Fosroc’s Cemtop range – cementitious floor toppings for smooth, durable floors
Fosroc’s Cemtop products are a family of cementitious floor toppings designed to flatten, smooth and repair concrete floors so they’re ready for traffic or final finishes such as carpet, vinyl and tiles. From self-smoothing underlays to heavy-duty, trafficable toppings and traditional screeds, the Cemtop range supports both new construction and floor remediation applications.
“Concrete placement is a very manual process, and floors aren’t always left flat and smooth enough for the next trades,” says Andrew Nelson, Fosroc ANZ Product Segment Specialist – Flooring and Coatings. “The Cemtop range gives builders and applicators practical ways to flatten and smooth those surfaces, or repair damage, so the floor performs the way it should.”
The role of floor toppings in modern construction
Floor toppings are used when the structural slab isn’t quite ready for finishes or direct traffic. They can:
- Correct uneven or damaged areas
- Provide a smooth underlay for resilient or textile floor coverings
- Reinstate a hard-wearing, trafficable surface in industrial environments
- Create falls and transitions where slabs don’t line up
Cemtop solutions for different flooring challenges
The Cemtop range currently includes four key products, each with a distinct role
- Cemtop GP Advanced is a self-smoothing cementitious floor topping designed primarily as an underlay for carpet, vinyl, tiles and other finishes, or to be over-coated. It’s not intended as a permanent trafficable surface. Because vinyl and similar finishes can highlight every imperfection, GP Advanced is especially useful where a high visual standard is required, such as multi-storey apartments, commercial offices and healthcare projects. Find out more on the Cemtop GP Advanced product page.
- Cemtop XD is a self-smoothing, trafficable topping for internal industrial floors subject to foot and forklift traffic. It is ideal for warehouses, cold storage facilities, light-to-medium industrial operations and similar dry, internal environments. Find out more on the Cemtop XD product page.
- Cemtop HD30 is a trowel-applied, trafficable waterproof topping for internal and external use. Designed to deliver a durable, waterproof surface, it can be used for both internal and external applications. “Cemtop HD30 is a trowel-applied, thin trafficable coating,” Andrew explains. “Because you’re not relying on flow, you can work it to achieve coarser, anti-slip textures, making it ideal for external areas.” Find out more on the Cemtop HD30 product page.
- Cemtop Screed is a high-performance cementitious flooring mortar used where a trowel-applied screed is the best solution rather than a flowable topping. It is widely used to correct falls before applying waterproofing membranes and floor finishes, particularly in wet areas. Andrew says Cemtop Screed is the “outlier” in the Cemtop family because it is not a fluid self-smoother, but a traditional screed for shaping floors. Find out more on the Cemtop Screed product page.
New construction vs remediation
The Cemtop range is used both for repairing damaged floors and in new build programs, particularly where speed and flexibility are critical.
- In new construction, Cemtop GP Advanced and Cemtop Screed can play a planned role in the floor build-up. Builders may prioritise fast structural pours and safety for follow-on trades, then come back with Cemtop underlays or screeds to achieve the final smoothness and falls before floor finishes are installed.
- In remediation, Cemtop XD and Cemtop HD30 are often specified to restore damaged or rain-affected concrete, reinstating a robust, trafficable surface without the time and cost of full slab replacement.
Choosing the right Cemtop product
Because each Cemtop product has a distinct purpose and performance profile, Andrew strongly encourages specifiers and applicators to seek advice:
“There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. The right choice depends on things like whether the floor will be covered or exposed, the expected traffic, whether the environment is wet or dry, and the thickness you can work with. It’s always worth talking to your local Fosroc rep for guidance on the right system,” he says.
A few general guidelines:
- Need a smooth underlay for carpet, vinyl or tiles?
Cemtop GP Advanced is typically the first choice (underlay / over-coat, not long-term wearing surface). - Need a thin, trafficable surface for internal industrial floors?
Cemtop XD provides a self-smoothing, trafficable topping at 6–12 mm. - Need a robust, waterproof, trafficable finish – including external areas?
Cemtop HD30 delivers a trowel-applied, textured-capable surface with excellent wear and chemical resistance. - Need to form falls or level transitions between slabs?
Cemtop Screed is the go-to for trowelled falls, ramps and screeded build-ups.
The importance of surface preparation
While self-smoothing toppings can appear to be a “quick fix”, Andrew stresses that correct substrate preparation is still non-negotiable. “If the surface isn’t properly prepared, or if the topping is used for the wrong purpose, you can end up back on site doing the job again,” he says.
Key preparation steps typically include:
- Ensuring the substrate is sound, clean and dry
- Removing weak, contaminated or laitance-affected concrete
- Following the relevant Cemtop Technical Data Sheets (TDS) for priming, mixing and placing
- Respecting minimum and maximum thicknesses for each product.
Cemtop in action
Across Australia and New Zealand, Cemtop solutions are already at work in warehouses, storage facilities and commercial developments including:
- At Primo Foods’ cold storage facility in Prestons, NSW, Cemtop XD delivered a smooth, durable internal floor capable of handling ongoing forklift activity.
- At the National Storage facility in Brunswick, Victoria, Cemtop HD30 provided a fast, cost-effective remediation for a rain-damaged slab, restoring a hard-wearing, non-slip surface without needing to demolish and re-pour the concrete.
Backed by Fosroc ANZ expertise and support
With decades of experience in industrial flooring and concrete repair, Fosroc ANZ offers more than just products. Specifiers, builders and applicators gain access to:
- National product segment specialists for project-specific guidance
- A strong distribution network across Australia and New Zealand for reliable product availability
- Technical data sheets, specifications and case studies to support confident design and application
