What is microcement?

Topciment`s microcement is a decorative coating composed of cement, water-based resins, additives, and mineral pigments and additives.
It is a material suitable for indoors and outdoors; it can be applied to floors, walls, and pools… And the best part is you don’t need joints! This way, it is easier to clean and preserve.

Topcimentoffers a wide variety of possibilities and finishes, where your imagination is the limit. Give a unique and personal style to your rooms thanks to the different textures (thick, medium, or thin), the variety of colors, the distinct varnish finishes (matte, polished, or glossy), or the metallic paints and glazes. Its handcrafted application makes each work an even more unique and exclusive one… Incomparable, for you will not find two identical surfaces..

Imaginative and innovative... Any combination is possible with Topciment! Transmit your prefer style; modern, classic, or rustic.The taste is yours, and the pleasure of advising and helping you, is ours.

Forget the complicated renovations. Save time and money. Because of its high adhesiveness, Topciment microcements can be applied on any surface, even on tiles. With the least effort and a thickness of 3 millimeters, you can achieve a quick room renovation.

We are driven by results. Because of this, our effort to complete an optimal, versatile and high-quality product, that endures time and adapts to your needs, we have reached the balanced level between strength and flexibility.
And what does this mean? That our product can cover any surface, no matter how big it is, achieving a continuous pavement without joints or cracks. This way, we prevent dirty areas, therefore making it easy to clean and disinfect, contributing to having more spaces free of germs and bacteria.
This also allows for a higher resistance in higher-transit areas or where more cleaning products tend to be used, which is also why there is a higher demand for its application in bathrooms and kitchens.

Types of
Microcement

At Topciment, more than microcement manufacturers, we are specialists, and therefore, we make the difference.

We have 5 types of micro-coatings, that, according to the necessities of the job and desired effect, we recommend the following applications:

MICROBASE. It is the appropriate microcement to obtain rustic floor finishes, artisanal appearances, and irregular textures. It is also used as a foundation for other finishes.

MICROSTONE. It is the superb microcement for exteriors, because of its uniform color and similar rock-like appearance, with its nonslip properties. Thick texture.

MICRODECK. It is the most appropriate microcement for pavements because of its resistance in high-transit zones. Medium texture.

MICROFINO. It is the thin coating for walls that allows a diversity of finishing effects. Thin texture.

AQUACIMENT. It is the ideal coating for pools and tanks because of its resistance to salts and chlorine in water.

Do you know how to apply it?

So you can become an expert in microcement, we’ll explain how it’s done:

The application is done in various layers.

1. To set up the work surface, two layers of base microcement must be applied over a net that will serve as foundation for the finishing microcement.

2. Next, two layers of finishing microcement must be applied. This will be the one that combines the desired texture and color, giving the surface its final look.

3. Finally, to protect the finished product, two layers of primer must be applied and, thereafter, two layers of water sealing varnish.

4. And done!

Advantages of microcement

Decorative coating, provides multiple options.
Joint-less surfaces.
Application on floors, walls, and roofs. Interior and exterior.
Great variety of colors and textures.
Handcrafted application. Exclusive and personalized results.
High adhesiveness. Covers any surface: tiles, marble, stoneware, terrazzo, drywall, concrete, cement, plaster, etc.
High resistance against usage, hits, scrapes, and chemical products.
Waterproof.

Nonslip, depending on finishes.
Saves time and prevents complicated labor. No debris.
The material’s thickness is 2/3 mm, therefore does not affect the building’s structural load.
It is worked in an excellent manner and does not require any specific tools.
Natural materials. Eco-friendly product.
Easy to clean and preserve; with water and PH-neutral soap.
Spaces free of germs and bacteria.

What is the price
of microcement?

Microcement prices depend on various factors, which makes answering this question somewhat difficult. Only someone who professionally applies microcement can precisely determine the price per square meter (shifting, material, labor value, and labor difficulty, etc.…).

Three conditions must be met to obtain exceptional results and long-term warrantys: adequate foundation preparation, good product choice, and the selection of an experienced and qualified professional.

