Polished Liquid Metal Kit

Surface Prep

Before you prime and mesh it’s essential that your surface is completely flat, dry and well-consolidated, so that there is no chance of movement.  Use a small amount of Joint Filler or a filler that is suitable for the substrate, to flush out joins and counter-sunk screwholes. Then sand until the surface is completely flat.  See surface prep for full details of preparing surfaces for microcement.

Applying Primer 100 & Fibreglass Mesh

Fibreglass mesh adds strength to your microcement and adds strength to the substrate. Cut the mesh to size & then flip it over so that it curls towards the surface. You might find it easier to use Self Adhesive Fibreglass Mesh on corners.

Use a medium pile roller to apply an even coat of primer to the surface and mesh.

The primer should help to hold the mesh in place, but thats not it’s primary purpose, it’s more important to get full, even coverage over the area. If the mesh isn’t sticking, then use stainless steel staples to hold it in place instead.

Primer 100 is a thick, high-quality product.  To get the full consumption out of the bottle, you may need a little water.  Add up to 10% water & shake to get all of the primer out of the container.

Highly Absorbent Surfaces, Like Fresh Plaster & Concrete

On highly absorbent surfaces, like freshly laid concrete or fresh plaster, use Primer 100 mixed with water at a ratio of 50:50 before applying a neat coat. Similar to a mist coat of paint, this will prevent the primer from sitting on the surface and create a strong bond between surface and microcement. The primer needs to sink into the substrate to take hold, which is where the water comes in.

After around 1 hour it should be dry enough to take a neat coat of Primer 100. If the substrate is very absorbent, you might need extra primer to complete this stage.

Leave to Dry

Leave the primer to dry. This should take around 1 hour. Primer 100 will lose it’s tack after 12 hours, so you will need to make sure you apply the 1st base coat within 12 hours or apply another coat of Primer 100 when you are ready to start the base coats.

When to Choose High Performance Primer

We highly recommend that you choose this option if you are working on load-bearing horizontal surfaces that have joins e.g. OSB/Ply/MDF/Cement Board flooring, or across transitions between shower trays and surrounding floors. It also helps to strengthen concrete surfaces that have cracked, however the cracks should be repaired in advance. It’s also useful for bridging joins between boards in furniture and worktops.

This primer also helps to inhibit moisture and stains from transferring through from your substrate.

If you think you need High Performance Primer but haven’t got it in your kit, the products are also available to buy separately.

Mixing 1st Coat of MicroDur Base without Colour

You will need 10kg of MicroDur Base to complete 1 coat over 10m2. Split your MicroDur Base into equal batches of 10kg. Mix no more than 20kg at a time.

For each batch, measure 2.5l – 3.0l Water using a measuring jug.  Pour the water into your mixing bucket, followed by 10kg MicroDur Base.

Mix thoroughly with a microcement mixer head attachment on a cordless drill. Let the mixture rest for a few minutes before applying.

In order to set a neutral foundation, it’s best to apply the 1^st base coat without any colour toner.  If you ordered a kit, you will be supplied enough colour toner for the 2^nd base coat only.

Let the mixture rest for a few minutes before applying.

Mixing Smaller Batches

You will need 1kg MicroDur Base per m2 per coat & 500g Top Coat per m2 per coat. So for 2 x base coats & 2 x top coats, you’ll need 2kg Base Coat & 1kg Top Coat.

The best way to split the colour for MicroDur Base, Medium or Fine is to measure out the full amount of water for 10kg microcement & then add the colour for 10kg Microcement to it. Make sure you get all the colour out of the bottle and stir it in well.

Then you can take the amount of water that you need for each kg & be confident that the colour will be consistent across all the batches.

Applying 1st Coat MicroDur Base

Using a Microcement Trowel, work your way out from one corner creating a random edge pattern. Keep trowel movements small and random, avoid long sweeping arches – as these will show through to your final finish.

Use the grain in the microcement as your level – if you apply the microcement thicker than the size of the grain, the finish won’t be as strong and will require a lot more sanding. Run the trowel back over each section that you have put down to smooth it out and remove excess product.

Completely cover each surface without stopping. For complete rooms, start with ceilings, then walls from left to right (or right to left) and then the floor.

Run your finger or a corner trowel along internal corners to push the microcement into the corner and then gently trowel away the excess product.

Large Floor Areas

For large floor areas, you may find it quicker to use a Squeegee Trowel to apply your 1st base coat.

If you choose to do this, use 3l water per 10kg MicroDur Base.

