Microcement in Melbourne's south east

Established suburbs and a growth corridor

The south east stretches from established suburbs in the City of Monash, such as Oakleigh, Clayton, Mulgrave and Wheelers Hill, through Springvale, Noble Park and Dandenong to Berwick and beyond. Officer, Pakenham, Cranbourne and Clyde sit in Melbourne's south-east growth corridor, where new estates are still being built.

In the established suburbs, microcement tends to be a renovation finish applied over existing tiles and cement-based surfaces. In a new home, it can be specified from the start, which gives you more control over the substrate, the levels and the timing.

A knockdown-rebuild follows the same rules as any new build. The substrate is new, so the timing of the finish needs the same care.

New builds: when is the substrate ready for microcement?

New screeds and cement mortars hold a lot of water, and they need time before any finish goes on. Microcement should only be applied once a screed or mortar has reached an advanced setting stage, which typically takes three to four weeks depending on the weather, and once its humidity is below 5%.

The moisture reading, not the calendar, decides when work can start. The substrate must also be stable, level and clean; a self-levelling mortar can correct levels where needed, and plaster or plasterboard walls are suitable once they're sound and dry.

An expansion joint is also needed between the screed and the walls so the screed can expand. Our underfloor heating guide sets out the full protocol and why each step matters.

Working with your builder

On a new build, microcement is one trade in a sequence, so the useful conversation happens early, while the builder is setting the program. These are the points worth settling:

• Which floors, walls and wet areas will be finished in microcement, and the substrate for each
• When screeds and mortars will be laid, so setting and drying time is built into the program
• How wet-area waterproofing will be handled, since microcement is a finish rather than a membrane and requirements should be confirmed by your builder or relevant professionals
• An application window, typically 5 to 7 days depending on size and complexity, when other trades stay off those surfaces
• Protection for the finished surface in its first week, while it continues to harden

Builders and developers can send plans and specifications through the enquiry form. The process page sets out each stage, from assessment to curing.

Renovations and shopfronts closer in

Not every south-east project is new. In Oakleigh, Clayton, Springvale and Dandenong, microcement suits bathroom and kitchen updates over firmly adhered tiles, as well as shopfronts and eateries where a floor without grout lines is simpler to keep clean.

Further out, Keysborough, Hallam, Endeavour Hills and Narre Warren are largely family suburbs. Bathroom and kitchen updates there follow the same approach, with firmly adhered tiles finished over rather than removed.

For larger floor areas, see our notes on microcement floors, and send an enquiry to compare options before selections are locked in with your builder.