Microcement in Leeds

Microcement in Leeds means a thin coating trowelled over floors, walls and worktops so that the surface runs on without grout lines or joints. Zavoré installs microcement through our own applicators, and we are based in Birmingham, where our Academy is. Leeds has the right buildings for it, from converted warehouses to Victorian terraces with small, awkward bathrooms. Start with a sample board so you can see the surface dry.

Mills, warehouses and terraces

The city grew on cloth, engineering and trade, and the working buildings that survive have been turned into homes. Along the canal and river at Granary Wharf, Leeds Dock, the Calls and Holbeck, brick and stone warehouses now hold flats with big windows and open plan living. A floor that runs from kitchen to living area without a threshold suits those spaces, and it matches the industrial character the buildings already have.

The other half of Leeds is terraced. Headingley, Hyde Park, Armley and Burley have rows of through and back to back houses with small bathrooms where tile and grout are forever being cleaned. Microcement turns the floor up the wall and into the shower with no grout to go black.

Old buildings come with old floors. Victorian terraces often have timber floors on joists, and a springy joist, loose boarding or a crack will come through a seamless surface. Nothing bridges movement. We check this at the survey and say plainly when a floor needs stiffening or overlaying first.

Where microcement works in Leeds

Our microcement installations cover the spaces where a seamless surface makes sense.

• Bathrooms and wet rooms, laid on a properly prepared and waterproofed base.
• Open plan floors in warehouse and canal side flats.
• Kitchen walls, worktops and island fronts.
• Shower walls in a terrace bathroom that has outgrown its tiles.
• Reception areas, cafes and shops in the city centre.

A microcement surface is only as good as its primer, its mesh and its sealer. The sealer is what makes it washable and waterproof, not the cement, which is why preparation takes most of the effort. It is not a cheap alternative to tiling, and we will say so if you ask for it as one.

How a microcement job in Leeds runs

We survey first. That means the substrate, its flatness, cracks, damp, movement, how the room is used, access and protection. Small questions can often be answered from photos. If the floor needs levelling, or a wall needs stripping, we tell you before we price.

The sample board comes next, so you can choose a tone and a finish. The material is tinted to the approved sample before it ships. A floor is laid wet in one go, with no grout line to hide a join, so we plan carefully around the room.

Leeds is some way from our Birmingham base, so we plan the work in blocks of days. Our team stays on the job and lays each coat in order. Dates are agreed once the sample and price are signed off. More detail is on the microcement installation page.

Materials and training

For materials we sell only the lime built pastellone and beton stucco, which give the same seamless look on walls and floors. Both are available through the shop with tracked UK delivery, and trade customers can open an account on the trade page.

We install microcement, but a bathroom or a floor is not a first job for the self taught. If you would like to learn, the microcement course runs at our training centres in Birmingham, London and Manchester.

More finishes in Leeds

If you want a seamless wall with warmth, look at polished plaster in Leeds or marmorino in Leeds. For a showering area with a natural feel there is tadelakt in Leeds. A concrete look in lime is covered by concrete effect plaster in Leeds, and softer walls by limewash in Leeds and clay plaster in Leeds. Accents live in liquid metal in Leeds. The whole range sits under a decorative finishes specialist in Leeds, and the Venetian family is on the page for Venetian plastering in Leeds.

Questions about microcement in Leeds

Is microcement suitable for a Victorian terrace bathroom in Leeds?

Yes, provided the floor is sound and the wet area is waterproofed. Timber floors that flex are the main risk, so we look at the joists and boards at the survey. If a floor moves, we say so and agree the fix first.

Can microcement go over my existing tiles?

Sometimes, if the tiles are sound, flat and well bonded. We assess this from photos and at the survey. Loose tiles, hollow patches or movement will come through, so we tell you if they need removing.

Is microcement waterproof in a shower?

On a properly prepared and waterproofed wall, yes. The sealer is what resists the water, so the surface needs the right primer, mesh and sealer system and a considered finish.

Do you sell microcement for me to lay myself?

We install microcement. For materials we sell only the lime built pastellone and beton stucco. Both give a seamless look, and our team can advise which suits your room.

To talk it through, call 07592 929191 (Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm) or email sales@zavore.co.uk with photos, rough measurements and the postcode. The sample board is the place to start.