Microcement flooring: application, types, advantages and tips.

Microcement is one of the most widespread continuous floorings in the world due to the decorative opportunities it offers for both indoors and outdoors. A coating that can be applied on kitchen floors, bathroom floors, terrace floors, etc.

A building material that, although it has years of history, has become much more popular in recent years, especially for covering all types of flooring. Here we show you everything you need to know about microcement flooring: how it is applied, its main advantages, the types of microcement available for floors, tips... and much more.

Benefits of microcement flooring

Applying microcement on floors offers countless advantages. Its continuity, high resistance to traffic and wear and tear, as well as its non-slip finishes, are some of the factors that make microcement flooring so popular for both indoor and outdoor spaces.

Below is a summary of some of the most important benefits that this innovative decorative coating can boast as continuous flooring:

• It does not raise the level of the floor too much thanks to its minimum thickness of between 2 and 3 mm.
• It is a continuous floor, which means that there are no expansion joints or joints. The entire floor renovation is done in one single piece.
• It adheres to any type of material without the need to remove the existing substrate. It avoids generating debris and heavy renovations.
• It is unalterable to UV rays and has very good thermal resistance.
• It has enviable resistance to traffic, abrasion and domestic cleaning products.
• No two microcement flooring are alike thanks to the variety of colours and finishes offered by this decorative covering.
• It can be used as interior flooring but also as exterior flooring, for example on terraces.

How to install a microcement flooring

Now that you know all the virtues of microcement flooring, it is time to explain the application process. Here are the six steps to take into account to install a microcement floor successfully:

1. Cleaning the future microcement flooring

The flooring to be covered with microcement must be in perfect condition. Therefore, the first step is to clean the future microcement floor of dust, stains, grease or any other type of particles, as well as making sure that the base is in perfect condition. It is very important to check the humidity level of the floor, wait for it to dry or apply an Primapox®100 Barrierto block rising damp or as a vapour barrier.

2. Primer

Once the surface is clean, apply a coat of primer on the flooring to enhance the adhesion between the existing substrate and the new microcement flooring. If the base surface is absorbent, such as concrete or self-levelling, PRIMACEM ABS should be used; if it is non-absorbent, such as terrazzo, tile or marble, PRIMACEM PLUS should be used.

3. First coat of microcement base

After priming, apply the first layer of unpigmented microcement base. The use of a fibreglass mesh is recommended, as it will help the professional to minimise the chances of cracks appearing over time. Once applied, sand the surface.

4. Second coat of microcement base

Once the surface is completely dry, apply a second coat of pigmented microcement base. In this step, choose the desired microcement colour to cover the continuous flooring and, once the surface is perfectly covered, sand the microcement floor.

5. Two coats of finishing microcement

The fifth step consists of applying two coats of finishing microcement or pigmented finish. Depending on the finish and the degree of slipperiness desired, medium or thick microcement can be used. As specialists, we recommend two coats of Microdeck, our medium microcement, which is optimal for the application of microcement on floors.

6. Microcement flooring protection

The last step in the application of microcement flooring is one of the most important. The microcement flooring is ready, now it needs to be protected. To do this, two coats of PRESEALER are applied by roller, followed by two coats of TOPSEALER. In addition to protecting the microcement of the floor, it can be waterproofed and even achieve an anti-slip finish.

Types of microcement flooring

If there is one particularity that perfectly defines microcement, it is its versatility, as there are different types depending on the texture and finish you want to obtain: one-component, two-component and ready-to-use. At Topciment we have up to four different microcement systems for floors:

Two-component microcement

Two-component microcement (cement + resin) is undoubtedly one of the most widely used in microcement flooring. For this reason, we have created two lines: Sttandard , the traditional and one of the most popular; and Unlimitted , the new range that provides smoother finishes and greater mechanical resistance.

One-component microcement

Evoluttion , our one-component microcement for floors with excellent mechanical resistance and high workability, is formulated with water and cement. All types of microcement flooring can be designed with it.

Ready-to-use microcement

Efectto Quartz is our ready-to-use microcement for floors. Thanks to its wide range of colours and its four granulometries, you can create any microcement floor you can imagine.

Microcement flooring in bathrooms and kitchens

Microcement can be used both as exterior flooring and interior flooring in any room. Among its many qualities, its ability to be waterproof (with the use of a special sealant for this purpose) and its excellent resistance to heat, traffic and stains make this coating an ideal material especially for kitchens and bathrooms .

Thanks to the large number of microcement colours that exist, it is possible to create an infinite number of floor coverings. In our gallery you will find multiple microcement floorings in bathrooms and kitchens.

Colours for microcement flooring

White microcement is undoubtedly one of the most demanded colours due to a marked minimalist style that is increasingly present in the interior decoration of private homes and commercial premises. But grey microcement floors are not far behind either. The industrial style is gaining more and more followers to its cause, a style that gives the feeling that it will not go out of fashion no matter how many years go by as it fits perfectly with offices, large surfaces and warehouses and also houses.

Although white and grey are the microcement colours par excellence, there is a wide range of possibilities. In Topciment we have multiple colours for microcement floorings depending on the character you want to give to the room where the microcement flooring is going to be applied. We have designed specific colours according to the microcement systems we manufacture .

Cleaning, care and maintenance of microcement flooring

Microcement is a covering that does not require exhaustive cleaning and maintenance, as it has very good resistance. However, it is very convenient to use a series of products that will enhance the optimal state of the microcement floor for a much longer period of time.

For cleaning microcement floors, at Topciment we have specialised Ecoclean cleaners. Biodegradable products with which the microcement floor will maintain its shine and chromatic intensity at 100%.

As for the care and maintenance of microcement flooring, we have Ceraciment protective waxes. These products provide extra hardness to the flooring to protect it better from traffic, wear and tear, stains, etc.

Tips to avoid problems with microcement on the floor

During the first few days after the installation of microcement on the floor, it is essential that the room is properly ventilated to ensure correct drying. If this is not done, the final finish of the continuous flooring will be far from what you are looking for.

Similarly, it is essential to avoid stepping on the microcement floor in the first week after its application. It is also important to avoid spilling liquids that could generate significant stains or damage the resin and, lastly, to avoid moving furniture around. If all these tips are taken into account, there will be no future problems with microcement flooring.

For more information on microcement, explore our page "What is microcement?" . There we answer some of the most frequently asked questions about this type of flooring.

Price of microcement flooring

If you have already decided to opt for microcement flooring for your renovation project, you will want to know the cost. An amount that depends on specific factors but which we can tell you is very competitive compared to other construction materials.

The labour and complexity of the work, the square metres of surface to be covered, the quality of the microcement for floors chosen and the state of the substrate will vary the final price.

Taking all these considerations into account, the price of microcement flooring is between 60 and 100 euros per square metre approximately.