Guide · East Sussex · BN7
Lewes Microcement wet rooms — cost, spec and build programme
For Lewes refurb clients, microcement wet rooms 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 wet rooms solves both — one continuous mineral surface at roughly a third of the stone-and-fixings price. The Lewes catchment we work across covers BN7, BN8 — reached via the A27 / A26, 15 min from brighton via the a27. Nearby coverage includes Ringmer (2 mi), Kingston near Lewes (2 mi), Firle (5 mi). Site conditions matter here: chalk substrate — dry, stable, easy to prime. That shapes the primer and sealer specification below, not just the visible finish.
Working in Lewes
What the finish sits on
The wet room build-up sits over a fully-tanked substrate — cementitious waterproofing membrane, tape-and-bond internal corners, floor laid to 1:80 fall toward a linear drain. Microcement bonds mechanically to the tanking with a fibreglass-reinforced base coat, not adhesion promoter alone.
Design detailing choices
Continuous floor-to-wall microcement in one colour reads as sculpture. A tonal contrast (deeper floor, paler wall) reads as designed. Recess the linear drain to the far wall, not the entry threshold — visually cleaner and drains faster.
System specification
On-site programme
- Strip out and screed checkDay 1–2
Existing tile / vinyl removed to solid substrate, cracks resin-injected, screed skimmed flat to SR2.
- Tank and waterproofDay 3
2 coats cementitious tanking on floor and walls to 1800 mm; corners, pipe collars and drain reinforced.
- Base coat and meshDay 4
Fibreglass mesh embedded in reinforced base coat over the full wet-room envelope.
- Colour coatsDay 5–6
Two 1 mm microcement colour coats, hand-trowelled.
- SealerDay 7
3 coats polyurethane wet-room sealer with 4-hour inter-coat time.
What to watch for on quote comparison
- ✕Skimping on tanking — cheap 1-coat systems fail behind the finish.
- ✕Missing pipe-collar reinforcement — the single most common leak point.
- ✕Overworking the trowel — hairline cracks appear at cure.
- ✕Wrong sealer — domestic-grade sealer will not survive daily shower.
- ✕Insufficient fall — puddles at the low corner within a year.
Common questions from Lewes clients
Other guides for Lewes
Microcement wet rooms — other Sussex towns
Related products & services
The short version
Lewes wet rooms in one line: mineral finish, single continuous surface, hand-applied by our own team, £4,200–£8,500 per installation, 6–10 working days on site. Free survey with a written spec back inside 3 working days.