Microcement
Microcement is a thin cement-based coating, about 2–3 mm thick, that creates seamless, continuous surfaces on floors, walls, showers and even pools. Cadoro stocks the complete Microestil system from Spain: base and finish coats, primers, reinforcement mesh and sealers, with technical support for your project.
Which Microestil system do you need?
| System | Format | Best for | Products |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plus | Powder, mixed with water | Floors and walls, indoors and outdoors | Plus Grueso (coarse base), Plus Base, Plus Medio, Plus Fino |
| DecoPast | Ready-to-use paste | Walls, showers, wet rooms and medium-traffic floors | DecoPast Grueso, DecoPast Base, DecoPast Fino, DecoPast Extra Fino |
| PoolCem | Powder, mixed with water | Pools, fountains, showers, wet rooms and terraces | PoolCem F6 (base), PoolCem F4 (textured), PoolCem F2 (smooth) |
PoolCem is made to withstand constant immersion. It is waterproof on the water side but still breathable, and this comes from the micro-mortar itself, not from a primer or varnish. For showers and floors, PoolCem F6 is required as the base coat. Walls and dry areas need only F2.
How a microcement system is built
- Prepare the substrate. It must be sound (minimum 1.5 N/mm²), clean, and free of cracks, oil, grease and paint. Prepare it mechanically, by diamond grinding or milling, then vacuum. Because the coating is only 2–3 mm thick, the surface must be flat first.
- Control moisture. On new or damp concrete (up to 100% relative humidity), apply Estilpox DPM: one coat acts as a primer, two coats as a vapour barrier. Where moisture comes from groundwater or rising damp, Microestil advises not to use the system.
- Prime. Apply P541 Primer. On absorbent surfaces (concrete, mortar, plaster), dilute 1 part primer to 2 parts water. On tile, marble or terrazzo, apply it undiluted.
- Reinforce floors. Embed 160 g fiberglass mesh in the first base coat. Mesh is required for floors.
- Apply base coats. Use Plus Grueso, Plus Base, DecoPast Grueso, DecoPast Base or PoolCem F6. Plus Grueso is designed for very rough surfaces and tiles with wide joints.
- Apply finish coats. Use Plus Medio or Fino, DecoPast Fino or Extra Fino, or PoolCem F4 or F2, depending on the texture you want.
- Pre-seal. Apply Hidrolaca acrylic pre-sealer with a short-hair or microfibre roller. Wait at least 2 hours between coats in summer and 4 hours in winter. Wait 12 hours (summer) or 24 hours (winter) before the varnish.
- Seal. Choose a varnish from the table below.
Choosing a sealer
| Sealer | Type | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Estilpur 1C Pro | One-component, water-based, breathable | Showers, interiors and exteriors. Matte, satin or gloss. Renew periodically depending on exposure. |
| Estilpur PU20 | Two-component polyurethane | High pedestrian traffic, hardness and chemical resistance. Matte or satin. |
| No varnish | PoolCem under constant immersion. The water protects the surface, and a varnish would cancel part of the micro-mortar's properties. |
On PoolCem indoors, a two-component varnish such as PU20 cancels the micro-mortar's waterproofing properties. Use it there only for extra hardness or appearance.
Coverage per container
| Product | Container | One coat | Two coats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plus Medio | 5 kg / 20 kg | 90–108 / 359–431 sq ft | 45–54 / 179–215 sq ft |
| Plus Fino | 20 kg | 431–538 sq ft | 215–269 sq ft |
| DecoPast Base | 5 kg / 20 kg | 47–54 / 187–215 sq ft | 23–27 / 94–108 sq ft |
| DecoPast Fino | 5 kg / 20 kg | 90–108 / 359–431 sq ft | 45–54 / 179–215 sq ft |
| DecoPast Extra Fino | 5 kg / 20 kg | 269 / 1,076 sq ft | 135 / 538 sq ft |
| PoolCem F2 | 5 kg / 15 kg | 54 / 161 sq ft | 27 / 81 sq ft |
| PoolCem F6 | 20 kg | 130–144 sq ft | 65–72 sq ft |
| Hidrolaca | 1 kg / 5 kg | 144–179 / 718–897 sq ft | 72–90 / 359–448 sq ft |
| Estilpur PU20 | 6 kg kit | 425 sq ft | |
| Fiberglass mesh | Roll | 500 sq ft per roll | |
Plus Base uses 0.8–1.2 kg/m² per coat, and Plus Grueso and DecoPast Grueso 1.5–2.5 kg/m² per coat. All figures are estimates before waste, and actual coverage varies with surface texture, preparation and thickness. Primers, base coats and sealers are calculated separately.
Working conditions
- Apply between 10 °C and 30 °C.
- Use mixed powder products within 1 hour.
- Wait at least 2 hours between coats. Plus products go on at a maximum of 3 mm per coat.
- Plus Base takes foot traffic after 24 hours and fully hardens in 28 days.
Frequently asked questions
Can microcement be used in a shower?
Yes. DecoPast Fino is suited to showers, wet rooms and steam rooms. PoolCem is built for showers and wet rooms, with F6 required as the base coat on shower floors. Seal with Estilpur 1C Pro.
Can microcement go over existing tile?
Yes, on a sound, well-bonded tile surface. Prime the tile with undiluted P541, and use Plus Grueso as the base coat on tiles with wide joints. On floors, embed fiberglass mesh.
Can microcement be used in a swimming pool?
Use PoolCem, which is designed for constant immersion. Don't varnish it below the waterline. Very high chlorine or acidic water (low pH) can affect any natural mineral coating.
Can microcement be used outdoors?
Yes. The Plus range is for indoor and outdoor floors and walls. On terraces, PoolCem sealed with Estilpur 1C Pro stays breathable, and the varnish is renewed periodically.
Can I apply microcement over damp concrete?
New or damp concrete can be coated after Estilpox DPM, which tolerates up to 100% relative humidity. If moisture comes from groundwater or rising damp, Microestil advises against using the system.
Technical data sheets
Download the data sheets for every Microestil product on our Downloads page. For a project-specific system, contact Cadoro or browse the full microcement collection.