April 21, 2026 · 5 min read
Living with microcement over ten years
Microcement is the lowest maintenance finish we apply, which is most of its appeal. It also has a genuine downside that nobody selling it mentions.
Day to day
Water and a soft cloth. Mild soap when it needs it. No sealing schedule, no special products, no seasonal routine.
This is the finish you can actually scrub, which is why it belongs in kitchens and bathrooms where the others do not.
What wear looks like
Because the surface is continuous and hard, wear appears gradually and evenly rather than as sudden failures. There is no grout to discolor and no seams to open up.
High-traffic floors will eventually show traffic patterns in the sealer, which can be refreshed without redoing the finish underneath.
The honest downside
Microcement does not age into anything. In ten years it looks the way it looked on day one.
For many people that consistency is exactly the point. For anyone drawn to natural finishes because they develop character, it is the wrong material, and lime is the one they actually want. Worth knowing before you commit rather than after.
Repairs
Damage from impact or substrate movement can be repaired, though a repair in a continuous surface takes skill to blend. It is more involved than patching lime, which is forgiving by nature.
In short
Choose microcement for performance and consistency. If you want a wall that tells you it has been lived with, choose lime instead.
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