Everything about the microcement shower: benefits, ideas and application tips
A microcement shower is a shower with no grout lines: the same coating covers the walls and the shower tray, straight over the existing tiles or the tiled shower base you already have, in a layer of 2-3 mm with a seamless, continuous finish. There is no need to strip tiles or remove rubble, and the result wipes clean with a cloth, because there are no joints for limescale, soap or mould to collect in.
Updated in September 2026.
This guide covers what you need to know before you decide: the real advantages over a conventional shower, how to do the shower tray step by step with the microcement kit for bathrooms, the points that decide whether it holds up well (slope, joins, varnish), the flush-to-the-floor shower, six real customer renovations, five styles for inspiration and what it costs in 2026. If you want to renovate the whole bathroom, you’ll find the rest of the applications in the ideas for microcement in bathrooms.
What are the advantages of a microcement shower compared to a conventional shower?
The shower is the first thing you see when you walk into the bathroom, and the part you use the most. Microcement solves the things people complain about most in a tiled shower: the grout lines, the step of the shower tray and the cleaning.
Easy cleaning
With no grout lines there are no corners where limescale and soap residue can build up, so routine cleaning is a damp cloth with water and pH-neutral soap. For a deeper clean, Smart Cleaner is formulated for the microcement varnish and will not attack it. What should never be used: bleach, ammonia, vinegar, abrasive products or metal scourers.
No joints for mould to grow in
The grey and black stains on a tiled shower appear in the grout lines, because that is where water and dirt get trapped. On a continuous surface there are no joints to trap anything: it dries faster and cleans in one pass.
Water-resistant
Microcement is waterproof once it has cured, and the varnish that seals the system is what adds the resistance to soap, cleaning products and daily use. In the shower that varnish is reinforced with Smart Booster, which is why the bathroom kit includes it: with the full varnish, the shower is used as normal, with the water at whatever temperature you like.
No step
A built shower tray finished this way sits flush with the floor, with no step from a conventional shower tray. It is an advantage that gets little mention, and the one most appreciated in homes with children or older people.
Resistant to daily use
Microcement has good resistance to abrasion and wear, and in a domestic shower it holds up for years under routine cleaning. What can mark it is a hard knock from a heavy object, such as the shower head falling from above.
Twenty colours, matt finish
The Smartcret range has twenty colours, from whites to greys, earth tones and greens, all with the matt finish given by the kit’s varnish. You’ll find them in the microcement colour chart.
A renovated shower with no building work
Microcement is applied over the existing shower (on tiles, with Smart Jointer and Smart Primer PLUS): no stripping tiles, no rubble, no dust and no building permits. The rest of the bathroom stays in use while the work is done, apart from the shower itself during the days of application and curing.
Applied over almost any material
Tiles, slabs, mosaic, porcelain, ceramic, plasterboard, plaster, cement, concrete, mortar, terrazzo or marble. The only thing that changes depending on the material is the preparation: on substrates with grout lines these are filled first, and the primer is one or the other depending on whether the substrate is absorbent or not. What it does not allow are substrates that move with humidity, such as natural wood: the movement of the substrate would eventually crack any continuous coating.
Walls and shower tray with the same kit
The shower walls and the built shower tray are finished with the microcement kit for bathrooms, which also covers the rest of the bathroom walls, the countertop and the sink. You can finish just the shower tray, just the walls, or both; if only one part is finished, the join with the other is sealed with silicone so that water does not get in at the join. The kits range from 4 to 24 m² (about 43 to 258 sq ft).
Until 31 October, six of the twenty colours (Coral, Wasabi, Salmon, Blush, Moss and Khaki) have 30 % off in the eight kits: you have them all together in microcement kits on offer.
You can do it yourself
With ready-to-use microcement the material comes prepared and pigmented: there is nothing to mix or measure out, and the kit includes the products, the sanding discs and the instructions. Below is the step-by-step guide to the shower tray.
How to make a microcement shower tray step by step
The system is four products, always in this order: primer, Smart Base (the preparation layer), Smart Liso (the finish) and Smart Varnish with Smart Booster (the reinforced varnish). The tools (trowel, roller and tray) are sold separately, in the Smart Tools kit. The general stages are in the guide to how to apply microcement step by step and, with quantities and timings, in the interactive application guide that comes with the kit. If you are finishing both walls and shower tray, the order is walls first and shower tray afterwards.
