Microcement in inner Melbourne and the CBD

Terraces, warehouses and apartments

Inner Melbourne packs very different buildings into a few kilometres. Victorian terraces line the streets of Carlton, Fitzroy, East Melbourne and South Melbourne, former factories and warehouses have been converted in Collingwood, Abbotsford, Richmond and Cremorne, and apartment towers rise over the CBD, Southbank and Docklands.

Microcement suits all three because it bonds to what's already there rather than replacing it. Cement mortar, self-levelling mortar, tile, plaster, plasterboard, terrazzo, marble and metal can all be suitable substrates, provided they're stable, level, clean and below 5% humidity. In a terrace that might mean a narrow bathroom or rear kitchen; in a warehouse, long runs of floor and feature walls; in an apartment, a compact bathroom and kitchen.

Light is often the real constraint. A terrace bathroom may rely on a single skylight and an apartment kitchen can sit well away from the windows, so compare samples under the room's actual lighting, including artificial light, because colours can read darker or cooler than expected.

Why a thin microcement finish suits inner-city homes

Older buildings and apartments often come with levels that can't easily change: a door that already sits close to the floor, a threshold that meets a common corridor, or joinery that is fixed in place. Because microcement is applied at around 2–3 mm in total, it adds very little to the existing surface.

That thin profile is also why it can often go straight over existing tiles, as long as they're firmly adhered and stable. Removing tiles in an apartment is noisy and slow, and the waste has to travel through shared corridors and lifts. Our guide to microcement over tiles explains what gets checked first.

The same finish can carry across floors, walls and joinery, so a small apartment reads as one calm volume rather than a patchwork of materials. It also adds little weight or load to the building's structure.

Owners corporations, access and timing

If you live in an apartment or unit, check your owners corporation's requirements before any dates are set. Many buildings have rules about permitted work hours, lift bookings, protection of common areas and where materials can be stored, and some ask for trade details in advance.

Microcement fits these constraints better than many renovation methods, because there's no rubble or major construction work. Application typically takes 5 to 7 days, depending on the size and complexity of the job, and the surface keeps hardening for several weeks afterwards, so plan for gentle use in the first week.

Hospitality in the inner city: ULA Café, Collingwood

Cafés, bars and shopfronts ask a lot of a surface: steady foot traffic, frequent cleaning and an interior that has to keep its character. A sealed microcement finish resists traffic, knocks and scratches, and without grout lines there are fewer places for grime to collect.

At ULA Café in Collingwood, we collaborated with SuiL Architects on a monolithic interior in which curved walls, counters and thresholds read as one continuous surface. The project has been featured on ArchDaily and other media, and you can see more on the ULA Café project page.

If you're planning a fit-out, the early conversation should cover the surfaces involved, the cleaning routine and how the work fits around the lease and opening date. Our guide to microcement for commercial interiors covers these points in more detail.

Starting an inner-city project

Send the project address, photos of the existing surfaces and any plans through the enquiry form. The address helps us understand the building, its access and any approvals before the on-site assessment.

If you have colours in mind, mention them in your enquiry. Screens distort colour, so compare physical samples in the light of your own rooms before you decide.