Microcement Around a Bathtub

The worst part of a tiled bathroom is usually the line where the bath meets the wall. Silicone, which discolours. Grout, which stains. A tile edge, which chips.

Microcement removes all three, because the surround and the wall are the same continuous surface.

It is a Reinforced job

Always. A bath surround is wet, and a bath moves — it fills with water and a person, and that load has to go somewhere. Fiberglass mesh bedded into a structural build coat spans that movement so it does not reach the finish.

Primer, two build coats with mesh, two coats of microcement, two coats of sealer. About 2 mm finished.

The junction is the whole job

Where the surface meets the tub itself is the detail that decides whether this looks good in five years. The substrate has to be rigid where it meets the rim, the tub has to be properly supported so it is not flexing under load, and the waterproofing behind the finish has to be continuous into that junction.

Microcement itself is waterproof — the microcement, not the sealer. But that is the surface. The tanking behind it is a separate job and it has to be right first. If you have not detailed a wet area before, have a certified installer look at this junction before you start.

Over existing tile

Usually how it is done. Tap every tile — anything hollow comes out and gets filled. Degrease thoroughly, because bathroom tile carries soap film and primer will not grip through it. Fill deep grout lines so you start flat.

Do the room, not the tub

A bath surround on its own is a small area, and small areas are where microcement pricing looks worst — you buy whole units regardless. A surround alone might be a few hundred square feet of coverage you have paid for and not used.

Doing the bathroom — walls, floor, surround — as one job takes the same order much further. Around 250 sq ft comes to roughly $3,325 in materials, about $13 a square foot.

Microvella ships late 2026. Join the waitlist and we will email you the day it is ready to order.

Related: Microcement for bathroom remodelers · Doing it yourself · Shop the full system