Polished concrete vs microcement
Polished concrete is the slab, ground and polished, at €90 to €150 a m². Microcement is a 2 to 3 mm cement coating trowelled on top, at €80 to €150 a m² supplied and laid.
Free, no obligation. One local polished concrete contractor prices it, not five.
The two side by side
| Microcement | Polished concrete | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A thin coating, trowelled on and sealed | The slab itself |
| Thickness | 2 to 3 mm | The slab, usually about 100 mm with pipes in it |
| Supplied and laid | €80 to €150 a m² | €90 to €150 a m² |
| Over old tiles | Yes | No: the slab must be bare |
| Walls, showers, stairs | Yes | Floors only |
What microcement costs
| Job | Typical price | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Microcement floor, supplied and laid | €80 to €150 a m² | The area, the surface under it and the number of coats |
| A 30 m² open-plan floor on a new screed | €2,700 to €4,800 | Colour, sealer and how much prep the screed needs |
| Materials only | €35 to €70 a m² | For a contractor's labour on top |
In a house you already have
Microcement's big advantage is in a renovation: it can go over existing tiles and screed with no effect on underfloor heating already there. Polished concrete needs a sound slab, so where the existing one won't polish, it means a new slab. Where it will, grinding the slab you have is the job. See polishing an existing floor.
Which suits you
- A new build or extension with a fresh slab: polished concrete. The slab is there anyway.
- Old tiles you don't want to lift, or bathrooms and walls to match: microcement.
- A sound existing slab: price both.
Polished concrete in your own room
Take a photo of the room, pick a finish and a sheen, and see the floor polished before anyone quotes. Free, in under a minute.
- Upload a photo, or answer 4 questions.
- We pass it to one contractor that covers your county.
- They ring you with a written price.
Preview of your photo, not a guarantee. Your photo goes to Google's Gemini service to make the picture and isn't kept.
A photo that works
- Daylight, lights on if it's dull.
- From the doorway, so most of the floor is in the shot.
- A building site is fine: the slab, the plaster, the lot.
- Hold the phone level, not pointed at your feet.
Questions people ask
Is microcement cheaper than polished concrete?
The ranges overlap: €80 to €150 a m² for microcement, €90 to €150 a m² for polished concrete.
How thick is microcement?
2 to 3 mm.
Does microcement work with underfloor heating?
Yes. It goes over existing tiles and screed with no effect on the heating already there.
Is microcement the same as polished concrete?
No. It looks similar, but it's a thin coating. Polished concrete is the slab itself.
Get a price in 4 taps
Tap what you need and leave your number. It goes to one polished concrete contractor that covers your county, and they ring you back to look at the floor and give you a written price.
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