Established in 2010 under the name of Marco Polo Decor, the company and its founder, Miro Balaz, sought to introduce Italian Decor to the UK market, and with that, establish a presence that can serve as a reference point for the industry.
Assisting both private and commercial projects, from supplying the material, to providing training and referring experienced professionals, Impera Italia prides itself in being a company that unites several key aspects of the Italian Decorative industry within the UK. Our extensive product range includes different Venetian plasters, microcement and decorative paints.
This channel was created to showcase the highlights of our products, both for the specialist and the DIY range.
We also hope to offer a helping hand both for people in the industry, and anyone who wants to experiment with our decorative paints to create unique finishes for their home!
Thank you for the informative video! Do you know if the primer can be applied directly onto an already painted wall? Or if the wall needs to have the paint sandblasted off first?
Hi, thanks so much for making this video, it’s so amazing ! I love your work and technique. Can you tell me what products you are using ? I followed your Instructions and it didn’t come out with the same consistency . Mine looks more patchy / streaky, whereas yours looks cohesive and perfect. What exact brand products are using and what brand color are you mixing it and how are you mixing it ? I appreciate your help so much , thank you !!!! I am going to post a picture so you can see what I mean and hopefully you can lend some advise!
Hi there! If you send us an email with some images of your application to sales@imperaitalia.com, we should be able to help and offer some guidance! We can also send you some links to the exact material so you can take a look. Hope to hear from you soon!
@@ImperaItaliaOnline You're AMAZING! Thank you so much, sending an email right now. Keep in mind I am in the USA so if you can also recommend good products I can get here that would be superb, as I believe my guys were using Surcrete, not exactly sure of their technique or how they did it but it didn't come out like yours! I appreciate your help so much!
Hi there! Repairs, surface preparation, and after-care are all topics covered in our Microcement courses but we'll make a note for a future video! Thanks, Impera Italia
Interested in Venetian plaster, microcement or decorative paints? Check out our website, www.imperaitalia.com to explore our wide range of products and training courses! If you want to see some of the finishes in person, pop into our London Showroom in NW11!
Hi there! Infinity can be applied to most surfaces, provided that the right primer is used and it's a smooth surface. Just bear in mind that it doesn't hide imperfections, so surface preparation is essential for an ideal finish. Thanks, Impera Italia
Check out our tutorial for San Marco's Powderstone decorative palster! It's a lime-based Venetian plaster, applied on one coat. It can be combined with other decorative materials, such as metallic paints like we did here, or a lime paint for an ultra natural, rustic look!
Your video was fantastic and helpful. I followed the tutorial exactly as you did, and it turned out great. However, I encountered a problem: after applying the finishing coat and leaving it for 24 hours, the coat faded away when I turned on the hot water. I would greatly appreciate it if someone could explain and help me fix this issue.
Hey there! We are very happy you liked the video! It could have been several reasons, so it's best if you email to sales@imperaitalia.com and they can help connect you to a technician. Thanks, Impera Italia
Hi there! The prices vary based on location, size of project, finish...etc. This is just a very standard application we are showing here. The beauty of microcement is that it is bespoke made for your project, which means you choose the colour, pattern, texture and even whether you want a matt or glossy finish. It can seem expensive, but in fact the cost of the application is comparable that of tiles. Thanks, Impera Italia
Hi there! Microcement is definitely the kind of product we recommend for wet room areas, floors (residential), and worktops. It's impossible to compare it to lime paint, as microcement is a coating system that was meant to offer a more resistant finish. This is a very simple application we are showing here, so it doesn't do justice to just how far microcement can go as a bespoke, water resistant finish. If you are interested in a simple, cost-effective product that gives a minimalistic finish, we recommend our Concrete Paint for a textured look and Lime Eco for lime paint, or as a limewash finish. Thanks, Impera Italia
It's a fad, like venitian plaster. What they don't tell you in the video is how impossible it is to repair. A cracked tile can be replaced...this stuff....yeah good luck maintaining your 'bespoke' look. And no, it's not as tough as the sellers want you to believe.
Hi there! Whilst it is possible to apply Marmorino Classico on a bathroom wall, there are certain steps that we recommend taking to ensure that the application will be long-lasting. If you contact our technical team at sales@imperaitalia.com, they would be happy to advise further. Thanks, Impera Italia
Hi there! Microcement is great product for a modern, seamless finish for bathrooms, worktops and floors. It's a very popular alternative to tiles. It's also a bespoke finish made for your project, which means the colour, the texture and the overall style/application of the product can be customised. Aside from the competitive pricing, its versatility is a great advantage! The main factor for the decision making however, is its simple, on-trend look. From what we see, it's what most people are after. Thanks, Impera Italia
Hi there! You are right, many people don't use mesh. In theory, you can get away without the mesh, provided that you have a substrate that is guaranteed not to crack. In the UK, due to the way in which most places are built, there is almost always some kind of movement of the substrate, which can lead to cracking. The base coat alone is not enough to stop this. You need the mesh to give you the tension strength. It is down to every applicator to understand the surface they are working on, and make the necessary judgement. We hope this helps! Thanks, Impera Italia
Hi there! This is a really good question. There are countless ways to go about the build-up of the substrate before applying micro cement. One very important feature, which has become a common mistake, is that people don't understand that micro cement is only designed to be water resistant from the front, where the resin sealer is applied. This mean that the build-up should be done in a way, that protects the integrity of the micro cement base coat, as well as the substrate it is connected to. For this reason, we always recommend using water resistant boards or panels, as well as adequately tanking the space. The precise method is really down to the specialist carrying out the work. Thanks, Impera Italia
Hi there! Microcement can be applied to almost any surface, provided that it is solid enough. There are different primers available, depending on the absorption of the substrate. The main advatange of microcement is that due to its resin sealer, it is water resistant once applied, meaning that yes, you can have it in showers. You can even apply it on floors. To make it an even more attractive option, it can be applied on top of existing tiles, without needing to remove them. We hope this helps! Thanks, Impera Italia
For this small project you demonstrated, what was the total amount of time taken from start to finish? Are we talking a few days, or more like a couple of weeks (not including the recommended 21 day final set time)?
Hi Gene! Thank you for your question, I can tell you that this entire application took us 4 days. It is worth knowing that as we were in a fairly confined space, we were able to control the temperature very well and keep it at around 25-30C. The main factor to take into account is always drying times between coats which can affect the overall length of the project.
Yes it’s great to refresh the memory from the course keep posting videos of all your products as there is a lot of products and techniques to remember great product to use
Hi there! Thank you for your comment, we hope to edit much more of these tutorials in the future! We are very happy you found the video helpful, we hope you enjoyed the course and that this tutorial helped to keep the knowledge fresh! Thanks, Impera Italia
The video is really useful, but undertaking the course as I did is vital if you want to produce high quality results. The video is great for recapping what you cover in the Microcement course at Impera Italia
Hi there! We are very happy you took the course with us! We absolutely agree, taking the course is the best option for those who want to be able to apply it as good as possible, and the video can always serve as guide if somethings were forgotten.
Thanks Ryan! Don't forget to use your special discount for your first order and that you can have a selection of samples sent to you for only the delivery cost! We will present the new courses soon.
