mil dry film comes from. Not extra coats. A different formula.
See it on your own siding. Book a free estimate and we will bring samples.
How Rhino Shield Compares to Regular Exterior Paint
A side-by-side makes it clearer than any sales pitch.
| Factor | Rhino Shield | Regular exterior paint |
|---|---|---|
| Dry thickness | 10 to 12 mils minimum | About 1.5 to 3 mils |
| Flexibility | Stretches and contracts with the surface | Rigid once cured, cracks over time |
| Breathability | Lets moisture vapor escape | Can trap moisture, leading to bubbling |
| Mold and algae | Biocides built in, no growth in lab testing | Often needs added mildewcide |
| Fire rating | Class A, per manufacturer testing | Varies by product |
| Warranty | 25 years, transferable, non-prorated | Usually limited, often prorated |
| Typical repaint interval | Not designed to need repainting | Every 5 to 7 years for many homes |
The thickness difference is the one homeowners feel right away. Run your hand across a coated wall and you notice it.
More detail on each benefit is in our core benefits learning center.
"Isn't Rhino Shield Just Elastomeric Paint?"
You may have read this online. A few inspector forum threads say exactly that, and it is a fair question to ask before you spend real money.
Here is the truth. Traditional elastomeric paints are thick and stretchy, but many of them do not breathe well. On wood siding, that can trap moisture behind the film. And trapped moisture is what causes blistering and rot underneath.
Rhino Shield is built on an acrylic urethane formula that is flexible and breathable at the same time. Water vapor from inside the wall can get out. Rain from outside stays out.
Independent lab results back this up:
- Elongation: 538% to 550%, so the coating stretches over hairline cracks instead of splitting
- Tensile strength: 340 psi
- Adhesion to concrete: 533 psi
- Solar Reflectance Index (SRI): 105.3 to 107.4
- Mold and algae: no growth recorded in testing
Those tests were run by outside labs including BASF, Future Labs, MicroStar Lab, DRM and Ace Laboratories. You can review the full testing data yourself, or the manufacturer’s results at rhinoshield.com.
So is it “just elastomeric paint”? It shares the stretch. It does not share the moisture problem.
Still unsure? Book a 5-minute call and ask us anything.
What Rhino Shield Does for Michigan Homes
Michigan is hard on exteriors. We see the same four problems in almost every county we work in.
Freeze-Thaw Cracking
Siding expands on a warm February afternoon and shrinks again overnight. Rigid paint cannot keep up, so it cracks. Rhino Shield’s elongation lets it move with the boards through the whole season.
Peeling Wood Siding
Older wood siding, especially on lake cottages and farmhouses, tends to peel in sheets. Usually moisture is pushing out from behind. A breathable coating lets that moisture escape without lifting the finish.
Mold and Algae on Shaded Walls
North walls and anything under heavy trees stay damp after lake-effect snow and humid summers. Green and black streaks show up fast. The biocides in Rhino Shield are there to slow that growth down.
Fading on South-Facing Walls
The sunny side of the house fades first, sometimes years before the rest. Ceramic microspheres and titanium dioxide help hold color where the UV hits hardest.
Surfaces Rhino Shield Can Coat
Rhino Shield works on most common exterior surfaces:
- Wood siding and trim
- Hardie Plank and other fiber cement
- Brick and block
- Stucco
- Vinyl siding
- Aluminum siding
Where we will tell you no: wood decks, log homes and roofs. Decks take foot traffic the coating is not made for, and log homes move too much. Roofs need a different product, Rhino Roof Coating.
A quick note on vinyl. Vinyl can be coated, but only in lighter colors, because dark colors absorb heat and can warp the panels. We also check the gauge of your vinyl first. Sometimes, honestly, new siding is the better buy, and if that is the case at your house, we will say so at the estimate.
More on prep and repairs by surface: substrate and repairs.
How Rhino Shield of Michigan Applies It
- Free estimate and inspection. We walk the house, check every surface, and give you a written quote.
- Power wash and repairs. Dirt, chalk and loose material come off. Rotted wood, cracks and gaps get fixed before anything goes on.
- Adhesive primer. A bonding coat that locks the system to your siding.
- Ceramic finish coat. Sprayed and back-rolled to reach the full 10 to 12 mil thickness.
- Final walkthrough and warranty registration. We inspect the work with you and register your 25-year warranty.
Prep is the part most companies rush. We don’t, because the warranty depends on it. The full breakdown is on our installation process page.
A Recent Michigan Project
One of our customers brought us out to a wood-sided cabin. The siding had plenty of knot holes and small cracks, the kind of surface where coating straight over the top would have looked fine for a season and then failed.
So our crew spent two full days just on prep. Patching knot holes, filling cracks, getting every board sound before the primer went on. Only then did the ceramic finish coat go on.
