Tadelakt & Microcement
Seamless Waterproof Finishes

Tile looks permanent until you watch a Florida shower age. Grout absorbs water, stains, and grows mildew. Silicone joints shrink and peel. Every seam is a place for moisture to get behind the wall, and in a humid coastal climate that pressure never lets up. Tadelakt and microcement remove the joints entirely. Tadelakt is lime plaster compressed with a river stone and sealed with olive-oil soap, so the surface itself repels water. It is the technique that has lined Moroccan hammams for centuries. Microcement is a thin cementitious coating, troweled in layers over existing tile, drywall, or block, then sealed. The result is a continuous surface a few millimeters thick. Both turn a shower or spa into one unbroken plane of material instead of a grid of tiles waiting to leak. Neither forgives a careless installer. The waterproofing lives in the application, not in a membrane you can hide behind.

• Is Tadelakt or microcement actually waterproof in a shower?

  Yes, both are built for wet areas when installed correctly. Tadelakt repels water because the lime is compressed with a stone and sealed with olive-soap, the traditional finish for Moroccan steam baths. Microcement is a cementitious coating sealed with a wet-rated topcoat that sheds water across a continuous surface. In both cases the room still gets a proper waterproofing assembly underneath. The finish is the visible, joint-free layer, not a substitute for sound construction.

• What is the difference between Tadelakt and microcement?

  Tadelakt is a Moroccan lime plaster, hand-burnished with a river stone and saponified with soap. The surface is soft and slightly undulating, fully handmade, and it is the more labor-intensive of the two. Microcement is a modern cementitious coating only a few millimeters thick. It can go directly over existing tile, drywall, or block, which makes it the better choice for renovations where you would rather not demolish. Tadelakt reads as old-world; microcement reads as continuous and minimal.

• Can microcement go over my existing bathroom tile?

  In most cases, yes, and that is one of its biggest advantages. Microcement is thin enough to bond over sound, well-adhered tile, so you can resurface a shower or bathroom without ripping it out. The condition of what is underneath decides everything. Loose, hollow, or moving tile has to be addressed first, and the grout lines need to be bridged so they do not telegraph through. We assess the substrate before quoting and tell you honestly whether an overlay will hold.

• How do you clean and maintain a Tadelakt or microcement surface?

  Day to day, you clean with pH-neutral soap and water and skip harsh acids or abrasive pads, which can break down the sealer or the lime. Tadelakt benefits from an occasional re-treatment with the same olive-soap that makes it repel water, and microcement may want a fresh coat of sealer every few years depending on use. We hand you a written care briefing at the end of the job so you know exactly what to do and what to avoid.

• Why does this matter more in Florida?

  Humid coastal air keeps wet areas under constant moisture load, and that is where tile grout and silicone joints fail first. Tadelakt and microcement remove those joints and use breathable mineral chemistry that manages moisture rather than trapping it behind a wall. For Southwest Florida showers, spas, and pool houses, a joint-free mineral finish is one of the most durable surfaces you can specify, provided the installer understands both the material and the climate.