Guide · East Sussex · BN3
Microcement over existing tiles — Hove specification
Refurb briefs in Hove for microcement over existing tiles typically arrive at the point the client has already ruled out tile. The reason is almost always the same — one of basement gym conversions in the adelaide crescent/palmeira square streets are our steadiest hove work, a continuous basement gym conversions in the adelaide crescent/palmeira square streets are our steadiest hove work — and microcement over existing tiles is the finish that answers it. The Hove catchment we work across covers BN3 — reached via the A259 Kingsway, 3 min from our workshop along the a259 seafront. Nearby coverage includes Brighton (2 mi), Portslade (2 mi), Shoreham-by-Sea (5 mi). Site conditions matter here: salt-laden onshore wind — sealer specification matters. That shapes the primer and sealer specification below, not just the visible finish.
The spec sheet
What the finish sits on
Microcement can be laid over sound existing tiles — mechanical bond primer, mesh-reinforced base coat, then the standard system. Failure risk depends entirely on the tile bond: any hollow or drummy tiles must be lifted or the finish will crack over the void.
Detailing notes for your designer
The value of going over tiles is speed and cost — no strip-out, no waste to skip. The visible result is identical to a new-substrate installation once the finish is on. Best on kitchen and bathroom floors where lifting tile would require weeks and disruption.
What's specific about Hove for this brief
How the install actually runs
- Percussion surveyPre-start
Every tile tapped — hollow tiles marked, lifted and re-bedded, or the floor levelled with self-smoothing compound.
- Primer + broadcastDay 1
Epoxy tile primer with broadcast quartz for mechanical bond.
- Base + meshDay 2
Fibreglass-reinforced base coat across the entire floor.
- Colour + sealerDay 3–5
Two colour coats + 3-coat polyurethane sealer.
Where installs go wrong
- ✕Skipping the drummy check — every hollow tile becomes a crack line in the microcement.
- ✕Wrong primer — standard PVA does not bond to glazed tile.
- ✕Ignoring the level rise on doorways — plane the door or plan the reveal.
- ✕Extending over a grout line without mesh — the joint telegraphs through in 6 months.
over tiles in Hove — Q&A
Other guides for Hove
Microcement over existing tiles — other Sussex towns
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The short version
For over tiles in Hove: expect a £85–£140 per m² budget, a build programme of about 3–5 working days on site, and a survey-to-install window of 4–6 weeks. The finish is one continuous mineral surface — no joints, no trims, no visible transitions.