Microcement table: make your own or renew the one you have

A microcement table is an ordinary table — wood, chipboard or MDF — coated with thin layers of microcement that turn it into a seamless piece with a mineral texture, sealed with a varnish that stands up to daily use. You can buy one ready-made or make it yourself. This guide is about the second option: with a ready-to-use kit, in your colour and to your exact size.

And if the material is new to you, microcement: what it is and how it works gives you the basics in 5 minutes.

Let's be clear from the start: if what you want is a new, cheap, standard table, furniture shops sell them from around $174, going up with size and design to well over $580. Our ground is different: renewing the table you already have — small kit, minimal cost and a new-table result without throwing anything away — and made-to-measure pieces, in your shape, your size and your colour, which nobody sells ready-made.

Here you have the real step-by-step with the system of our kits, the verified prices of each project, the most popular table types and the maintenance without small print.

How good are microcement tables? Honest opinions

Very good, if you know what you're buying. A microcement table is not a block of solid stone: it's an artisanal coating a few millimetres thick over the table you choose. And that's why it has three specific advantages:

• Versatile, modern look: a seamless finish that fits any style — minimalist, Nordic, japandi, industrial — with 20 colours and a matte or satin finish.
• Easy repair: if it gets damaged over the years, you repair the affected area without replacing the whole surface. That extends the table's life and lowers its upkeep.
• Timelessness: it's not a seasonal print; it's a mineral finish that ages well.

And the honest part, two things. It's a layered process with drying times: the table isn't ready in an afternoon — allow about 7 days for full resistance. And the varnish does the work, so care for it with neutral cleaners. The normal use of a table doesn't compromise the finish.

How to make your microcement table step by step

The system is the same whether you're creating a table from a new board or renewing the one you have, and it comes complete in the kit: primer, pigmented microcement, varnish and sanding discs. No mesh and no mixing: the trowel and rollers come separately, in the tool kit.

1. Clean the table and apply the primer

Make sure the surface is clean, free of grease and dust, and in good condition. Then apply the primer, which is what guarantees the microcement bonds: Smart Primer ABS for absorbent surfaces — wood, chipboard, MDF — or Smart Primer Plus if your table is made of a non-absorbent material. Let it dry for 30 minutes.

2. Apply 3 thin coats of ready-to-use microcement

Open, stir and apply. Spread a first thin coat, under 0.5 mm, of Smart Liso, the finishing microcement already pigmented in your colour, smoothing with the trowel at a 45º angle. Let it dry 6 hours and sand with 220 grit. Repeat until you complete 3 coats. No electric sander: it could burn the microcement. When you finish, let it rest 24 hours before varnishing.

3. Protect your table with the sealing varnish

The varnish is what turns your table into a surface that withstands stains and rings. Apply 3 coats of Smart Varnish — water-based, matte or satin — leaving 4 hours between coats and sanding lightly with 400 grit after the first and second. If it's a dining table that will see oil, wine and coffee every day, add Smart Booster to the varnish to reinforce its resistance.

4. Respect the curing time, then enjoy it

It will feel dry to the touch quickly, but real resistance arrives after 7 days of full curing.

SEE KITS FOR TABLES · FROM $229

Microcement dining table

It's the most searched for. A microcement dining table is built for daily use: hot plates, long dinners, homework, comings and goings. Normal use doesn't compromise the finish; the only discipline is cleaning it with neutral products.

As for sizes, a table for 4 is usually around 120×80 cm and one for 6, around 180×90 cm. Counting the top, edges and legs, if you coat them, a dining table involves about 2-3 m² of coated surface, so the 4 m² kit is more than enough and leaves you material for a second piece.

Whether you start from an inherited wooden table or a brand-new MDF board, the system is the same as the step-by-step. And if you want it round, oval or three metres long in the exact colour of your wall, that's precisely the table no catalogue sells ready-made.

Types of microcement tables

From the dining room to the hallway, these are the tables most often made with our kits. They all share the same application system; only the shape and the metres change.

Round microcement table

The round one softens the room and pairs well with the seamless finish: no sharp edges or joints, the piece looks moulded in one go. In small dining rooms it frees up space.

Microcement coffee table

Between 1 and 2 m² of surface, done in a few days counting the drying times, and it changes the whole living room. With the 4 m² kit you cover the table and have material left for the next piece.

Microcement side table

Next to the sofa, as a bedside table or in the hallway: the side table is the right project to try the material before going for the dining one. Little surface, same finish.

Microcement and wood table

Mineral top and wooden structure or legs. Microcement brings the sobriety; wood, the warmth. It works just as well in a rustic kitchen as in a Scandinavian living room.

