Microcement Versus Tiles in a Bathroom
Tiles are proven and easy to repair. Microcement removes every grout line and makes a small bathroom look considerably larger. Both are correct answers, and the deciding factor is usually the room rather than the material.
Where this works
- Small en suites where grout lines dominate the room
- Wet rooms with a level access shower
- Renovations where a tile strip out is unwelcome
- Rental and holiday lets where repairability matters
- Bathrooms with curved or non standard geometry
How we install it
- 1Where microcement clearly wins
Small rooms, level access wet rooms, curved walls, and anywhere the existing tile is sound and you would rather not strip it out. The absence of grout also removes the mould maintenance that most people actually dislike.
- 2Where tile clearly wins
Rentals and busy family bathrooms where a single damaged area needs a cheap local repair, and budgets where a mid range porcelain plus a good tiler simply costs less.
- 3What they share
Both need the wet zone tanked with a liquid membrane and taped junctions. Anyone selling either as a waterproofing layer in itself is describing a bathroom that will fail.
- 4The honest middle ground
Plenty of our bathrooms are mixed: microcement on the floor and the shower walls for a seamless read, tile or stone on a single feature area. There is no rule against combining them.
Common pitfalls we prevent
Frequently asked
Is microcement more waterproof than tiles?+
Neither is the waterproofing. Both sit over a tanking membrane. What microcement removes is the grout, which is where tiled bathrooms usually show water related staining and mould first.
Which is cheaper for a bathroom?+
Tile is usually cheaper on materials and labour in a straightforward room. Microcement closes the gap when there is existing tile that would otherwise need stripping out and disposing of.
Can microcement go over the existing bathroom tiles?+
Yes when the tiles are sound and firmly bonded. They are tap tested, degreased, primed and the grout lines are filled at basecoat so they do not read through the finish.
Which is easier to repair after damage?+
Tile, if you kept spares. A microcement repair is done in place by abrading, re-skimming and resealing the panel, which is tidy on a matt finish and more demanding on a gloss one.
Which makes a small bathroom look bigger?+
Microcement, clearly. Removing every grout line takes the visual grid out of the room, and running the same finish from floor into the shower makes the space read as one volume.
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