State and nature of surface being coated with microcement
If the surface is in bad or unsuitable conditions, then it must be prepared and conditioned before applying the coating. This will increase the price and labor.

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For example, if we want to apply the microcement for floors or for walls on tiles, for the joints to not be affected, the necessary measures must be taken and will consequently raise the final price.

Complexity of microcement application
Labor increases when the work is harder and more complex, since more hours are put in effect to complete the job. Bathroom walls that have one or more pillar, staircase, washbasin, or countertop are examples of a laborious applications since they are smaller surfaces with more corners and edges, in which the use of trowels is more complex and therefore more expensive.

The use of various colors in a common space also increases the labor since it is requires marking out zones with masking tape. The applied color must first dry up properly and be protected so it does not stain before applying the next one.

Total meters coated
The more meters you will need to coat, the lower the price will be per square meter (m2), and inversely, the less the coated surface, the higher the price.

This happens because there are fixed prices and times (work hours) that don’t directly depend on the number of meters to be coated.

Professionalism of cementers
Microcement has a warranty only when applied by expert hands. It’s necessary to have a specific formation and to pay close attention to details. A professional cementer must take meticulous control when applying microcement and know which method is to be used in any given case. To get the desired results, the steps to apply microcement must be entirely followed.

Material quality
Topciment is the microcement manufacturer with the most years of experience in the market in Spain. It manufactures all the products it sells, except for tools and accessories. Otherwise, it would be very difficult to control the quality of the whole system. When Topciment offers a warranty, it cannot risk one of its components failing because then the entire system would fail. An example would be the Topsealer WT varnishes that were specifically developed for microcement and that possess worldwide prestige.

The quality has an evidently higher cost of bulk production and therefore a superior price that not all clients are willing to pay. Topciment’s microcement does not compete in price but in quality, which is why it spares no expenses in state of the art additives and elaboration processes.

The client must know how to value the product’s quality, as well as the good professional know how to use it well. All products or services have a price that can fluctuate. If you are not acquainted with a microcement professional, we would advise you to always request three different quotes, and always discard the most economic.

Frequently Asked
Questions

What is the resistance and strength of the microcement?

Despite its lack of thickness, one of this material’s most significant properties is its high resistance and hardness; Microdeck and Microstone can even be used in areas of high traffic.

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Despite its low thickness, one of the properties of this material is its high resistance and hardness, Microdeck and Microstone can be applied even on high-transit zones.

We can identify two types of resistances:

Mechanical resistances
During impacts: Although the material is relatively strong, its resistance to a hit depends to an extent on the hardness of the surface. Due to the microcement’s low thickness, a strong blow will distort it if the surface is also distorted. An example of this can be observed if microcement is applied over plaster. If the base is deformed for having a low resistance, the microcement will also be deformed. On the other hand, resistance will be greater on foundations like terrazzo.

For abrasion and wear: This resistance depends on the type of microcement used as well as the sealer. Topciment provides two continuous coatings for pavements: MicroDecks and MicroStone. Both coatings have larger selected aggregate particles than that of Microfino, which makes it more resistant to compression and abrasion. Due to its lower resistance, Microfino’s use is reserved for wall coatings. As for the sealers, even if their resistances are the same, the higher the brightness, the more visible the wear marks will be. Matte finishes reflect little to no light.

Chemical resistances:
To stains and liquids: Chemical resistances will depend on the sealer used to protect it. The sealer is the final layer that grants impermeability and protection against stains. Our Topsealer sealers have a high chemical resistance as demonstrated by the various tests done to prove this:
Oil, cola drinks, red wines, and others similar products don’t leave stains after cleaning them.
Vinegar and lemon juice may leave very faint stains on the microcement after two hours. Like marble, this surface is affected by acid, but if it’s cleaned quickly, it won’t leave any traces.
Stains left by hydrochloric acid, bleach, acetone, and ammonia may leave a trace after half an hour of exposure. Nevertheless, if we hurry to clean it, no stains will be left behind. We need to keep in mind the texture and level of difficulty of cleaning of the microcement in use.