Pour the Microcement along the width of the room and use the Squeegee to flatten it out over the floor so that it is no thicker than the grain in all areas.

Complete around a metre before wiping the excess off the trowel and going back over the area to remove any raised lines & remove any excess product, before moving onto the next section.

Sanding the 1^st Base Coat

If your trowel technique is correct, the surface should be flat & even after the 1^st base coat, so you shouldn’t need to sand it.

However, if there are ridges in the surface, or the coverage across the area isn’t even, then we do recommend that you sand the 1^st base coat before moving on.

Wait until the surface is dry, this should take around 3 hours, but will depend on the conditions.

Use a 40-grit sanding disc to sand evenly across the area, removing any ridges, high spots & imperfections.

Ensure the surface is free from dust before applying the 2^nd base coat directly onto the surface (no additional primer is needed).

Mixing 2nd Coat MicroDur Base

You will need 10kg Microdur Base per 10m2.

For each batch, measure 2.5l – 3.0l Water using a measuring jug. Pour the water into your mixing bucket, and mix in the Colour for 10kg MicroDur Base. Use the water to rinse out all of the colour from the bottle – to avoid colour variation between batches. Add 10kg MicroDur Base and mix thoroughly.

Let the mixture rest for a few minutes before applying.

Applying 2nd Coat MicroDur Base

Apply the 2nd Coat of MicroDur Base in exactly the same way as the 1st coat.

Using a Microcement Trowel, work your way out from one corner creating a random edge pattern. Keep trowel movements small and random, avoid long sweeping arches – as these will show through to your final finish.

Use the grain in the microcement as your level – if you apply the microcement thicker than the size of the grain, the finish won’t be as strong and will require a lot more sanding. Run the trowel back over each section that you have put down to smooth it out and remove excess product.

Completely cover each surface without stopping. For complete rooms, start with ceilings, then walls from left to right (or right to left) and then the floor.

Run your finger or a corner trowel along internal corners to push the microcement into the corner and then gently trowel away the excess product.

Leave to Dry

This should take around 3 hours if you are applying another coat of MicroDur on top. If your next coat is Microne, leave for 24 hours until completely dry.

Drying times may vary depending on temperature and humidity.

Sand with 40/80 Grit Sand Paper

Once the base coats are dry and before you apply your Top Coats, you need to make sure the Base Coats are completely flat.  Use a strong sand paper, like Silicone Carbide, to prevent colour from the sand paper transfering to your work.

Flatten the MicroDur Base with a 40 or 80 grit sand paper. An orbital sander is ideal, but, for smaller areas, you can do it by hand.  And for larger areas you may prefer to use a floor sander.

Use the sand paper to remove ridges and drips that have dried in the microcement.

The top coats are very thin so any ridges or imperfections in the base coats will be visible in the top coats.  Take your time to get it completely flat before moving on to the next step.

Vacuum the surface to remove all dust and debris. Do not wet the microcement.

Microcement Sanding Discs are available from Relentless Microcement.

Mixing the MicroMetal

You will need 5kg of MicroMetal to complete 1 coat over 10m2.

Add the MicroMetal to a mixing bucket and add a small amount of Metal Resin, mix thoroughly, then continue to add small amounts of Metal Resin until it reaches a workable consistency.  The amount of Metal Resin required does vary depending on the metal.

These are the approximate mix ratios for each metal:

5kg Iron Powder : 1.25l Metal Resin

5kg Copper Powder : 400ml Metal Resin

5kg Bronze Powder : 400ml Metal Resin

Let the mixture rest for a few minutes before applying. Keep a lid on it between coats. Working time is 1 – 3 hours.

Applying the MicroMetal

Using a Microcement Trowel, work your way out from one corner creating a random edge pattern. Keep trowel movements small and random, avoid long sweeping arches – as these will show through to your final finish.

Use the grain in the liquid metal as your level – if you apply it thicker than the size of the grain, the finish won’t be as strong and will require a lot more sanding. Run the trowel back over each section that you have put down to smooth it out and remove excess product.

Run your finger or a corner trowel along internal corners to push the microcement into the corner and then gently trowel away the excess product.

Polishing the Metal

Work over the whole area with a 400 grit sanding disc on an orbital sander, sand all areas evenly so that you achieve a uniform depth across the area.

The 400 grit will expose the metal, where as subsequent grits will polish the exposed metals. Before moving to the next grit ensure you are happy with the level of cut in your work.

Continue to work up the grits, increasing the speed as you go. The following table shows the relative speed for each of the grits.

400 low speed
500/800/1000 medium speed
3000 high speed