Most clients who come to us for a bathroom retrofit have already taken three tile quotes. They've heard the timeline (three to five weeks), the demolition story (everything out — toilet, shower, vanity, all the floor), and the disruption forecast (one bathroom unusable for over a month). That's where the comparison starts.
The timeline
A microcement retrofit over existing tile runs four to six working days on site, plus a 24-hour cure before you can use the shower. We don't lift the old tile; we bond, mesh and build over it. The bathroom is back in service in a working week.
The height question
Microcement adds 2–3 mm of thickness. In most retrofits this clears under doors without re-hanging, and inside shower trays it integrates with the existing fall. We measure first and tell you honestly if your door bottoms will need a five-minute trim.
The joint detail
Grout lines disappear. So do the silicone joints at the floor-to-wall transition, the shower threshold and the bath surround. The visual quiet is the main draw — but the maintenance gain is real too. Nothing to scrub, nothing to re-silicone every two years.
The cost
For a 12 m² bathroom, expect AED 11,000–16,000 all-in (microcement floor, walls in the shower zone, sealer, 5-year warranty). Comparable tile quotes — including removal, screed correction, supply of mid-range porcelain, and labour — typically land AED 14,000–22,000. The numbers are tight; the timeline difference is where microcement wins.
When tile still makes sense
Three cases: very large floors where the seamless look isn't a priority (a 60 m² basement plant room), period homes where the existing mosaic is itself the design feature, and projects where a strong colour or pattern is essential — microcement is monochrome by nature.
For everything else, the math now favours the seamless option. The five-year warranty doesn't hurt either.