Touching Up Microcement
We’re talking small touch ups here, not large trowel-fulls. Microcement is notoriously difficult to patch, and almost impossible to do seamlessly. Touch ups are intentended to take your eye off an imperfection, but don’t expect a seamless repair, as that is very difficult to acheive.
Follow the directions complete small repairs to microcement surfaces.
Touching Up Microcement Surfaces
Microcement is very strong and resilient, and gets stronger all the time, so chips and cracks are rarely an issue. But if you do need to touch it up for any reason, then this guide will tell you all you need to know.
Prepare the Area
Remove any loose material and make sure the area that you are going to touch up is clean, dry and free from dust and debris. You can tidy up rough edges by gently sanding them (try a 120 or 220 grit).
Which Microcement to Use?
It’s best to use the same microcement & colour that you used initially. If you have any left over from the original install, that would be ideal, because of the natural minerals in microcement, the colour may vary slightly between batches.
If you don’t have any of the microcement left over, or you’re not sure what you had originally, then get in touch & we can help to figure out the best way forward.
Applying the Microcement
Less is more when it comes to touching up microcement.
It will be very difficult to completely hide the imperfection and the colour match is unlikely to be exact because of the natural minerals in the products. So rather than making the chip or crack dissappear, you are aiming to make it stand out less.
With this in mind, dab or scrape small amounts of product into the crack or chip using a sponge or paint brush. Remove as much of the excess as you can with a scraper or sponge before leaving it to dry. Try to gently feather the new product into the previous section to minimise the join.
The microcement may occasionally sink into cracks as it dries. If this happens, you can apply more coats until you are happy with the appearance.
Leave the microcement to dry before gently sandling the surface to blend it in more with the surrounding microcement.
Re-Seal
To ensure longevity & cohesion with the original install, you will need to re-apply the sealers. Again, its best to use the same sealers that you did on the original install.
Use a small medium pile roller to apply the sealer evenly over any exposed microne. Dont put any pressure on the roller and try to feather it out around the edges to avoid leaving roller marks in the surface.
Leave to Dry
Leave for at least 48 hours. Light use only for the first 14 days.
IMPORTANT: Like all cementitious products, microcement takes 28 days to full harden. It’s at it’s softest for the first 14 days after laying. During this time it should only be subjected to light use and light foot traffic.
Any heavy work is not recommended, but if it does take place then we recommend that you cover the floor with a breathable material or only cover down whilst working & lift the protection off for the majority of the time. The surface needs to dry out and harden. If airflow is restricted, it will stain & not cure correctly.