Your microcement bathtub: application guide, precautions, advantages, and disadvantages.

Are you looking to transform your bathroom into a modern, luxurious space without breaking the bank? Would you like a microcement bathtub? This innovative, aesthetic material does indeed offer many advantages. Let us guide you through the reasons why a microcement coating is the perfect choice. Here we explain how you can create, with the help of a professional, your own microcement bathtub—or, in any case, transform your bathroom like a professional.

If what you want is to coat the walls, the shower or the sink around the bathtub yourself, the starting point is the bathroom microcement kit; the inside of the bathtub, as you will see below, is a job for a professional.

Durability and resistance

Microcement is extremely durable and resistant to chemicals, running water, and temperature variations. It is ideal for use in humid environments such as bathrooms.

This robustness ensures a long service life, even under intensive use conditions.

However, if you choose a microcement bathtub, be aware that it requires more maintenance than a floor or wall. For daily use, other microcement applications offer a better compromise between aesthetics and durability.

Unlimited customisation

With microcement, customisation possibilities are endless. You can choose from a wide range of colours and textures to create a unique bathtub that harmonises perfectly with the rest of your interior decor. This flexibility allows you to tailor your bathtub precisely to your aesthetic preferences.

Aesthetics and design

Microcement brings a touch of modernity and elegance to your bathroom. Thanks to its smooth finishes and the absence of grout lines, it creates a pleasant visual effect of continuity. In addition, it comes in a variety of shades and colours, allowing you to personalise your bathtub to your taste and thus add a luxurious dimension to your bathroom space.

Renovate instead of replace

Unlike options that essentially involve pouring a resin or re-enamelling your old bathtub, choosing a microcement bathtub offers much more than a simple refresh. You get a true upgrade that increases your enjoyment with every bath. You gain access to high-end hotel luxury for your well-being. Microcement makes it possible to completely transform your existing bathtub without the drawbacks of major construction work, while offering a silky, modern, resistant, durable, and exclusive finish.

How a built-in bathtub is made with microcement

We walk you through the process step by step so you know what to expect, but be clear about who carries it out: the inside of a bathtub is in permanent contact with water and is a job for a professional applicator with specific products. What you can apply yourself, with the bathroom microcement kit, is the microcement on the walls, the floor and the shower around it.

Surface preparation

Preparing the application is undoubtedly the best guarantee of a successful microcement installation. Preparation is done in two simple but essential steps: cleaning and applying the primer.

Cleaning: thoroughly clean the surface to remove any traces of dust, dirt, soap residue, or grease. This deep cleaning ensures optimal adhesion for applying the primer.

Applying the primer: once the surface is clean, apply an adhesion primer. This ensures good bonding of the microcement. Mix the product manually with a spatula, pour it into a tray, and apply an even coat with a roller. Let it dry for 2 to 4 hours (or according to the manufacturer’s recommendations) before proceeding with the microcement application.

This step creates a strong bond between the existing surface and the new decorative coating. Following this step ensures the durability and resistance of the finish.

Applying the base and finish coats of microcement

Applying the base:

1. Carefully apply masking tape to define the application area.
2. Mix the product manually with a spatula until homogeneous.
3. Use the Smart Roller to spread the first coat of Smart Base microcement in a thin layer. First bottom to top, then side to side.
4. Remove the tape before it dries.
5. Let it dry for four to eight hours (or according to the manufacturer’s instructions) before moving on to the next step.
6. Once the first coat is dry, sand it with 40-grit sandpaper to obtain a smooth surface.

Applying the finish microcement:

After applying the base coat, apply a second coat of Smart Liso microcement following the same process:

1. Apply masking tape.
2. Mix the product manually.
3. Use the roller to apply a thin coat vertically, then horizontally.
4. Smooth with a polycarbonate trowel at a 45° angle depending on the desired finish.
5. Remove the protective tape.
6. Let it dry for four to eight hours (or according to the manufacturer’s instructions) before the second coat of Smart Liso.
7. Sand the surface with 220-grit sandpaper for a smoother, more even finish.

Has the second coat already been applied? It should start taking shape. Congratulations. But be careful—it’s not quite finished yet. Let’s continue.

Drying and protection

Once the decorative microcement coats have been applied and sanded, you may be tempted to neglect the drying time. Go for a walk. Ventilate or switch to another task. Remember that the most beautiful works have sometimes taken centuries to see the light of day: allow enough time for drying. We recommend waiting 24 hours (follow the instructions for the product you’ve chosen). This is one of the keys to the success of your microcement bathtub.

