Commercial – Silk Plaster

“I Wouldn’t Change Anything Else” - A Master Applicator’s Honest Take on Microcement

Silk Plaster Team — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:29:09 +0000

Key Takeaways

No black marks - even with slightly dry material or late passes, Silk Plaster’s white-base microcement avoids the costly rework caused by trowel marks on finish coats.
Pre-mixed beats dry mix - factory-finished product delivers batch-to-batch consistency that on-site mixing can’t match, saving time and reducing errors.
Price-to-quality leader - professional-grade performance at a price point that wins tenders and protects margins.

“I like it so much. It’s very soft, very easy to apply. One of the best - to be honest.” - Gediminas, Master Applicator, Norway

Who Is Gediminas?

Gediminas is a master decorative finishes applicator based in Norway, with years of hands-on experience across microcement systems, Venetian plaster, and specialist wall coatings. He’s not affiliated with Silk Plaster. His Instagram Profile is here. He doesn’t get paid to say nice things. He’s tried the competition - and he’s direct about what he thinks. That’s exactly why we sat down with him. In this conversation, recorded as part of our Professionals Speak series, Gediminas talks through the technical side of working with Silk Plaster microcement: open time, black mark resistance, the pre-mixed vs dry-mix debate, varnish performance, and what it actually costs when things go wrong on a high-end floor.

The Honest Starting Point

We didn’t ask Gediminas to come in with praise prepared. And he didn’t. “I have tried many of them,” he says early in the conversation, referring to microcement systems from multiple manufacturers. “The first one of yours - I have to say, I didn’t like it.” He came back anyway. Because when Silk Plaster reformulated - moving from the original yellow-base system to the current white-base formula - Gediminas noticed the difference immediately. “When you changed to the new one, the white one - I actually wouldn’t change anything else. I like it so much.” That kind of turnaround doesn’t come from marketing. It comes from a formulation that performs differently under professional conditions: trowel pressure, open time, edge behaviour, and the critical moment when material meets tool on a corner.

The Black Mark Problem (And Why It Matters More Than You Think)

If you’ve worked with microcement, you know the fear. You’re on the final coat - the finish layer - and the edge of your trowel catches wrong. A black mark. A shadow in the surface. On most systems, that’s a wall. Not a corner. A wall. Corner to corner, you redo it - because microcement doesn’t spot-repair invisibly. The structure, the texture, the sheen will never match. If the project is a white villa floor, the stakes are even higher. Gediminas was explicit about this: “With your finished microcement, you don’t get black marks - even if you work with slightly drier material, even if you come back a little late. It’s not leaving black marks. Competitors - yes, there are good materials on the market - but compare the prices. You are at the top.” The technical reason: the white-base formula in Silk Plaster’s current microcement system has a longer effective working window and a more forgiving surface tension during burnishing. The material stays workable at the edges without oxidising against steel tools - the primary cause of black marks in competitive systems. For applicators pricing projects, this isn’t a minor technical footnote. Black marks on a finish coat mean:

Sanding back to base (you can’t spot-fix without visible joins)
Reapplication of all finish coats, corner to corner
Delay, additional labour cost, and a difficult client conversation

Avoiding them entirely isn’t just a quality preference - it’s a direct cost saving per project.

Pre-Mixed vs Dry Mix - The Professional’s Verdict

The industry is split. Some manufacturers supply microcement as a dry powder that applicators mix on site. Others, like Silk Plaster, supply a factory-finished ready-to-use product. Gediminas has worked with both. His conclusion is unambiguous: “A finished product is always better. When you mix yourself, sometimes you add too little water, sometimes too much. It depends on how you mix. You can get dry pieces in the mix - and that disturbs the work. It’s always harder when you mix yourself, even with more water. If it’s already done in factory machinery, it’s always better.” The implication for professionals is practical: pre-mixed means consistency batch to batch, project to project. On a large floor or a multi-room commercial job, that consistency is the difference between a seamless result and a visible join where the second bucket mixed slightly different from the first. “It’s easier and it avoids mistakes. Time is money - especially in our business.”

The Varnish Question

Two-component varnish over microcement is where many projects get nervous. The chemistry is less forgiving than the base coats, the window for error is shorter, and on high-traffic floors, the stakes are visible for years. Gediminas was characteristically direct: “I tried it. I had things to complain about. But you guys do very good work in fixing problems. And now it’s really good.” The 2K varnish in the current Silk Plaster system has been refined through exactly this kind of professional feedback loop - real applicators, real projects, real problems escalated and resolved. The result is an extended open time that allows proper cross-hatching on large floor areas without cold joins in the varnish film. His largest varnish project: a complete villa floor in white microcement. A reconstruction job, fixing the work of a previous applicator. “White microcement is not easy. And fixing someone else’s work is always harder than starting from scratch. But we made a good deal. I think I did quite good work.”