It works outdoors too: a microcement table shines on a covered terrace. If your plan goes beyond furniture — floor, wall or staircase — you have our complete guide to outdoor microcement.

Which tables you can coat and which you can't

Before you start, check your table. The kits are formulated for boards of wood, chipboard, MDF or similar: stable surfaces where the included primer guarantees adhesion. Lacquered or very smooth tables also work, thanks to that specific primer. No mesh: the acrylic mortar doesn't shrink, so the microcement goes straight onto the board.

Metal, plastic and glass are not on the data sheet's list of supported surfaces: if your table is made of another material, ask us before buying. And with extending or two-board tables, coat each board separately and leave the mechanism free.

Outdoor microcement table

If your table is going to live on the terrace or in the garden, microcement withstands the outdoors — sun, rain and frost — as long as it's well sealed with its varnish. Choose the finish with Smart Varnish sealer and check the state of the seal as each season arrives: it's what keeps the surface protected against water and stains. Nothing else changes: same kit, same colours, same application.

Renewing your old table with microcement

Let's do the maths. A new manufactured table starts at around $174 in its most basic version and climbs fast with size and design. For $229, the 4 m² kit renews the table you already have — in your colour, with a matte finish — and leaves you material for another piece. You don't throw away a piece of furniture that works, you don't wait for manufacturing lead times, and the result is a new table made by you.

And if your thing isn't renewing but a piece to your exact measurements — that odd corner in the office nook, the 160 cm round that doesn't appear in any catalogue — it's something no mass manufacturer sells.

Choose from the 20 colours, follow the step-by-step above and within a week the old table will be the first thing you show off when you get home.

How much does a microcement table cost? Real prices

With our shop's prices, taxes included:

• Microcement kit for tables, 4 m²: $229 ($57 per m² of material). It easily covers a coffee table, 1 to 2 m², or a dining table, 2 to 3 m², with margin to spare.
• Microcement kit for furniture, 8 m²: $393 ($49 per m²), designed for several pieces or big projects.

Project	Surface	Recommended kit	Price
Coffee or side table	1-2 m²	Tables kit 4 m²	$229
Dining table	2-3 m²	Tables kit 4 m²	$229
Several pieces or an XL table	up to 8 m²	Furniture kit 8 m²	$393

The price is the same for all 20 colours: choose yours without looking at the label.

Buying it ready-made costs from around $174 in manufactured-table shops and, depending on size, material and design, easily exceeds $580. The kit wins when you want to renew without throwing away, or when you're after a made-to-measure piece.

If you want the full picture of the material, you have it in our microcement price guide.

SEE KITS FOR TABLES · FROM $229

Inspiration: microcement tables made at home

Two ideas from our community:

If you've got more furniture to transform, in our roundup of DIY microcement furniture you'll find more ideas, from shelves to fireplaces.

And if the fireplace is next, here's how to cover a microcement fireplace step by step.

How to clean and maintain your microcement table

Maintaining a well-sealed microcement table is like maintaining a normal table, with one single rule. Neutral cleaners: water and pH-neutral soap for everyday cleaning; for stubborn dirt, Smart Cleaner. Avoid ammonia, bleach and aggressive products: a soft cloth or sponge.

Avoid hard knocks, as with any piece of furniture. And if one day it happens, the material's advantage is that you repair the area without replacing the table. Over the years, if the varnish shows wear, you renew it with a fresh coat.

SEE THE CLEANER

Frequently asked questions about microcement tables

What is a microcement table?

A table coated with thin layers of microcement — a seamless, continuous mineral coating — and sealed with a protective varnish. It can be a new made-to-measure piece built on a board, or a lifelong table renewed with a kit.

How good are microcement tables?

Resistant to daily use, easy to clean and with a finish that never goes out of style. Their strong point is personalisation: 20 colours and whatever shape you want. Their real demand: respecting the drying times during application and always cleaning with neutral products.

How much does a m² of microcement cost?

In table-kit format, the complete material comes to $57 per m² — 4 m² kit, $229 —; the 8 m² kit costs $393, the same price in all 20 colours. As a reference, in the US, a professional applicator charges around $315–420 per m² (roughly $29–39 per sq ft), labour included. For a table, the 4 m² kit covers the whole project.

How do you clean microcement tables?

With water and pH-neutral soap, or a specific cleaner like Smart Cleaner. No aggressive products like bleach or ammonia: the varnish does the rest.

Can I renew my old table with microcement?

Yes, it's the most common project. Wood, chipboard or MDF are coated after applying their primer, and non-absorbent surfaces with their specific one. With the 4 m² kit, $229, you renew a complete dining table and still have material left over.

SEE KITS FOR TABLES · FROM $229

Reviewed by the Smartcret technical team.