Polished concrete in Marrakech

Polished concrete is a fine mortar made from cement and resins, applied with a trowel in thin coats. Once dry it is sanded and then protected with a sealer or wax, which improves its resistance to stains and water. It gives a continuous, jointless surface with a mineral look and a slightly clouded tone: the cloud effect varies from wall to wall depending on the plasterer’s hand.

Its strength lies in its thinness and its versatility. It can be laid over old tiles that have been properly prepared, over a screed, a plastered wall or a board worktop. In Marrakech it appeals to villa and apartment owners who want a contemporary floor without the cutting and joints of large-format tiles, or a kitchen worktop in a single piece.

If you are planning a villa renovation in Marrakech, polished concrete should be thought through from the plans onwards: continuity of floors between rooms, thresholds, floor drains, upstands and door finishes.

Polished concrete almost always cracks, lifts or stains because of the substrate, rarely because of the product. Preparation therefore takes up a large share of the job, and it is what we go through in detail from the first visit.

A damp substrate is a case apart: the cause must be treated before any finish. Our guide to damp in riads sets out the mechanisms, which are just as useful for a villa or an apartment.

Polished concrete is not always the right answer. Here is how we compare the options with clients, room by room, according to how each space is used.

If you are undecided, tiling and zellige in Marrakech are a solid alternative for busy floors and terraces. A project can also mix them: tiles on the entrance floor, polished concrete on the living-room walls, tadelakt in the shower. We think room by room.

Polished concrete goes on near the end of a project, once the electrics, plumbing, partitions and painting in Marrakech are complete, and before the furniture is installed. A single site manager plans that sequence, protects the surfaces and sends you photos every week on WhatsApp. You approve colours on a sample and receive a fixed, itemised quote within 48 hours of the visit.

What the polished concrete quote covers

• Included in the quote: substrate preparation, primer, coats of polished concrete, final protection, site protection, end-of-works cleaning.
• To allow for depending on the project: removal of the old covering, substantial levelling, shower waterproofing, plumbing, joinery for worktops.
• Any work requested during the project is agreed in writing before it is carried out.

The statutory guarantees that apply to the works and the manufacturers’ guarantees are set out in your quote and handed over at completion, together with the technical data sheets. To round off the project, see the page on decoration and finishes, the cost breakdown for a villa renovation or request your quote.