Step 1: Clean the surface thoroughly
The shower tray needs to be free of soap residue, limescale and dust, and dry and firm. Check three things before you continue: that there are no cracks or loose pieces (repair or fix these first), that the drain is not blocked and that water runs towards it without pooling anywhere. If there is any existing damp, treat it first: microcement will not hide it, and it would eventually come through as stains.
Step 2: Fill the joints, if you have any
If the shower tray is mosaic, tiled or any piece with grout lines, fill and level them with Smart Jointer, using a spatula or trowel, and leave to dry for 12 to 24 hours. Without this step, the pattern of the joints would eventually show through the finish. On a built shower tray of cement or concrete there are no joints to fill.
Step 3: Primer
The primer is what bonds the shower tray and the microcement, and it depends on whether the substrate is absorbent or not. On concrete, mortar or cement, apply Smart Primer ABS, the primer for absorbent surfaces; on tiles, slabs, mosaic, porcelain or ceramic, Smart Primer PLUS, for maximum adhesion. Both are applied by roller, in a uniform layer, and after 30 minutes you can continue. The kit includes the one that matches the substrate you choose.
Step 4: Apply the microcement
First, Smart Base, the preparation layer: stir the container, spread it with the polyamide roller in a thin layer (less than 1 mm) and smooth it with the polycarbonate trowel, tilted at about 45°, in arcing movements and in all directions. Leave to dry for 4 to 8 hours, sand with the grit 40 sanding disc and repeat for the second coat.
Then Smart Liso, the finish: two very thin coats (less than 0.5 mm), with 4-8 hours of drying and sanding with the grit 220 sanding disc between them. The second coat is what gives the final look, and the whole build-up comes to around 2-3 mm. On the shower tray, take particular care at the join with the walls and the finish around the drain: these are the delicate areas, and it is worth leaving them properly smooth, because a rough surface traps dirt.
Step 5: Seal for protection
The varnish is what gives microcement its resistance to everyday water, soap and cleaning, and in the shower it is essential to apply it in full. It goes on 24 hours after the last coat of Smart Liso. In the bathroom kit, Smart Varnish is mixed with Smart Booster, the component that reinforces the varnish for areas with water, and three coats are applied by roller, 4-6 hours apart, sanding the first two with the grit 400 sanding disc. Apply all three, without skipping any, and cover the joins and the finish around the drain with care.
The shower can be used once the varnish reaches full cure, 7 days after the last coat. Until then, no water.
SEE THE KIT FOR BATHROOM AND SHOWER
What are the key points when applying microcement in a shower?
The shower is the most demanding area of the home for a continuous coating, and when problems appear, they almost always come from these points.
Seal the joins to prevent leaks
If only the shower tray is finished, or only the walls, the join between the finished part and the unfinished one is sealed with silicone. And if both are finished, the join between wall and shower tray is finished with the microcement and the varnish just like the rest of the surface, without leaving it half done.
Walls or shower tray? Which goes first?
Walls first, then the shower tray. This way the shower tray stays free of drips and splashes from the coats applied above, and the join is finished over the completed shower tray.
The slope and the drain
A conventional shower tray already has the slope towards the drain built in; on a built shower tray it needs to be checked before you start: the water has to run towards the drain without pooling anywhere. Microcement withstands water that runs and dries, not a standing puddle: stagnant water ends up leaving limescale, soap and stains. If the shower tray has no slope, it is corrected with building work before finishing, not with the microcement, which goes on in a thin layer.
Treat existing damp first
Untreated damp does not disappear by coating over it: it eventually comes through as stains or whitish patches. If the shower tray or the walls have damp at source (a leak, seepage from the drain), sort it out first and apply the microcement afterwards.
Expansion joints and substrates that move
In a domestic shower there is no need to create new expansion joints: the finish can genuinely be continuous. What is respected are any expansion joints the substrate already has, if there are any. And microcement is not applied over flexible substrates or ones that move with humidity, such as natural wood.
The trowel at 45°
When smoothing the microcement, both Smart Base and Smart Liso, the polycarbonate trowel is tilted at about 45°, in arcing movements and in all directions. This is what leaves the finish even and free of marks.
Clean it regularly
Rinse the shower after each use, so soap residue and limescale do not build up, and wipe it with a cloth to avoid water marks. Once a week, clean with a damp cloth and pH-neutral soap; for ingrained dirt, use Smart Cleaner.
Renew the varnish every 2 years
A shower is exposed every day to water, humidity, temperature changes and cleaning, and the varnish is the layer that protects it. Over time that protection loses effectiveness, so in showers we recommend checking the condition of the varnish every 6 months and renewing it, at the latest, every 2 years, even if the shower still looks in good condition. If duller patches, darkening, water absorption, stains, whitish areas, blistering or flaking appear before that, bring the renewal forward.
