Fine finishes: microcement, polished plaster and stucco

This is what ArquiVal does best and what the bay asks for most. It is also what ages worst when applied badly: the difference between a wall that still looks flawless after five years and one that cracks in the first rainy season is the hand that polished it.

Own crewFree physical sampleEight documented projects

ArquiVal applies microcement, polished plaster and polished stucco with its own trained crew, never subcontracted. Every project starts with a physical sample approved by the client and is documented coat by coat. The system is chosen by substrate, traffic and moisture exposure, not by the supplier’s catalogue.

Fine finishes: microcement, polished plaster and stucco

What is the difference between microcement, polished plaster and stucco?

All three are seamless continuous coatings, and that is where the similarity ends. Thickness, admissible substrate, traffic resistance and cost all differ. Choosing wrong is the number one cause of the failures we get called in to repair on other people’s houses.

System	Thickness	Where it goes	Foot traffic	Relative cost
Polished plaster	Under 1 mm	Interior walls, sheltered exteriors	No	Low
Polished stucco	1 to 2 mm	Walls, bathrooms, humid areas	No	Medium
Microcement	2 to 3 mm	Floors, bathrooms, stairs, high-use walls	Yes, with sealer	High

Can microcement go over an existing floor?

In most cases yes, provided the slab is level, free of rising damp and has no loose pieces. It is applied over existing tile or concrete after surface preparation, which avoids demolition and cuts construction time and cost by roughly 30 to 40 per cent compared with tearing the floor out.

Before quoting we check three things on site: whether moisture is rising by capillary action, whether the slab moves, and whether the existing tile joints are sound. If any of the three fails, we say so and propose a different route. Applying microcement over a damp floor is throwing money away: it will delaminate within a year.

How we run a finish

Physical sample
We prepare two or three samples on site, in the real light of the space. Colour on a screen and colour on a wall are never the same.
Substrate preparation
Cleaning, crack repair, priming and levelling. This is 60 per cent of the final result and the step most competitors skip.
Layered application
Base coat, finish coats and trowel polishing. Every coat is logged with a dated photo.
Sealing and curing
Sealer according to use: matte, satin or heavy traffic. Curing takes three to seven days depending on ambient humidity.
Follow-up inspection
A post-handover inspection is included. Tone adjustments and minor details get corrected then.

Colour and texture

We work custom colour, not just the manufacturer’s chart. Casa Rosada in Sayulita is the clearest example: polished plaster and microcement in a range of pinks and terracottas mixed on site until it matched the client’s reference. We also apply branded systems such as Corev when the project specifies them.

Veining is a decision, not an accident. You can ask for a near-uniform surface or a strong cloud-like movement. It gets defined and signed off on the physical sample; once applied there is no going back without starting over.

Frequently asked questions

How long does microcement take in a full bathroom?

Five to eight working days, plus sealer curing. The surface can be walked on two days after sealing, but full cure, which is when it reaches final resistance, takes about a week.

Does microcement crack?

Properly applied microcement does not crack. The cracks that do appear almost always come from the substrate: a moving slab, a construction joint that was ignored, or rising damp. That is why substrate preparation matters more than the finish itself.

What maintenance does it need?

Cleaning with neutral soap, and resealing every three to five years on high-traffic floors. On walls, essentially none. In a coastal setting it is worth checking the sealer after each rainy season.