Top Tips – Using Microcement in Your Renovation

Microcement has been a popular material for renovating in Europe for many years. It’s popular because it can be applied over most surfaces, is very strong and can be successfully applied by novices (with some caveats, which I’ll touch on below). Because it’s applied in thin ‘micro’ layers, it means that door heights don’t need to be adjusted (if applying on floors) and existing fixtures can remain in place. With strong adhesion, it can be applied on many surfaces, including (sound) tiles. 

In many instances, it’s a brilliant way to achieve a modern, seamless look without having to change structural elements, replace countertops or rip out tiles. Years ago, I renovated our own bathroom in microcement – going over the top of existing tiles. While it’s not suitable for every project or person, in many instances, microcement (and remember, not all are created equal) can be a great renovation solution.

Here are our top tips for renovating with our microcement. 

1. Make sure your substrate is sound: While our microcement is very flexible and is not prone to cracking, it will not bridge structural movement. This means that you need to make sure your substrate (the surface it is being applied to) is solid, and is not prone to movement. 
   
2. Ensure your substrate is neat and tidy. Microcement is not designed to hide flaws. Microcement (or micro topping, micro crete etc) has the name because it’s applied in very thin ‘micro’ coats. It’s not designed to cover up flaws like joins or uneven surfaces. It can be done, but will use up a great deal of material, resulting in more expense. Your substrate needs to be well prepared ahead of applying the microcement. This can mean applying a suitable base coat before applying our microcement. 
3. Keep your project small. Our microcement sets quickly and can get away on novices attempting to tackle large spaces, especially floors. Especially for a first project, we recommend keeping your project to small spaces with surfaces that can be tackled one at a time (as opposed to large flat surfaces).
4. Get a helping hand. It’s helpful to enlist the help of someone else to mix material and keep surfaces and tools clean while you do the application.
5. Preparation is everything. As with so many renovation processes, investing time to get the preparation right can get you most of the way to a successful application. We also recommend familiarising yourself with our specifications and keeping them on hand. Getting quantities and timings right is critical.