Microcement in London

Why microcement suits London property

Microcement is a thin, hand-applied cementitious system that produces a continuous surface with no grout lines. The build-up is only a few millimetres, which means it can usually be applied over an existing floor or tiled wall rather than replacing it.

In London that single property is often the deciding factor. Removing a tiled floor generates a large volume of heavy waste, and in a flat with no skip space, stair-only access or restricted delivery windows, taking the old surface out can cost more in time and logistics than the new finish itself. Working over a sound existing substrate avoids most of that.

Floor height is the other reason it fits. In converted flats, door clearances, thresholds and existing levels leave very little room for a conventional build-up. A few millimetres is frequently the only thing that will go down without altering doors or creating a trip at every threshold.

It is not a structural material and it does not bridge movement. Anything that moves beneath it will eventually show through it, so timber floors are stiffened, existing joints are carried through rather than covered, and loose or hollow tiling is dealt with before anything is applied. Most reported problems with microcement are substrate problems, and in Victorian and Edwardian conversions the floor is where that risk sits.

The sealer determines how the finished surface behaves. Water resistance, stain resistance and tolerance of cleaning products all come from the sealing regime rather than the microcement itself, so it is specified for the room: a wet room, a kitchen floor and a feature wall each get a different answer. It is also compatible with underfloor heating, which is commissioned and brought up gradually rather than run at full output immediately after installation.

Common questions

Can microcement be applied over existing tiles?

Often, provided the tiling is firmly bonded, flat and free of movement, using a high-adhesion primer and reinforcing mesh where the substrate calls for it. That avoids the mess, waste and making-good of removal, which matters more in a London flat than almost anywhere else. Tiling that sounds hollow or is lifting has to come off first.

How much floor height does microcement add?

Only a few millimetres including primer, base coats and finishing coats. That is usually what makes it viable in a converted flat where door clearances and thresholds leave no room for a conventional build-up.

Will microcement crack?

Only if what is beneath it moves. The system is thin and does not bridge movement, so timber floors are stiffened, existing joints are carried through rather than covered, and loose tiling is dealt with beforehand. Cracking reported in microcement is almost always a substrate problem rather than a fault in the material.