Village Houses · Thick Walls · Old Floors · Damp Checks
In Polop the question is rarely what finish looks good, but whether the old house beneath can carry it. Thick walls, original floors and slow-drying stone make the survey the most important step.
Polop is a small inland village below the mountains, with narrow streets and houses that have been standing a long time. Rooms are modest, ceilings often beamed, and floors may be old ceramic, hydraulic tile or plain cement laid decades ago.
Homeowners here often want to brighten a dim kitchen or bathroom without losing the house's character. A hand-worked, softly varied finish can sit comfortably in an old room, and it is quicker and cleaner than breaking out floors with limited access.
The trade-off is that older buildings are less predictable. Without a damp-proof course, ground moisture travels up walls, and floors may sit directly on the earth. We look hard at these points, because a sealed coating over a damp base will fail.
The old floor
Original floor tiles may be beautiful in their own right, so we ask whether you really want to cover them. Where they are worn beyond saving, a coating can unify the floor, but it hides patterns that cannot be uncovered again, and that decision is yours.
We tap along the floor to find hollow areas, probe cracks and check the level. Floors laid straight onto the ground have no barrier against rising moisture, and a sealed coating can trap it, so we may recommend a damp-proof layer or a different finish in such rooms.
Doors are the next detail. Adding a few millimetres of coating can stop a door swinging or leave a step at a threshold. Because old frames are seldom standard, we measure and note where a door needs trimming in the quotation.
Stone and render
Thick stone or rubble walls in old houses move moisture through themselves slowly. A tightly sealed modern coating can interfere with that, pushing damp to another spot. So we test the wall, identify the plaster behind and choose the system with that behaviour in mind.
In kitchens and bathrooms, where the wall is already rendered in cement, microcement bonds well once cracks are repaired and loose areas are removed. For raw stone, we usually render first or advise leaving it exposed, since coating a rough wall rarely looks right.
Fine cracking in old walls is common and will not always disappear. Mesh and flexible detailing reduce the risk, and we describe where a hairline might return. Many owners accept this as part of the character of the house, as we do.
Villas around
Around the village, newer villas have bigger rooms, modern slabs and simple walls. There the job resembles any contemporary build: assess the slab, repair cracks, coat the floor and walls, and plan the joints so they follow the structure instead of fighting it.
These houses often have wide terraces facing the mountains. Interior finishes can run up to the glass, but open terrace surfaces face weather, and we are cautious about recommending a coating where tile or stone will last longer.
If you want one look across a village house and a newly added extension, we can blend them. The finish unifies old and new floors, though the preparation differs for each part, which we set out as separate lines in the quotation.
How it works
We start by walking the house, tapping floors, testing walls for damp and looking at doors and access along the street. The written quotation separates preparation from finishing, so you see where the money and time go.
Narrow lanes call for planned deliveries and dust control, and we speak to neighbours where useful. Updates reach you by photo if you are away, and the project manager checks the cure before anything is walked on.
Questions
Sometimes, if they are firm, level and dry. Floors on bare earth may carry moisture, which we check first. We also ask whether original tiles are worth keeping, since coating hides them for good.
It can if ignored. A sealed coating over a damp wall may blister or stain. We test for moisture, treat the cause where possible and choose a suitable system, or tell you the wall should stay as it is.
Yes. We plan how materials arrive, protect the route and keep dust down. Neighbours are told in advance where useful, and deliveries are timed to avoid blocking the street.
Often yes. A soft, mottled finish suits rustic rooms and beams. We show samples in the actual room first, and say frankly if a more traditional treatment would suit the building better.
Across the area
Not every home nearby is a village house, and the answer for a coastal flat differs from the answer for an old wall. These pages cover our microcement work in neighbouring places.
Microcement in Benidorm apartments: seamless bathroom, shower and floor finishes planned around lifts, neighbours and rental turnaround. Free quotation.
View Benidorm →Microcement in Altea for old-town houses, stairs, feature walls and sea-view villas, with uneven surfaces assessed first and samples agreed. Free quotation.
View Altea →Microcement in La Nucía villas and urbanisation homes: continuous floors, kitchens and bathrooms, with slabs and joints assessed before work. Free quotation.
View La Nucía →Microcement in Finestrat hillside villas: split-level floors, stairs, bathrooms and terraces, with sun and slope explained honestly. Free quotation.
View Finestrat →Microcement in Calpe for seafront apartments and hillside villas: bathrooms and floors where humidity and salt air demand careful sealing. Free quotation.
View Calpe →Microcement in Alfaz del Pi and Albir: holiday-let bathrooms, seafront flats and hillside villas, finished between bookings. Free quotation.
View Alfaz del Pi & Albir →Microcement in Benissa: fincas, tall old-town houses and coastal villas, with kitchens, stone surroundings and varied surfaces assessed first. Free quotation.
View Benissa →Microcement in Villajoyosa: seafront flats, old-street townhouses and inland villas, finished for year-round family living. Free quotation from Dragon Reforms.
View Villajoyosa →Microcement in Callosa d'en Sarrià, home of Dragon Reforms: village houses, hillside fincas and valley homes, with easy site visits. Free quotation.
View Callosa d'en Sarrià →Microcement in Albir: holiday apartments near the promenade and villas beneath the Sierra Helada, with showers, floors and sealing explained. Free quotation.
View Albir →Get in touch
Tell us about the room and its floor, and we will come to look, tapping tiles and testing walls before we advise.
Whatever we find, the quotation comes without charge or commitment, and the guarantee on the finished work is described inside it.
Customer reviews
Genuine Google reviews from Dragon Reforms customers.
Professional Collaboration & Complete House Renovation – Calpe
“We have been collaborating for many years on projects both large and small, with excellent results. Our latest collaboration was the complete renovation of a house in Calpe. Thanks to their professionalism and reliability, they were able to handle all phases of the project. We hope to continue working together for many years to come.”
Complete Apartment Renovation – Benidorm
“I would like to say a huge thank you to Dragonreforms. Nico and his team did an excellent job renovating our 2 bedroom apartment in Benidorm. This included a beautiful new bathroom, kitchen, flooring, interior doors, plumbing and complete electrical works. Truly amazing workmanship. You have made our dreams come true.”
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