Home / Decorative Finishes / Microcement
Microcement in Auckland
A seamless, stone-like surface with no grout lines and no joins — troweled by hand over walls, floors and even existing tiles. Applied by a Cemher certified applicator, which is the only way the system is warranted and the only way it passes in a wet area.
Master PaintersMember Cemher certified applicator 10-year system warranty $10m insured
The Finish
What is microcement — and why is it taking over Auckland bathrooms?
Microcement is a cement-based coating applied in thin, hand-troweled layers — the Cemher system builds to just 3-4mm — that bonds to almost any sound surface: concrete, screed, plasterboard, cement board, MDF, and existing tiles. It cures into one continuous surface with the depth and movement of natural stone.
No grout lines. No joins. No slab required. Built and sealed correctly it is a fully waterproof system, compatible with the waterproofing membranes already used in New Zealand and compliant with the Building Code for wet areas. That is why it's the finish behind the seamless European-style bathrooms filling your feed.
We apply Cemher as a complete system — primer, mesh, base coats, colour coats and sealer — as a certified applicator. See how it compares with our other decorative finishes, or jump straight to a free instant estimate.
Where it works
Where microcement suits Auckland homes
From walk-in showers to whole floors — if the surface wants to be seamless, microcement is the answer.
01
Bathrooms & showers
The signature use. Seamless walls, floors and vanities with no grout to scrub, waterproofed as a system — the wet-room look, done to code.
02
Over existing tiles
Microcement bonds over sound tiled surfaces. A full retile look without demolition, skip bins or weeks of a bathroom you can't use.
03
Seamless floors
Troweled over concrete or screed for a continuous, hard-wearing floor with no joins — through living areas, hallways and garages-turned-studios.
04
Kitchens & benchtops
Benchtops, splashbacks and island faces. Sealed microcement handles the mess, and a seamless island face is the detail that dates least.
05
Feature walls & fireplaces
A single microcement wall gives a room the depth of raw concrete with a warmth paint can't fake — and it wraps a fireplace without a single join.
06
Stairs & exteriors
Staircases, patios and facades. The system is rated for exterior use, so an indoor floor can run straight out to the terrace.
The honest comparison
Microcement vs tiles
Both have their place, and we'll tell you when tiles are the better call. Here's how they actually differ.
| Microcement | Tiles | |
|---|---|---|
| Look | Seamless, stone-like, subtle trowel movement | Defined by grout lines and tile format |
| Joins | None — one continuous surface | Grout every 300-600mm |
| Maintenance | Sealed surface, wipe down — no grout to scrub or re-seal | Grout stains, mould and re-grouting over time |
| Build-up | 3-4mm — goes over existing surfaces including tiles | Demolition, substrate, adhesive, then tile |
| Installation | Hand-troweled system, cured and sealed in days | Trade tiling, longer wet-area downtime |
| Repairs | Patch and re-seal — colour matched by the applicator | Swap the cracked tile, if you kept spares |
| Best for | Bathrooms, floors, benchtops, tile-overlays | Classic looks, heavy-impact zones, patterned designs |
Honest answer: plenty of bathrooms use both — microcement walls with a tiled shower floor, or tiles kept where the pattern is the point. We'll tell you straight which surface wants which. For a wall that should look carved from stone rather than poured, look at Venetian plaster instead.
Why the certificate matters
On microcement, the applicator is the product
Microcement is the one decorative finish where getting it wrong doesn't just look bad — it leaks. Three things only a certified applicator can give you.
01
The 10-year warranty
Cemher's system warranty is valid only when a certified applicator installs it and files the documentation. An uncertified job has no warranty at all, however good it looks on handover.
02
Wet areas that comply
A shower is a waterproofing job before it's a finish. The system has to tie into the membrane correctly to meet the Building Code — that's system knowledge, not trowel skill.
03
A floor that doesn't crack
Most failed microcement traces to substrate prep — no mesh, wrong primer, movement not accounted for. Certification is three days of exactly that, and it's why we'll decline a substrate that isn't right.
How we apply it
Microcement done properly, start to finish
Consult & sample
We check the substrate, the drainage and the falls, then bring real Cemher samples — colour and texture signed off before anything starts.
Free · No obligationPrep, prime & waterproof
The finish is only as good as what's under it. We prep, prime and mesh-reinforce the substrate, and in wet areas tie into the waterproofing membrane before a colour coat exists.
