Damaged, patched or discoloured concrete that cannot be polished gets a second life under a thin polymer overlay. Gatineau Concrete bonds the topping to your existing slab, trowels it smooth in millimetre-thin lifts, then finishes it with polish, stain or sealer. No tear-out, no months of construction. Free written estimate included.
Not every concrete slab can be ground and polished. Patches, discolouration, inconsistent surface texture, or old repairs make the slab itself unsuitable as a finished floor. Tearing it out and pouring new concrete is expensive and disruptive. A self-leveling underlayment works for minor unevenness, but when the cosmetic damage runs deep, a micro-topping is the answer.
The topping is a polymer-modified cement layer, just a few millimetres thick, trowelled onto a prepped and primed substrate. It bonds mechanically to the slab below, creating a new, smooth, sound surface. From there, you can apply any finish: polished concrete, acid or water stain, or a clear protective sealer.
The catch: the slab itself must be structurally intact. If it is heaving, cracking deeply, or failing at the base, the topping will not fix it. We walk the slab, assess the damage, and tell you whether it is a cosmetic fix or a structural problem that needs tear-out.
Recent work
Installation sequence
The Micro-Topping Process from Start to Finish
Slab inspection and finish planning
We examine the concrete for structural soundness, identify any cracks or repairs that need attention, and confirm what finish will sit on top of the topping (polish, stain, or sealer).
Mechanical prep and priming
The slab surface is ground or shot-blasted to open the pores and create mechanical bond. Any cracks are repaired, then the primer specified by the topping manufacturer is applied.
Trowel application in lifts
The polymer-modified topping is trowelled on in thin, controlled passes. Each lift is feathered tight to the substrate, building to the final thickness with no voids or thin spots.
Burnish, cure and finish application
Once the topping sets, the surface is burnished to the desired sheen, cured to schedule, then the final finish (polish, stain, or sealer) is applied and protected.
Finishing options
What Sits on Top of the Topping Layer
The micro-topping is engineered to accept any interior concrete finish. Most homeowners choose polished concrete for a hard, bright, low-maintenance surface that shows off the topping's smoothness.
Others prefer stained concrete for warm, layered colour, sealed for protection. Some want just a clear sealer for a satin, natural look. The topping bonds equally well to all three. If you are planning radiant heated floors, the underlayment goes down first, then the topping over it, then the finish on top, creating one integrated heated floor system.
Thickness, structural limits, finish options and surface uniformity explained.
A few millimetres total, applied in lifts. It is not a full overlay; it is a thin resurfacing that bonds to the substrate and gives the next finish a clean canvas.
When the slab has structural problems, heaving, deep cracks that move, base failure. The topping fixes a cosmetic-grade slab problem, not a structural one. We assess the slab and tell you straight which side of the line it is on.
Any of the interior finishes we install, polish, stain, or a clear sealer. The topping is engineered to take them all.
Done properly, no. The lifts blend together and the burnish produces a uniform surface. We pre-test on a sample area for tricky finishes to confirm the look before doing the whole floor.
Yes. Heated floor underlayment goes down first to encase the radiant heat tubing, then the micro-topping over it, then the finish above. The whole stack works as one heated floor system.
Homeowner reviews
What Gatineau Homeowners Say About Their Micro-Topping Floors
Old basement slab was patched and ugly. They micro-topped it then polished, and now it reads as a brand-new floor without the tear-out and mess of a replacement.
H. B.
Gatineau
★★★★★
Saved us a slab replacement on the main floor. Micro-topping plus stain plus seal gave us exactly the look we wanted, and the existing slab is hidden underneath.
M. L.
Ottawa
★★★★★
Knew the answer when they walked in, micro-topping was the move because of how patched our slab was. Done in less than a week and the new floor looks seamless.
P. O.
Nepean
★★★★★
Combined with heated floor underlayment underneath. The radiant heat warms the topping evenly and the finished floor is exactly the same look top to bottom.
U. E.
Barrhaven
From the blog
Concrete Guides & Articles
Practical reading on planning, finishes and caring for concrete in Gatineau.
Tell us about the room, the slab condition, and the finish you want. We assess the concrete, confirm it is a candidate for topping, and send a written estimate within one business day.