The owner noticed that extra care and mentioned it in a Google review. That is what we want people to see: the work you never see is what makes the finish last.
Why Rhino Shield Costs More Than Paint (and What You Get)
Let’s be straight about it. Rhino Shield costs more than a typical paint job, often quite a bit more.
Here is where the money goes:
- More prep. Washing, repairs and caulking are done to warranty standards, not just to look good for a summer.
- A thicker film. Five times the material on the wall is five times the material you are paying for.
- Trained installers. Application is controlled to hit the full mil thickness.
What you get back is a 25-year transferable, non-prorated warranty covering cracking, chipping and peeling. Transferable means it goes to the next owner if you sell. Non-prorated means coverage does not shrink each year.
The fairer comparison is cost per year. A paint job every 5 to 7 years adds up over 25 years, plus the scraping, the scaffolding, and the weeks of disruption each time. Maintenance on Rhino Shield is an annual wash.
We offer 0% financing and current promotions of up to 25% off. Details are on our pricing and 25-year warranty pages.
What Michigan Homeowners Say
We hold a 4.8-star rating across 73 Google reviews. A few things come up again and again:
- Careful prep. Customers notice when a crew takes the time to fix the surface first, like the cabin owner above whose crew spent two days on repairs.
- Responsiveness. Calls returned, questions answered, schedules kept.
- Clean, friendly crews. Yards left the way they were found.
Not every review is about a finished job, either. One homeowner chose new vinyl siding after our estimate because it came out cheaper for that house. We think that is the estimate doing its job.
Read all our reviews on Google
Like what you’re reading? Get your free estimate.
Our Work Across Michigan
See more finished homes in our project gallery.
Rhino Shield Across Michigan
Our office is at 2150 Pless Dr in Brighton, right in Livingston County, and our crews travel to more than 40 counties across Lower Michigan.
We are the exclusive Rhino Shield installer for Southeast Michigan, Ann Arbor and Lansing, west to Grand Rapids and the Lake Michigan coastline, and north to Traverse City. We also serve homes around Flint and Detroit.
Each area brings its own challenges. Lakeshore cottages take wind and moisture off the water. Older homes in Ann Arbor and Lansing often have original wood siding with decades of paint layers. Our estimate accounts for both.
Rhino Shield FAQs
Is Rhino Shield just paint?
No. Rhino Shield is a ceramic elastomeric coating with an acrylic urethane base. It applies like paint, but it dries 10 to 12 mils thick, flexes with the house, and lets moisture vapor escape. Regular paint dries around 1.5 to 3 mils and cracks as it ages.
What is Rhino Shield made of?
Rhino Shield is made of about 38% resins and urethane, 23% pigments, 18% ceramic microspheres and 21% water. Titanium dioxide helps resist fading, and biocides help resist mold, mildew and algae. The high solids content is why the coating stays so thick once dry.
How long does Rhino Shield last?
Rhino Shield is backed by a 25-year transferable, non-prorated warranty against cracking, chipping and peeling. It is designed so you do not need to repaint, with an annual wash as the main upkeep. Proper prep and application are what make that lifespan possible.
How much does Rhino Shield cost in Michigan?
Cost depends on the size of your home, the surface, and how much repair the siding needs, so every project gets a free, written in-home quote. It costs more than a paint job up front, but over 25 years it often compares well against repainting every 5 to 7 years. Financing is available.
Can Rhino Shield go on vinyl siding?
Yes, in lighter colors. Dark colors absorb heat and can warp vinyl, so we limit color choices and check the gauge of your siding first. If new siding would serve you better or cost less, we will tell you that at the estimate.
Can I buy Rhino Shield and apply it myself?
No. Rhino Shield is only sold and installed through independently owned, trained dealers. The warranty depends on correct prep, primer and film thickness, so the product is not available for DIY use.
Does Rhino Shield need maintenance?
Very little. An annual gentle wash removes dirt and pollen and keeps the finish looking fresh. You do not scrape, sand or repaint. If something gets damaged, contact us and we will look at it under your warranty terms.
Who backs the Rhino Shield warranty?
The warranty is issued by your local Rhino Shield dealer, which in Michigan is us, Rhino Shield of Michigan. It is transferable to a new owner if you sell your home, and the product itself is backed by the manufacturer behind the national dealer network.
See What Rhino Shield Would Look Like on Your Home
Tired of the repaint cycle? Start with a free in-home estimate. We will inspect your siding, show you color samples, and leave a written quote, with no obligation and financing options if you need them.
Call (810) 360-6583 | Book a 5-Minute Call
Rhino Shield of Michigan
2150 Pless Dr #7A, Brighton, MI 48114
(810) 360-6583
rhinoshieldmi.com