Layered application
Base coats, then two hand-troweled colour coats to 3-4mm. This is where the stone-like movement comes from. Each layer cures and is sanded before the next.
Seal & certify
Penetrating sealer plus topcoats rated for the room — wet-area rated in bathrooms. We file the documentation that activates your 10-year warranty and hand over care guidance.
What does microcement cost?
Priced per m² — get your number before you commit.
Microcement is a multi-layer system, so it's priced by the surface, the prep and the sealing spec — not a flat rate. A feature wall is the usual entry point; bathrooms and floors are priced on area and wet-area sealing.
Free instant estimate — an indicative figure in about 60 seconds
Exact price confirmed at a free on-site consult, with samples
No surprises later — prep, waterproofing and sealing all counted upfront
Price your microcement project
Tell us the room or surface, pick the finish, get your indicative number in about a minute.
Try the free estimator → Or book a free consult No obligation · No spam · Just a clear next stepKeep exploring
Not sure microcement is the one? Compare the family.
Harder-wearing than lime wash, more mineral than a glaze — here's where microcement sits next to our other signature finishes.
Venetian Plaster
The polished one. Burnished Italian lime plaster with the glassy depth of stone — for walls, not wet areas.
Explore Venetian plaster →
Lime Wash
The soft one. Chalky, breathable and cloudy — made for villas and quiet rooms.
Explore lime wash →
French Wash
The warm one. Layered, watercolour-like movement — the softest feature wall in the range.
Explore French wash →Good to know
Microcement questions, answered
How much does microcement cost in Auckland?
It's priced per m² and depends on the surface, substrate prep and the sealing spec — a multi-layer troweled system is priced very differently to paint, and a wet area costs more than a feature wall because the waterproofing tie-in is part of the job. A feature wall is the usual entry point; bathrooms and floors are priced on area. Get an indicative figure in about a minute with our free instant estimator, or book a free consult for an exact price with samples.
Can you apply microcement over existing tiles?
Usually, yes — and it's one of the biggest reasons people choose it. If the tiles are sound and well bonded, we prep and prime them and apply the system straight over the top: a full retile look without demolition, skip bins or weeks of downtime. If the tiles are drummy, or the substrate behind them is moving, we'll tell you before anything starts rather than trowel over a problem.
Is microcement waterproof? Does it work in showers?
Yes — installed correctly the Cemher system is fully waterproof, it's compatible with the waterproofing membranes already used in New Zealand, and it meets Building Code requirements for wet areas. The key word is system: membrane where it's needed, then the microcement layers, then wet-area rated sealers, all tied together properly. This is precisely why the product is only sold to certified applicators.
Does microcement crack?
Applied over a prepared, stable substrate with mesh reinforcement at the base layer, cracking isn't the norm. Nearly all the cracking you see traces back to skipped prep, the wrong primer, or movement in the substrate that was never accounted for. We assess that up front, and we're straight about any surface that isn't a good candidate — declining a bad substrate is cheaper for both of us than fixing a cracked floor.
What's the difference between microcement and polished concrete?
Polished concrete is the slab itself, ground and polished — heavy, structural, and only possible where there's a slab. Microcement is a 3-4mm coating that gives the same seamless mineral look on almost any surface: walls, existing floors, benchtops, even tiles. Faster, lighter, and it goes where a slab can't — upstairs, up a wall, or over what's already there.
What colours and textures does microcement come in?
The Cemher range runs to more than 28 stocked colours with custom tinting available, from warm whites and bone through greys, greige and deep charcoals — the tones that read as natural stone. Texture is a choice too: smooth, medium, coarse, floated or patted, each giving a different amount of trowel movement. Because it's applied by hand, no two surfaces are identical. We bring samples so you can see both colour and texture in your own light before committing.
How long does a microcement bathroom take?
Each layer has to cure before the next, so a bathroom typically runs about a week on site from prep to final seal, with a further curing period before heavy use. It's still substantially faster than strip-out-and-retile, and far less disruptive — no demolition, no skip, no waiting on a tiler and a waterproofer to line up. We'll give you exact days with the quote.
Let's begin
One surface. No joins.
Auckland homeowners, designers and architects trust Key Painting to install microcement properly — certified, warranted, and compliant where it has to be.
