Microcement Flooring in Surrey
Microcement delivers the polished concrete aesthetic at just 2 to 3mm thickness. That means you can install it over existing floors without raising door thresholds, rebuilding skirting boards, or lifting tiles. We apply it in bathrooms, wet rooms, kitchen floors, hallways, and open-plan living areas across Surrey, including projects in Esher, Cobham, and Dorking where clients wanted a seamless concrete look throughout an entire ground floor. The material is polymer-modified cement applied by hand trowel in multiple thin layers, each sanded before the next goes down. No two microcement floors look identical, and that is exactly the point.
Microcement is the most misunderstood product we install. It is not a paint, it is not a coating, and it is not a quick fix. Applied correctly, with proper priming, fibreglass mesh reinforcement, multiple coats, and a quality two-pack polyurethane sealer, microcement is durable, fully waterproof, and suitable for heavy residential use. Applied incorrectly, it cracks, lifts, and stains within months. We have refurbished microcement floors installed by less experienced contractors throughout Guildford and Leatherhead, and in almost every case the failure was at the sealing stage. Our polyurethane topcoats are applied in two or three coats with sanding between each, building a genuinely protective film rather than a superficial layer that wears through in a year.
Microcement Flooring in Surrey Installation Process
Substrate Assessment and Priming
The existing floor is assessed for structural soundness and flatness. Microcement can be applied over concrete, screed, and sound existing tiles. A penetrating adhesion primer is applied to consolidate the surface and create a chemical bond for the microcement layers above. Applying microcement without a proper primer is the first step toward a failed installation.
Fibreglass Mesh Reinforcement
A fibreglass mesh is embedded into a thin scratch coat across the entire floor. This reinforcing layer is critical: it prevents the microcement from cracking as the substrate experiences minor thermal movement. Skipping this step is the most common cause of microcement cracking we see in residential applications across Surrey.
Base Coat Application
The coarser microcement base coat is trowelled on by hand at approximately 1.5mm thickness. This coat fills surface irregularities and provides the bulk of the material layer. It is sanded once dry to remove trowel marks and high spots before the finishing coats go down.
Fine Finishing Coats
Two or more layers of fine microcement are applied in thin passes by hand trowel. The angle, pressure, and direction of the trowel determines the final texture and patterning. This is where the characteristic mottled, watermark effect develops. It cannot be fully controlled or replicated, which is what makes every microcement floor genuinely unique.
Sealing with Polyurethane Topcoats
The finished surface is sanded to a consistent profile, then sealed with two to three coats of solvent-free polyurethane, with sanding between each coat. This builds a waterproof, stain-resistant film that makes the floor suitable for wet rooms and kitchen areas. The final sheen is specified by the client: matt, satin, or semi-gloss.
Systems and Options
Microcement is available in varying texture grades and a wide palette of pigmented colours:
- Fine Finish: A smoother surface with subtle watermark patterning. Closer in appearance to polished concrete. Popular for open-plan living areas, hallways, and bathrooms where a clean, refined aesthetic is the brief.
- Medium or Rustic Finish: More pronounced trowel texture and tonal variation. Closer to raw cast concrete. Suited to industrial-style interiors, feature walls, and spaces where warmth and texture matter as much as the concrete reference.
Benefits of Microcement Flooring in Surrey
- Applied at just 2 to 3mm, no need to adjust doors, skirting boards, or thresholds
- Seamless across floors and walls with no grout lines, no joints, no edges to collect mould
- Fully waterproof when correctly sealed, suitable for wet rooms, shower trays, and bathroom floors
- Can be applied directly over sound existing tiles, saving demolition cost and disruption
- Hand-trowelled application means every installation is unique, no two floors are identical
- Available in a wide range of pigmented concrete tones from warm beige through to cool charcoal
- Compatible with underfloor heating at this thin profile
- Can be used on walls, worktops, bath surrounds, and furniture for a fully cohesive concrete aesthetic
Who Is Microcement Flooring in Surrey Suitable For?
Microcement is specified most often by homeowners in Surrey who are renovating bathrooms, wet rooms, and open-plan living areas and want a seamless concrete look without the cost and disruption of pouring a structural floor. We have installed it widely in the Esher and Cobham areas, where high-spec renovations often involve creating a continuous floor finish that flows from the entrance hall through to the kitchen-diner. At 2 to 3mm, it achieves this without any step at doorways.
It is also the best solution for clients who want to cover existing tiles in a bathroom without raising the floor height. This is a common constraint in period properties across Farnham, Dorking, and Reigate where floor-to-ceiling heights are generous but door clearances are fixed. Microcement goes straight over sound existing tiles with no demolition, no dust, and no skips. Just proper priming, mesh reinforcement, and careful trowelwork.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Get Started?
Request a free, no-obligation survey and quote. We cover all of Surrey and the South East.