Microcement Expert
What Is Microcement?
Is It Right for Your Home?
We have been installing microcement through Microcement USA's certified installer program since I got into this trade. Here's an honest answer from someone who works with this material every week.
What microcement actually is
Microcement is a thin-layer decorative coating system — not structural concrete. It's applied in layers, typically 2–3mm total thickness, over almost any existing surface. The result is a seamless, monolithic finish with no grout lines, no seams, and no transitions.
The system consists of multiple products applied in sequence: a primer, build coats (sometimes with reinforcement mesh), finish coats, and a protective sealer. Each layer is troweled by hand. The final texture and appearance depend entirely on how the installer applies the finish coat — which is why skill matters enormously.
It's not paint. It's not plaster. It's not standard concrete. It's a purpose-built architectural coating system, and the quality varies dramatically depending on the brand and the installer.
What system we use: We install using Forcrete systems through Microcement USA — a premium architectural-grade product. Not all microcement is equal. Budget products have thinner build coats, weaker sealers, and less flexibility. We specify the right system for each application.
Where microcement can be used?
This is one of the things that surprises people most. Microcement can go almost anywhere:
Floors — living rooms, kitchens, commercial spaces, hallways
Walls — accent walls, fireplace surrounds, feature walls, backsplashes
Showers and bathrooms — full wet-area systems including floor and walls, no grout
Countertops and vanities — integrated sinks, vanity tops, kitchen islands
Fireplaces — surrounds and mantels
Exterior features — certain exterior applications with the right sealer
Custom furniture and objects — tables, shelving, decorative pieces.
The same installer and the same system can cover a shower surround and a living room floor and make them look like one continuous surface. That continuity is one of microcement's biggest design advantages over tile.
Is microcement waterproof?
Yes — when the right system is used correctly. The Microcement USA system we install is waterproof from the trowel, not just after sealer. Wet-area applications (showers, floors around tubs, wet rooms) require the reinforced system with a proper waterproofing membrane and reinforcement mesh embedded in the build coat.
However: not all microcement is waterproof, and many installers without wet-area experience skip the reinforcement step to save time. That's how you end up with a beautiful shower that fails in 18 months. When we quote a shower, we spec the full reinforced system — no shortcuts.
What it actually looks like — finish options
Microcement finishes range from smooth and polished to heavily textured and rustic. The most common finish styles we install:
Smooth matte — the most popular for modern interiors, low sheen, clean
Venetian/polished — burnished finish with depth, more reflective
Textured — visible trowel texture, more organic and rustic feel
Fine aggregate — slight grit worked into the finish for grip (floors, pool areas)
Color is nearly unlimited. The Forcrete system offers an extensive color palette, and custom tints can be mixed. Color shifts slightly across the surface based on application — this is natural variation, not a defect, and it's part of what gives microcement its character.
Who is microcement right for?
Microcement makes sense if you want a seamless bathroom or shower with no grout lines to clean, or if you're remodeling over existing tile and don't want the cost and mess of demo. It's perfect for modern or minimalist spaces.
The installer matters more than you think. Microcement is a skill-intensive trade. We are certified through Microcement USA and have completed multiple training courses on system application. When you hire us, you're getting an installer who has been trained on the exact products being used in your space.
A typical microcement installation spans 2–5 days depending on scope. Each coat needs to dry before the next is applied — this isn't something that can be rushed. Ready to see if it works for your project? We do free Florida.