For wet areas like bathrooms and, in particular, bathtubs, apply a suitable protective varnish in several coats. This ensures maximum protection.

Below we explain concretely how to do it:

Repeat this procedure three times:

1. Mark off the area to be varnished with masking tape
2. Apply a coat of varnish using a roller
3. Let it dry for four to six hours.

• Sand the first and second coats with 400-grit sandpaper

Three coats are what the technical data sheet specifies, including in wet areas. Let the varnish reach its maximum resistance by waiting several days before intensive use.

PROTECT AGAINST WATER

The advantages of a microcement bathtub

Strength and moisture resistance

Microcement, in addition to being aesthetic, is durable. It is not afraid of running water and is known for being easy to clean, which makes it an ideal material for bathrooms.

Design and modernity

Thanks to its smooth, elegant finishes, microcement brings a touch of modernity to your bathroom. It pairs perfectly with other materials to create a harmonious space.

Variety of shades

Whether you prefer neutral colours such as white, beige, and grey, or bolder tones, microcement offers a multitude of options to personalise your bathtub.

The drawbacks of a microcement bathtub

If the aesthetics of a microcement bathtub are appealing at first glance, before taking the plunge it is also essential to be aware of the drawbacks linked to such an exposed use.

• Sensitivity to standing water: unlike walls or floors, a bathtub is in constant contact with water. The slightest application or waterproofing defect can lead to premature wear.
• Demanding maintenance: microcement requires gentle but regular cleaning with non-aggressive products. Any maintenance mistake using unsuitable products or tools can affect the protection and therefore its waterproofing. Regular and frequent varnish renewal must be planned.
• Uncertain durability over time: even well protected, microcement applied inside a bathtub remains more fragile than on a floor or wall, due to prolonged immersion.

That is why many professionals advise against using microcement inside a bathtub and instead recommend using it around it (outer cladding) or on walls, floors, and showers, where it fully reveals its qualities.

Luxury and renovation ideas

Affordable luxury

Microcement makes it possible to add a touch of elegance to your bathroom at a lower cost. It transforms your space into a true modern, elegant haven of peace.

Renovation ideas

Whether you’re renovating a small bathroom or a large space, microcement is a versatile option that adapts to your interior and your tastes. It is ideal for making your bathroom unique, but also for bathrooms with walk-in showers, your sink, or any other surface such as floors and walls. The possibilities are endless for a harmonious, modern interior.

Reduced maintenance

Daily cleaning

Microcement is easy to maintain. Simple cleaning with mild products is all that's needed. For more details, see our full article on maintaining microcement surfaces.

Things to keep in mind

The microcement bathtub appeals thanks to its contemporary aesthetics and customisation potential. It is technically feasible and can deliver a high-end result when carried out with suitable professional solutions.

However, due to standing water, temperature variations, and the maintenance demands involved, the bathtub remains the most demanding microcement application in a bathroom. To fully benefit from this material’s qualities—durability, visual continuity, and ease of maintenance—it is often best used on floors, walls, a walk-in shower, or a sink, where it reveals its full potential without compromises.

If you want to weigh up the many versatile applications of this coating in this kind of room, see our complete guide to microcement in bathrooms.

FIND YOUR BATHROOM KIT

Frequently asked questions about the microcement bathtub

How much does a microcement bathtub cost?

It depends on two items: the bathtub structure (brick or concrete work, if it has to be built) and the microcement application, which inside a bathtub is a job for a professional applicator with specific products — it is not a DIY project. The factors that move the budget most are the size, the shape and the condition of the structure, so always ask a professional for a fixed quote. And remember the alternative many applicators recommend: microcement around the bathtub and on the walls, floor and shower — there you can apply it yourself with a fixed-price kit.

Can I coat my current bathtub with microcement?

Only if it is a built-in one (brick, cement or moisture-resistant plasterboard) and it is done by a professional applicator with specific products for immersion: the inside of a bathtub falls outside the intended use of our kits. On acrylic or fibreglass bathtubs we do not recommend it under any circumstances: the flexibility of the substrate and the constant water do not give the adhesion a lasting result requires.

Which kit do I need for a microcement bathtub?

None of our kits is designed for the inside of a bathtub. What you can do yourself is coat what surrounds it: the walls and the shower with the bathroom microcement kit and the floor with the floors and stairs kit. Each kit arrives ready to use, with primer, microcement, varnish and sanding discs.

How do you clean and maintain a microcement bathtub?

With water and neutral soap day to day, avoiding aggressive degreasers, bleach or ammonia. You have the full guidelines in our microcement cleaning and maintenance guide.

Reviewed by the Smartcret technical team.