Guide · East Sussex · BN3
Hand-installed Microcement shower trays across Hove
For Hove refurb clients, microcement shower trays sits at the intersection of two things they've usually already tried: the tile-and-grout route (grout-line fatigue) and full-slab stone (cost). microcement shower trays solves both — one continuous mineral surface at roughly a third of the stone-and-fixings price. 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.
Where installs go wrong
- ✕Fall shallower than 1:80 — puddles at the low corner.
- ✕Missing anti-slip broadcast — the tray becomes a slip hazard when wet.
- ✕Point drain vs linear — point drains need a 4-way fall which is harder to build and drains slower.
- ✕Sharp corner at the tray/wall junction — hairline cracks at cure; use a preformed corner bead.
The spec sheet
Substrate and preparation
A microcement shower tray is a formed cement-and-poly-fibre substrate falled to a linear or square drain, then microcement finished. The tray sits proud of the surrounding floor or flush with it — the flush detail is more designed but harder to build; the surrounding floor must accept the fall.
Design detailing choices
A tray flush with the surrounding floor reads as one continuous surface — the reason to specify microcement in the first place. Colour the tray the same as the wall it's set into; break the palette only if you want the shower to read as a distinct object.
Working in Hove
On-site programme
- Tray buildDay 1–2
Preformed tray installed or wet-formed screed base laid to 1:80 fall.
- Tank + baseDay 3
Tanking + fibreglass-reinforced base coat over tray and walls.
- Colour + sealerDay 4–6
Two colour coats + 3 coats wet-room sealer with anti-slip broadcast.
Hove — frequently asked
Other guides for Hove
Microcement shower trays — other Sussex towns
Related products & services
The short version
For shower trays in Hove: expect a £1,600–£3,800 per installation 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.