Traces left by strong impacts with sharp objects on Microdeck floors

Different texture and resistance of microcement pavements

Impermeability of microcement

On what surfaces can microcement be applied?

Microcement can be applied on almost any type of surface, cement mortar, self-leveling mortar, terrazzo, marble, tiles, drywall, or plaster. It can also be applied on vertical and horizontal surfaces and interior and exterior spaces.

Never apply it to natural wood or surfaces that can expand in a different way.

The support must be well-established.

The surface must be dry, clear of dust and greases.

The design of the support will determine the final aspect.

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One of the main properties of microcement is its high adhesiveness. Thanks to this, microcement can be applied to tiles, speeding up alterations and preventing the original coating from becoming rubble. As long as these tiles are firm and not loose. In these cases, it is necessary to use a net to strengthen the support.
Watch our video tutorial on our method to apply microcement to tiles.

Microcement on tiles, stoneware, or terrazzo.

Optimal conditions and coated surface state
The support’s preparation is as important as the application. If the support does not meet the requirements the warranty cannot be applied.
The surface must be level, stable, free of dirt and with a degree of humidity of 5% or less.
In the case of the support being of mortar, it must have at least four weeks to dry out before the microcement is applied, in order to account for the cracks that may appear during the curing process.

Microcement swimming pools
Topciment has developed Aquaciment, a proprietary and exclusive pool-liner system. Here you can see some examples:

Microcement on natural wood or hardwood (parquet)
Hardwood or natural wood floors possess a great number of joints, the boards expand in different directions, causing uncontrollable tension and makes them inadequate to apply microcement directly on them. In these cases, it is necessary to lift the existing floor and prepare the support before applying the product.

Can microcement be applied on radiant floorings?

Yes, but heaters must be turned on before applying to prevent cracks forming on the floors due to the change in temperature to be replicated on the microcement.

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The heating protocol is as follows:

1. 1. Turn on heating systems at least 4 weeks prior to the placement of the cement mortar.

2. Keep water in heating systems at 25ºC for 2 or 3 days. Then, gradually increase the water temperature until it reaches 45ºC and keep this temperature for a few days.

3. Turn off the heating system at least 48 hours before beginning the installation process of the microcement. The maximum temperature of the floor should be 18ºC.

Microcement pavements should be applied over cementitious mortars that have reached an advanced level of solidification. This happens in a time span of three to four weeks, in accordance with weather conditions. In any case, we must make sure the mortar is exceptionally dry. For this, there must be at most 5% of humidity in the support, which will be measured with a relative humidity meter.

We recommend using high quality, self-leveling, cement mortars.

Powdery mortared supports are not suitable, given the state of the application base must be consistent and, otherwise, it must be strengthened.

After applying the microcement, we must wait at least 48 hours before gradually turning on the heaters again (+5ºC each day).

Always change the temperature in a gradual way in the beginning and by the end of the use of heating systems.

Make sure the relative humidity of the air in the rooms is not too low.

Always prevent heat from building-up on rugs and carpets or under furniture.

Important! There must always be an expansion gap between the floors and any vertical parameters so it can properly expand. If this is not observed, fissures could emerge.

Is microcement waterproof?

Microcement by itself is not waterproof. It is necessary to use a sealer as a finish, which will grant it that property. This way, microcement can be applied to sinks, bathtubs, or humid zones, but you will have to always seal the surface with either Topsealer DSV (solvent-based polyurethane) or with Topsealer WT (water-based polyurethane), to warranty its impermeability.

Is microcement non-slip?

Yes, depending on the microcement, the texture it leaves, and the sealer used, we can make any type a non-slip one.

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Thanks to microcement, we can achieve any type of non-slip surface. Depending on the type of microcement and texture, we can obtain a higher or lower slip resistance (level of slipperiness). From less to greater slipperiness, we have: Microstone for being highly textured, Microdeck with a soft texture, and finally Microfino that is not suitable for floors.

