microcement / polished concrete for a patio

12 days ago

Hi all

I am looking for people who have done microcement/ polished concrete outside for a patio (see current rough concrete base in attached photos).

Why did you choose that product? Did you like the finish? How resistant and durable do you find it? Is it truly scratch and crack resistant? What brand did you use and would recommend? I don’t like the glossy finish the protecting layer gives, how can you achieve a Matt finish as you see indoors on microcement/polished concrete walls?

We have a drop of about 7 cm from our internal floor to the existing concrete slab on the patio, would you level it up (given the microcement is about 4mm we would need to add 6.5 cm of concrete layer) or leave it a bit lower?

I am hesitant between tiling and doing microcement, any views?

Porcelain paving

Microcement

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

Carolina
12 days ago
Following with interest, curious to hear people's experiences too :-)
Sonia
11 days ago
I’ve got a porcelain patio. It’s non slip which is great but it does get grubby and quite difficult to clean despite what manufacturers say.
Related Discussions
Polished concrete floor companies?
Q
Comments (10)
Hi Tamsinwc, No problem, will get some photos posted - completely forgot about this thread. Difficult question about what to go for. In terms of what we have (polished concrete 8mm depth): Pros: - Looks great - works really well with underfloor heating - easy to clean Cons: - Has started to get some cracks in it with the movement of the house. - Unforgiving on my 1 year old's head! - Unforgiving on my 5 year old's head! - Shows up every bit of dirt. - Can chip if something hard is dropped on it. My wife really likes it and I do as well though in terms of practicality with 2 youngsters, possibly not ideal. Resin looks good if you can stomach the cost and can look very similar to polished concrete though is meant to be a lot nicer underfoot with none of the cracking issues etc. Micro-cement sounded good but we just didn't like the trowel marks you get with it. Will post some photos of our floor.
...See More
Concrete floor advice
Q
Comments (2)
Hi Dawn, we offer a microcement application surface. Unlike polished concrete it requires no joins regardless of size. It's highly durable and fully waterproof, it's considered to be a more cost effective option in comparison to concrete and can be completed in a shorter time span. please take a moment to visit us at www.wallstothefloor.com to see our range of colours and finishes. Thanks for reading
...See More
Help! Has our polished concrete patio gone wrong?
Q
Comments (12)
Hi Felicia, sorry to hear that this has happened to you too. It sounds like you have had a similar floor to us - was yours a poured concrete floor i.e. you had an 8-10mm topping poured on top of a screed? Do you know what make of material was used? So, over a year on from my initial post, we ended up having to pull the floor up and get it re-done by someone who knew what they were doing. This time, we ended up going for a solid slab of concrete which was polished up and looks great (but it cost a hell of a lot more!). The bubbles would have created problems outside in terms of water getting in, freezing, expanding and then cracking the concrete over time. But, when I was looking for a new contractor to re-do the floor (we didn’t pay the other guy anything), one of the contractors who was excellent stated that they could have repaired the floor with all of the bubbles. Essentially, the floor hadn’t been primed properly and this sort of thing can apparently happen if there are big differences between the substrate and air temperatures. They mentioned that there was a way to grind down a layer and fill in the holes so I wouldn’t despair just yet. It is a shame that your contractor is being unhelpful - ours was too. I can only suggest trying to call around some other contractors to see what can be done in the first instance. Alternatively, a lot of resin floors can now give a very similar effect to polished concrete but the cost is not cheap. Please feel free to come back to me if you need to as I know how disappointing this sort of thing is.
...See More
Microcement microconcrete topping durability ?
Q
Comments (2)
hi Bryan, I have some experience of this in a retail setting as it was specified for the concept. whilst it is a durable product, it can still have problems with cracking associated with large areas of floor covering. It will wear and have traffic marks over time but is quite strong provided their is no movement in the substrate. if your new extension has a floor with a layer of insulation beneath, unless it has had a long period of time to dry it will carry some moisture , which may affect the micro-top installation. concrete floors are laid in bays to allow for expansion and contraction of the slab, if you installed UFH you will also have this to add to the general mix with the heating cycle adding to the risks of movement. I would look at having movement joints in the covering rather than risk having random cracks open up over time. The general wear shouldn't be a problem. the system is for industrial floors to provide a tough layer, so you should be ok with dropped utensils. No installer will guarantee that you wont get cracking over time! best Rowland
...See More
Wumi
11 days ago
I personally wouldn't raise the level of the outdoor patio without first consulting a pro about the ramifications of that (rain/standing rain water, drainage etc).

Have you considered painting the concrete? I've seen some cool diy painted stencilled concrete patios. Not sure of longevity, but I imagine it'd be easier to clean and touch-up than tile.

https://dawnnicole.co/diy-faux-brick-stenciled-concrete-patio/
Celine Fenech
Original Author
11 days ago
Thank you Wumi for your comment - as you might not see very well on the pictures the existing concrete is very rough and was always intending for laying down something else on top.. the more I look at tiles the less I like them - but talking to microcement experts levelling up will create risks of cracking
Celine Fenech
Original Author
11 days ago
Such as this person’s experience https://www.houzz.co.uk/discussions/4758208/help-has-our-polished-concrete-patio-gone-wrong
Wumi
11 days ago
last modified: 11 days ago
Ah I see! Better understand your dilemma. Have you considered a resin bound/bonded surface? It's used mostly commercially but I have seen it on front drives in domestic properties and it looked pretty fantastic.
Celine Fenech
Original Author
10 days ago
Thank you Wumi - I am not sure our budget will stretch to that - I think I am going to try to achieve this look - large concrete looking porcelain tiles?
Celine Fenech
Original Author
10 days ago
Tiles

More Discussions

Please what colour to paint and entrance ideas

Help with layout

Furnishings help pls

would you add a Tv on Wall

Double or triple glazing across the back for sliders and bi-folds ?

United Kingdom

Tailor my experience using cookies

By continuing to browse this site or use this app, I agree the Houzz group may use cookies and similar technologies to improve its products and services, serve me relevant content and to personalise my experience. Learn more.

microcement / polished concrete for a patio

Comments (8)

Carolina

Sonia

Related Discussions

Wumi

Celine FenechOriginal Author

Celine FenechOriginal Author

Wumi

Celine FenechOriginal Author

Celine FenechOriginal Author

Celine Fenech
Original Author

Celine Fenech
Original Author

Celine Fenech
Original Author

Celine Fenech
Original Author