Renewing the microcement varnish is what keeps the water resistance and the appearance of the shower for years.
PROTECT YOUR SHOWER FROM WATER
Flush-to-the-floor microcement shower: the walk-in, with no step and no cuts
If there is one shower format where microcement fits naturally, it is the flush-to-the-floor shower, known as the walk-in or Italian-style shower: no raised tray, no step, with the bathroom floor running straight into the wet area. With microcement that continuity is literal: the same coating covers the bathroom floor and the inside of the shower with no cut and no joint, and the bathroom looks bigger and cleans in one pass.
In that case the floor, inside and outside the shower, is done with the floor kit, which uses Smart Medio as the finish and the reinforced varnish; the shower walls, with the bathroom kit. You’ll find the floor process in the guide to microcement on the bathroom floor.
Beyond the aesthetics, it has two practical advantages: accessibility, because with no step it is the most comfortable option for children and older people, and design freedom, because the shower area is built to the measurements of the bathroom. The technical requirements are the same ones you have already read: the correct slope towards the drain, the primer suited to the substrate and the full reinforced varnish.
6 real Smartcret microcement shower renovations
Six showers done by customers with the microcement kits for showers, over different substrates and in different colours. They are useful for seeing the real finish and for choosing a shade.
1. Walls and shower tray in white
Walls and shower tray in the same white, without a single joint: it is the combination that gives the most light to a small bathroom, and the one that best hides everyday water marks.
2. Shower walls in Bone
A warm white that goes well with wood and with black or gold taps. Here only the walls were finished, with the join to the shower tray sealed.
3. Walls in India
A spiced earth tone for anyone after a warm bathroom with character. It works well with natural light and with white sanitaryware for contrast.
4. Shower tray in beige
Just the shower tray, in a neutral that blends with the rest of the bathroom without drawing attention. It is the quickest renovation: a standard shower tray fits within the 4 m² kit.
5. Walls and shower tray in a light neutral
Walls and shower tray in the same colour family as the rest of the bathroom: the shower stops being a box apart, and the room looks more spacious.
6. Floor and walls in earth tones
Light, warm colours on the shower tray and walls, playing off the light and textures of the rest of the bathroom. Sophisticated without being cold.
SEE KITS TO RENOVATE MY SHOWER
5 ideas for decorating a shower with microcement
Microcement adapts to any style because the finish is continuous and you choose the colour. These five combinations are the ones that come up most often in our customers’ bathrooms.
1. Mediterranean-style microcement shower
Plenty of natural light, sandy tones and curved shapes: arches, niches and a built-in bench finished with the same microcement.
2. Industrial style
Mid-tone greys, black taps and exposed materials. Microcement brings the continuous, understated surface this style calls for.
3. Spa or hammam style
An integrated bench, overhead light and a single colour across walls, shower tray and bench: the shower becomes one continuous built piece.
4. Japandi style
Light tones, natural wood and few elements. The shower integrated in light-toned microcement is the basis of a simple, functional bathroom.
5. Rustic style
A dark tone in the shower, natural stone on one wall and wooden furniture: materials that evoke the mountains, with the cleanliness of a continuous surface.
Microcement shower: price in 2026
In the US, a professional applicator charges around $315–420 per m² (roughly $29–39 per sq ft), labour included, in 2026, without counting any prior repairs, and many will not take on a job as small as a single shower, or they apply a minimum that pushes up the budget. With the microcement kits for showers the price is fixed and depends on the square metres (4 to 24 m²) and the substrate: $38–62 per m² of material. You’ll find every factor that affects the budget in the guide to the price of microcement per m².
Is a microcement shower worth it?
Yes, when it is done well. What it brings compared with a tiled shower:
- Seamless, continuous finish, with no step, and twenty colours to choose from.
- Cleans with a cloth, with no corners for mould to grow in.
- Resistance to water and daily use, with the reinforced varnish in the bathroom kit.
- A renovation with no building work, over the existing shower, and doable yourself with ready-to-use microcement.
What needs to be respected for it to hold up:
- Treat any existing damp and check the slope towards the drain.
- Apply the full reinforced varnish, with all three coats, and renew it at the latest every 2 years.
- Clean regularly, without abrasive products.
If you still have any questions, below you’ll find the most frequently asked questions about the microcement shower.
