Microcement vs Lime Plaster | Finish Comparison — Microcement USA
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Lime plaster and limewash have been around for centuries. Microcement is newer. Both give you that hand-finished, mineral look people want right now. But they're not the same thing, and they don't perform the same way.
If you're trying to pick one for a wall, a bathroom, or a floor, here's the honest breakdown.
What Lime Plaster and Limewash Actually Are
Lime plaster is a wall finish made from slaked lime, sand, and water. It builds up in coats and gives you that soft, cloudy depth you see in old European homes and high-end interiors. Tadelakt is a polished, water-resistant cousin of it.
Limewash is thinner. It's basically lime mixed with water and pigment, brushed on like a wash. It soaks into the wall and leaves a chalky, matte, weathered look. People love it on walls and exteriors.
Both are breathable mineral finishes. Both look beautiful. Neither one is built for floors or wet, high-traffic areas the way microcement is.
What Microcement Is
Microcement is a cement-based coating that goes on about 2 to 3mm thick, hand-troweled in layers over your existing surface. Walls, floors, counters, showers — it bonds to most stable substrates without a tear-out.
The Microcement USA Forcrete system is waterproof as a full system, not just a topcoat. That's the big difference. Primer, base, finish, and sealer work together. You can put it in a shower or a wet room and it holds.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Microcement | Lime Plaster | Limewash |
|---|---|---|---|
| Look | Matte to satin, subtle movement | Soft, cloudy, depth | Chalky, weathered, matte |
| Best for | Floors, walls, showers, counters | Walls, ceilings | Walls, exteriors |
| Waterproof | Yes (full system) | Water-resistant if polished | No |
| Floors / traffic | Yes | No | No |
| Durability | Decades when installed right | Soft, can chip | Fades, needs recoating |
| Resealing | Periodic | Rare | Recoat every few years |
| Install | Trained installer | Skilled plasterer | DIY-friendly |
Where Lime Wins
For a soft, breathable wall in a dry room, lime is hard to beat on character. It's vapor-open, which matters in old masonry buildings that need to breathe. Limewash is cheap and forgiving, and a confident DIYer can roll it on a feature wall over a weekend.
If you want that aged, lived-in plaster look on a bedroom or living room wall and you don't need it to be waterproof, lime does the job and costs less.
Where Microcement Wins
Floors. Showers. Kitchen counters. Anywhere water, scrubbing, or foot traffic is involved, microcement is the one built for it. Lime plaster is too soft for a floor, and limewash will rub right off.
Microcement also gives you a continuous look across surfaces. You can run the same finish from the floor up the shower wall to the vanity, with no grout and no transition strips. Lime can't do that in a wet area.
One honest note: microcement isn't a DIY finish. The prep and the trowel work take training, and bad substrate prep is where cracks come from. That's true of polished lime too. If it matters, hire someone who knows the system.
Cost and Maintenance
Lime plaster and limewash usually run cheaper on materials, especially limewash. But a professional polished-lime wall isn't cheap either once you pay a skilled plasterer.
Microcement installed by a certified pro runs about $30 to $75+ per square foot depending on the job, the surface, and the finish. It's a premium finish and it's priced like one. The trade-off is that one floor or shower can outlast several limewash recoats. Microcement needs a reseal now and then; see our microcement maintenance guide for how often.
So Which One Should You Pick?
Dry wall, breathable building, tight budget, love the chalky look? Go lime. Want a hard-wearing, waterproof, continuous surface for a floor, shower, or counter? Microcement.
Plenty of projects use both — limewash on the bedroom walls, microcement in the bathroom. They're tools for different jobs.
Want the full rundown on the material first? Read what is microcement, and if you're weighing other options, see microcement vs polished concrete.
Find a certified installer near you and get a real quote for your space.
If you install for a living, you can add this finish to your services. Get certified with us.