Microcement guide

Microcement vs polished concrete

Love the look of polished concrete? Microcement gives you a similar seamless, industrial style without pouring and grinding a new slab. It’s a hand-trowelled finish about 2–3 mm thick that goes over the floor you already have, and onto walls, stairs and even showers.

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The short answer

Polished concrete is the slab itself: typically 100 mm or more of concrete, poured, left to cure, then ground and polished with heavy machines. It suits new builds and ground floors that can take the weight.

Microcement isn’t polished concrete, but it’s the closest you can get without the slab. It’s trowelled by hand in thin layers over your existing floor, so there’s no new slab, no weeks of curing and no grinding on site. It’s light enough for upstairs, carries on up walls and stairs, and is extremely hard wearing.

Two finishes come closest. Politura, our own traditional mineral microcement, can be polished without wax. ErreLAB Spatolato is a resin made to mimic traditional microcement, with the extra toughness and water resistance of epoxy.

At a glance

Microcement: About 2–3 mm, trowelled by hand
Polished concrete: A ground and polished slab, typically 100 mm or more
Walls and stairs: Microcement, yes. Polished concrete is floors only
Existing floors: Microcement goes over them. Polished concrete needs a new slab

Why choose microcement

No new slabIt goes over the floor you already have, so there’s no breaking out, no pour and no weeks waiting for concrete to cure.

Done in daysPolitura and ErreFast take 2–3 days, ErreLAB 4–5 days, with no heavy grinding machines on site.

Extremely hard wearingErreLAB Spatolato is an epoxy resin built for busy homes and commercial floors. Politura is quartz-based (Mohs 7) and scratch resistant to a steel file.

Floors, walls and showersOne continuous finish across floors, walls, stairs and worktops, and with ErreLAB, into showers and wet rooms.

Light enough for upstairsAt 2–3 mm it suits upper floors, mezzanines and timber floors, with the right primer.

Your colour27 Politura colours, and over 200 across the ErreLAB charts, with colour matching for most RAL and NCS colours.

Tested performanceSpatolato is slip rated R10 as standard (R11–R12 with Top Clear SOL), fire rated Bfl-s1 and A+ for indoor air quality.

Easy to live withStain resistant and seamless, with no grout lines and no wax to keep topping up.

The closest finish: Politura, or Spatolato for wet areas

Politura is our own traditional mineral microcement. It’s quartz-based, one of the hardest microcements on the market, and hard enough to polish without wax, so it gets closest to the feel of polished concrete without the upkeep of a waxed floor.

ErreLAB Spatolato is a resin made to mimic traditional microcement: a smooth, trowelled finish with soft, tone-on-tone movement, calm and minimal with an industrial edge. As an epoxy resin it’s harder wearing and more stain resistant than a mineral microcement, and water resistant at every layer, so it also goes into bathrooms and wet rooms.

Explore Politura or explore ErreLAB Spatolato.

Spatolato at a glance

Type: Epoxy resin
Slip: R10, or R11–R12 with Top Clear SOL
Fire: Bfl-s1 (EN 13501-1)
Colours: Three ErreLAB charts, plus RAL and NCS matching
Time: 4–5 days

ErreLAB Spatolato flooring in contemporary living room

Politura and Spatolato floors

6 photos

Shops, restaurants and homes with Politura and ErreLAB Spatolato floors.

Side by side

Both give a seamless, concrete-style floor. Microcement does it without the slab, and goes much further.

Thin coating

Microcement

Thickness: About 2–3 mm in total
Where it goes: Floors, walls, stairs, worktops and bathrooms, depending on the system
Over existing floors: Yes, with the right primer for what’s underneath, so there’s no new slab to pour
Weight: Light, so it suits upstairs floors
How it’s laid: Trowelled by hand: Politura and ErreFast in 2–3 days, ErreLAB in 4–5 days
Look: Soft, trowelled movement; Politura can be polished to look similar to polished concrete
Showers and wet rooms: Yes, with ErreLAB
Colours: 27 Politura colours and over 200 ErreLAB colours
Hard wearing: Extremely: epoxy resin (ErreLAB) or quartz at Mohs 7 (Politura)

Read the microcement guide →

Ground slab

Polished concrete

Thickness: The slab itself, typically 100 mm or more
Where it goes: Floors only
Over existing floors: Needs a new slab or a thick polished overlay
Weight: Heavy, so it suits ground floors and new builds
How it’s laid: Ground and polished with heavy machines, after the slab has cured
Look: Plain grey or exposed stone, depending on how deep it’s ground
Showers and wet rooms: No
Colours: Mostly natural greys, or a coloured slab
Hard wearing: Very, once ground and sealed

Questions about microcement and polished concrete

Can microcement look like polished concrete?

It can come close. Politura, our traditional mineral microcement, can be polished without wax for a polished-concrete feel. ErreLAB Spatolato gives the soft, trowelled look of traditional microcement in a tougher resin. Both come in plenty of greys, and ErreLAB can colour match most RAL and NCS colours.

Can I have the polished-concrete look upstairs?

Polished concrete is a heavy slab, so it rarely suits upper floors. Microcement is about 2–3 mm, which makes it the practical way to get the look upstairs, and on walls and stairs.

Is microcement as hard wearing as polished concrete?

Yes, for homes and busy commercial floors. ErreLAB Spatolato is an epoxy resin built for heavy use, stain resistant and water resistant at every layer. Politura is made from quartz sand at Mohs 7, one of the hardest microcements on the market, and scratch resistant to a steel file.

Does it work with underfloor heating?

Yes. Run new underfloor heating for at least 28 days, then switch it off before starting.

Which should I choose?

It depends on the space, whether it’s a new build and your budget. Call our technical team on 01472 240 340 to talk it through.

More microcement FAQs →