Different floor finishes and their textures
Floors are classified according to their slip resistance value, and from lesser to greater, there exists 3 types, type 1, 2, and 3.
With Topciment’s microcements we can achieve any required type. Microdeck sealer with polyurethane corresponds to type 1, but can reach type 2 if only one primer coating and one polyurethane coating is applied. If Microstone is used, which contains aggregate particles thicker than the traditional microcement, type 3 can be achieved. The difference in texture can be appreciated at plain sight.
We must keep in mind the non-slip characteristics of the surface and its cleaning difficulty. The higher the slip resistance, the harder it will be to clean due to its texture.
Next, we will inform you more on the microcement’s cleaning process.

Non-slip finishes and their sorting based on their slipperiness
To reduce the risk of slipping, building floors, public residencies, bathrooms, schools, commercial, administrative and public gathering areas, excluding unoccupied zones defined in the annex SI A of DB SI, will have a proper type in accordance with the 3rd point in this section.
The floors are classified in accordance with their slip resistance (Rd). This value is determined by means of the pendulum friction test described in Annex A of the UNE-ENV 12633:2003 norm. The Technical Building Code (CTE) in the DB SUA-1 documentDB SUA-1 document (Basic Documents for Use and Accessibility) regulates the slipperiness rates and determines the type of floor it will be in accordance with its use. Floors will be more slip-resistant as its Rd value gets higher.
Floors are classified according to their slip-resistance value Rd, as established in this table:

Slip resistance (Rd)		Type
Rd ≤ 15		0
15 < Rd ≤35		1
35< Rd ≤45		2
Rd > 45		3

Minimum required floor type in accordance with their location and characteristics
Said type will be kept during the pavement’s lifetime.
This class will be maintained during the useful life of the pavement
Dry indoor areas:
Surfaces with a slope lower than -> Type 1
Surfaces with slopes equal to or greater than 6% -> Type 2
Humid indoor areas, such as building entrances from the exterior (1), covered terraces, wardrobes, bathrooms, washrooms, kitchens, etc.:
Surfaces with a slope lower than 6% -> Type 2
Surfaces with a slope greater than or equal to 6% -> Type 3
(1) Except when it refers to direct entrances to restricted areas.
Outdoor areas, pools (2), showers -> Type 3
(1) In areas intended to be walked upon barefooted and in pool bottoms, in areas in which the depths don’t exceed 1,50m.

What differences microcement from polished cement?

Even if their aesthetic finishes are similar, they’re not the same.
Microcement gives you more advantages::

It’s easier and faster to apply.
It doesn’t need machinery or heavy tools for its installation.
Less labor. Less costs. Less time.
It’s lightweight, so there are no structural loads.
Use on any room, not just ground floors.
Doesn’t need joints, and no cracks appear after it dries up.
It can be applied on horizontal surfaces as well as on vertical ones.

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Differences between Microcement and polished cement (smooth concrete) for pavements based on components

We must differentiate between, cement, cement mortar, and concrete. Cement is a component of mortar as well as concrete that serves as mixture. Mortar is obtained when mixing sand and water with cement and concrete is a cement mortar to which gravel is added.

If they are all used to make pavements, in microcement’s case, it is continuous and in the case of polished cement, printed concrete or smoothed concrete, it is discontinuous (needs expanding joints).

Concretes
Polished concrete, as well as printed concrete, like smoothed concrete, consist of a slab of reinforced concrete to which a surfacing treatment is applied to achieve the final finishing. Given they’re discontinuous pavements, slabs require expansion joints to prevent them from cracking.

Smooth Concrete: Smooth concrete: In the case of smoothed concrete, a mechanical flattening using trowels or power trowels (helicopters)..

Stamped concrete: Meanwhile, molds are used to create patterns on stamped concrete. Both during the hydration process (concrete’s hardening process).

