Renovation of an old cube-shaped house: microcement in an entrance hall. Color: NCS 1000N [photos]

A lot of Poles recognize the typical cube-shaped house which gained popularity in 1960s and 1970s. They were characterized by a simplicity and lack of architectural detail. A cube-shaped house is compact two-pierry solid built on a square plan with a flat roof and plaster with “lamb” structure on the façade. There was a garage in a high basement, and two narrow loggies from the front. This type of houses are often in relatively good technical condition, but their appearance and functionality leave a lot to be desired. Fortunately, they can be adapted to contemporary standards using modern materials and changing a bit arranging.

Kasia and Piotrek, investors from Silesia, Southern Poland, rebuilt one of these cube houses. One of the main accents of a new interior after renovation is a white microcement which cover the floor in the lobby and a staircase. The entire entrance zone has an extremely modern look that owes the combination of white, black fronts of cabinets, mirrors and LED strips. The floor and stairs are the work of Bet-ON-Cement  Silesian Microcentment Lab.

As the contractor told us, it was one of the more demanding projects. What was the main challenge and how did the works take? Here we explain: Stairs works were divided into three stages. The first of them consisted of the addition of two stairs and adding a fragment of the floor. The second stage consisted in profiling of stairs, and this always means trouble in old homes and rarely you can predict anything. A few hours of measuring, sketching the target stairs, and finally we achieved compromises in the field of correct height, depth and stairs geometry. The third stage is the standard – a microcement application in the hallway and on the stairs. Investors chose a white Festfloor Go! microcement (NCS 1000n) and from the beginning pointed out that they want a smooth uniform surface.  “Ultimately, we met the requirement and we have made a floor on which it is difficult to see any “burns” typical for microcement. It was probably the most challenging task with which we had to deal with. We thought that his implementation is unrealistic, but we had managed it.” – says Ania Kinor from Bet-on-Cement. “Doubled time and work resulted in customer satisfaction, which is definitely most important to us. We present a few photos from this implementation. It is worth mentioning that the latest was made almost after the year of exploitation on the occasion of applying a microcement wax, a new product of Festfloor. We invite to cooperation customers from Silesia and the surrounding area. Before we sign the contract we will invite you to our home and we will present what microcement looks like and how it is in everyday use. “

The Bet-ON-Cement story began prosaically. Ania and Tomek Kinor, corporate employees, sought a company that will install a microcement floor in their home. They met with several contractors and got a few valuations, but somehow nobody convinced them. On the Internet they found Festfloor, they read about the products, contacted the office and decided to make a challenge: take part in a microcement training and make a floor on their own. It came out quite well, so next projects appeared soon. “Then there were projects among family and friends, until we finally found the first real investor.” – Ania Kinor recalls. “Since then, we’ve made dozens of stairs, many square meters of floors, walls, countertops, furniture, etc.” After years, they have a broad portfolio, including numerous microcement stairs installations in southern Poland. In addition, they run an open house in Silesia, to which customers interested in the execution of a microcement are invited. It’s a place where future client can see microcement in a real house, they can discuss its properties and customer expectations. “We are a family company, we do not use any marketing tricks – you do not have to fear this. We will not tell you that the microcement is the best solution in any case and for everyone, but we will show how it looks after a few years of use in a normal home – with children, animals and a lot of guests. You will be able to touch it and see on a larger surface than a 50x50cm sample.”