We moved to our house in Skövde about 1.5 years ago now. We have repainted almost every room and now it's really starting to feel like home. But we still had one room left that we didn't like at all. The bathroom!
The whole house now goes in the color scale gray and beige with elements of different natural materials. Except from the toilet where there still was a tile floor with a Moroccan (-isch) pattern in the colors red, gray and black. I got really stressed and annoyed every time I spent time in there.
This is what the bathroom looked like before:
We've been thinking for a long time about laying some form of concrete floor (or concrete-like tiles) on that toilet. But for me, it felt like a very big project to renovate a bathroom. There's so much to think about with waterproofing, underfloor heating ect. So we ended up doing nothing at all instead. But then (one year later) we found something called VITRUVIUS microcement at www.designbycement.com. Instead of tearing out the whole floor, you put this on top. And it only builds 2 mm!
All said and done, we ordered a sample kit (it's for free), chose the color we wanted, calculated how much was needed and then just ordered it all home and got started. It took about 4 days for us happy amateurs (and a 2 year old) to finish the floor. And we were sooo happy with the result! When the floor was ready, we also took the opportunity to treat ourselves with a new industrial shower wall that we fell in love with.
This is how it turned out afterwards:
Didn't it turn out nice? Now it feels calm and nice and finally the bathroom fits the rest of the house. It feels extra fun that we could actually do this ourselves without the help of "real" craftsmen. So now I felt that I just have to tip about this if there are more of you out there who share the same thoughts.
The company is called DESIGN BY CEMENT and the product we used is called VITRUVIUS microcement. This product can also be applied to walls, countertops, etc. and is also available in two other shades of gray. If you are curious and want to know more, I recommend having a look at their website: www.designbycement.com
Right now you also get a 10% discount on all their products until August 1, 2021 if you use the discount code: SW10. You are very welcome! ;)
Here are some pictures and step by step from our renovation:
This is what the floor looked like before.
We started by removing the toilet. Filled all joints with wet room putty and finished by sanding a little lightly to remove the checkerboard pattern and get the base smooth and fine.
Bye bye tiles!
Then we applied a primer all over the floor.The surface now feels almost like sandpaper.Let dry thoroughly.
Then it was time to apply the microcement mixture. We used a wide putty shovel and smaller putty shovels for small angles around the well and corners. We mixed and put out 1 kg at a time as the cement mixture dries quite quickly and becomes difficult to work with once it starts to solidify. It's good to be two who help each other.
I got a nice sweater too! Under the cabinets, I tried to lay out along the edges first. I don't know if a "real" craftsman does like that but it felt easier and turned out well!
Here, the entire floor is covered and are about to dry properly. Since the floor already had the right waterproofing layer and angles since before, we didn't have to think about that when the material only builds 2 mm (the grid pattern seen here disappears when the microcement has hardened properly).
When it has dried properly, polish the surface with a sander. Then you apply several layers of sealer that makes the floor breathable but water-repellent. Then apply a little silicone along the edges. And voila! Done!
What we noticed was that in the places where I "dotted" and didn't make large and soft movements with the wide putty shovel (as you should), the pattern became "livelier and denser" in the concrete. This is not visible until the surface is polished up with a sander. So for those who are good and used to this technique, you can get really smooth pattern if you want it. We got a little more life and movement in our floor. But I think it turned out great too! Regardless, you can influence how "lively" pattern you'd like depending on whether you make large or small movements with the putty spade when the microcement is laid out.
This is what it looked like before:
And this is how it turned out afterwards:
I'm so happy with this bathroom renovation! And it wasn't particularly difficult either! If you have the same thoughts and think this sounds like an exciting alternative, I really recommend going to www.designbycement.se and have a look! (and don't forget the discount code if you're ordering!)
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