Polished concrete. On the other hand, polished concrete consists of applying a surfacing treatment to achieve the final finishing over the completely cured concrete. It consists of a mechanical polishing and leveling process in which the surface is polished with a diamond head polisher, leaving the aggregates in the concrete visible at plain sight; the final look is similar to that of a terrazzo.

hormigón pulido y devastado

MICROCEMENT

Microcement. Microcement is a coating that can be applied to walls as well as floors, it has an approximate thickness of 2-3mm, does not require joints, and does not produce fissures. It easily adheres to any material; it is applied using steel or rubber trowels.

MORTAR. Polished mortar is the manual flattening realized on a rendering (mortar layer of an approximate 2 cm thickness that is used to coat walls).

	Characteristics	Surfaces	Thickness	Joints	Weight (kilonewton)	Ideal for:
Microcement	Continuous covering applied with a trowel	Ceilings Walls and Doors	2 to 3 mm	No joints required	0,01 Kn/m2	Covering tiles. Coating furniture. Renovation without debris
Polished or Imprint Concrete	Surface treatment of concrete slab in a plastic state	Floors	5 -10 cm	Maximum every 25m2	(e=10 cm) 2,50 Kn/m2	Ideal for parquet and public passage. With rustic stone-like finish.
Trowelled concrete or smoothed cement	Surface treatment of concrete slab during the drying process.	Floors	5 -10 cm	Maximum every 25m2	(e=10 cm) 2,50 Kn/m2	Smooth finish, ideal for car-parks and large surfaces
Polished concrete or Polished cement	Surface treatment of already hardened concrete slab	Floors	5 -10 cm	Maximum every 25m2	(e=10 cm) 2,50 Kn/m2	Similar appearance to Terrazzo. Smooth finish, ideal for floors of large areas
Darby mortar for smoothing	Manual smoothing of coating over plaster	Floors and Walls	2 cm	Maximum every 25m2	(e=2 cm) 0,50 Kn/m2

How long does the refurbishments take?

Microcement labors can be done in an oscillating period of three to five days. To be able to normally walk the floors after a renovation, you must wait a week.

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This is a refurbishment that works with previously conditioned surfaces, application of the material in different layers, and a final sealer to protect it.

Each layer of the material has its own execution and drying time. Additionally, there must be an exceptional care during the first week (after completing the job) because it gains its rigidness and resistance little by little.

Is it necessary to brush the doors?

No, it is not necessary. Microcement raises 1 to 3 mm in thickness off surfaces. Usually, doors are installed 5mm from the floor; therefore, there’s enough space to not have to brush the doors.

How are microcement surfaces cleaned?

To ensure the life time and durability of our microcements, we recommend you use water and neutral soaps.

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Microcement cleaning procedures are similar to those of natural wood parquets. We advise you to prevent permanent waterlogging and prolonged humidity exposure. You should make sure there are no leaking pots or wet carpets or towels left on the floor. Also, we must keep the surfaces free of rocks or sands that, when stepped on, may scrape the coating. Avoid hitting or grinding with hard objects.

Even though microcement offers a high resistance to chemical products, neutral soaps must be used to clean it; never clean it with harsh or descaling agents. We will avoid using products like chlorine, bleach, ammonia, soaps and detergents in general, for they can damage the protective film.

Initial Care

Microcement reaches desirable levels of hardness, chemical resistances, and sealing a month after its application. The greatest risk of damage is present in the first two weeks. It will be partially safe to transit after the second day of its sealing and fully safe to transit a whole week after.

We recommend you avoid dragging heavy objects across the surface to prevent damages. To move furniture: it’s better to lift furniture off the floor with someone’s help, but never drag. It will be necessary to protect the pavements with covers or felts from furniture (metal legs, sharp surfaces), and from objects with abrasive surfaces or of considerable weight.

Permanent Protection

We recommend periodical maintenance of the microcement pavements with acrylic wax. The waxing frequency will depend on the use and characteristics of the place (transit, peripheral dust, etc.). We recommend using a wax polisher to warranty the correct application of the product.

What is microcement?

Types of Microcement

Do you know how to apply it?

Advantages of microcement

What is the price of microcement?

Frequently Asked Questions

Types of
Microcement

What is the price
of microcement?

Frequently Asked
Questions