Price to Quality - The Professional’s Bottom Line

We pushed Gediminas for a direct comparison. “Can I say our microcement is top-notch - like a Mercedes?” His answer was measured and honest: “I haven’t tried all of them. Same as with cars, you can’t try all of them. It’s about taste. But - one of the best. Yes.” And on price: “Compare the prices. You are at the top.” In a product category where the cheapest systems can create expensive rework situations, and where the premium systems can price a contractor out of a job, Silk Plaster sits in the position that professionals actually look for: a price that wins the tender, and a quality that protects the margin.

“This is not a prepaid campaign. I didn’t get gifts. Price and quality - it’s good.” - Gediminas, Norway

Completed Microcement Project - Gediminas, Norway

Below are photos from Gediminas’s completed microcement bathroom project in Norway - from bare walls during construction to the finished space with seamless microcement on walls, floors, and shower areas.

The Finished Microcement project with wet areas and bathroom

SILK PLASTER Microcement during Construction

Finished Details of seamless Microcement from Silk Plaster

About This Series

Professionals Speak is an ongoing series of unscripted conversations with decorative finishes applicators across Europe. We don’t edit for praise. We don’t script the answers. These are working professionals talking about working products - on real projects, with real consequences when things go wrong. → Watch the full interview with Gediminas on YouTube → Browse Silk Plaster Microcement Systems → Become a Professional Partner

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Microcement Complete Kit

The pros and cons of liquid wallpaper

Silk Plaster Team — Fri, 24 May 2024 14:44:56 +0000

While liquid wallpaper holds strong against other options in the market and would most likely take the lead on any mainstream solution, such as paint or traditional wallpaper, it is not perfect. No option is. In this article we’ll tell you what are the benefits and drawbacks for choosing liquid wallpaper, should you consider introducing it in your home or place of business.

PRO’s of using liquid wallpaper

To start this off on a positive note, let’s look at the benefits of using liquid wallpaper covers over other market solutions.

Silk Plaster wallcovering comes with a series of benefits no other options offer. First and foremost, it’s made from eco-friendly materials, which will work well for sustainability-oriented people as well as those with outstanding allergies that you want to avoid when at home.

These products come with a unique soft-to-the-touch texture that will make the space feel homey and warm. And because of its unique texture, liquid wallpaper also works well in masking any impurities on the underlying walls. The texture, perfected by the Silk Plaster team, also provides acoustic insulation, giving you an acoustic wallcovering solution as an added bonus! Even better - it doubles as thermal insulation, meaning that both your ears and your bodies will be a little more comfortable in a liquid wallpaper covered room.

Another benefit? Liquid wallpapers are odourless! As you might know from personal experience or otherwise, one of the drawbacks for traditional wallpapers is their ability to absorb and store all in-house odours. Silk Plaster wall covers provide a wonderful, pleasant to the touch texture found in wallpaper as well as rejects any humidity and odours.

From a more practical point of view, liquid wallpaper is easy to put up and also has the wonderful option of fragmentary repair. So if and when something goes wrong and you end up with a smudge or a marker drawing on your wall, you can easily remove the damaged area and replace it, without any noticeable difference.

What’s more, because of its texture and form of application, liquid wallpaper is a wonderful option for the ceiling as well as the wall and will never show any seams or be subject to bursts, like the other options might.

Let’s not forget that Silk plaster products also come with the added benefit of fire-resistance, making it one of the safer options out there and a wise investment into your home and well-being.

Finally - the look. Silk Plaster liquid wall covers come in a myriad of colours and textures, providing you an extensive selection that will surely encompass what you’re looking for or inspire you for something new. From bright to calming tones, plain colours to intriguing mixes, there’s something for everyone!

CON’s of using liquid wallpaper

As mentioned before, no solution is perfect. And even though after the first part it may seem that this solution has it all, liquid wallpaper may not be suited for everyone.

All liquid wallpaper products come in packs, in dry form. After mixing with water and any preferred additives, you put it up one the wall. If by chance, you happen to make too much and there’s ready-to-go product left over, you won’t be able to save any of it. To avoid this, each packet has instructions and you can always consult our team, if in doubt, but if you’re already three steps ahead, sadly there’s no way to salvage the ready-made material.

However, it should be noted that the product in dry form and in a closed packet has a long shelf-life and can indeed be set aside for further use, like a need for fragmentary repair.

You’ll also find that liquid wallpaper won’t work in situations where there’s running water near it. For instance, a fountain. In its essence, it does still work as a wallpaper, and exposure to water will ruin it.

Finally, the cost. Although liquid wallpaper comes with a lot of benefits and has a good quality/price ratio, it may not be the best for those looking for a cheap home-improvement option. However, if you’re looking for a high value product that will last you years, this might just be your best choice!

There it is - the pros and cons of choosing liquid wallpaper over other options. We hope you found this helpful and be sure to contact our team, if you have any questions!

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If those trade-offs suit your project, the 13 collections are listed with their coverage per pack and shade counts on the liquid wallpaper page.