Sika SikaCeram-638 Colour Grout Super
A polymer-enhanced cementitious colour grout that fills 1-6 mm tile joints with an abrasion-resistant, water-repellent, colour-stable finish for interior and exterior work.
What is it?
A ready-to-mix, cement-based coloured tile grout modified with polymers and water-retaining additives, designed for filling narrow joints between 1 mm and 6 mm on both floors and walls.
Where is it used?
Ceramic, vitrified, porcelain, glass-mosaic, marble and natural-stone tiling in bathrooms, kitchens, balconies, facades, pool surrounds and commercial floors, indoors and out.
Why use it?
It resists abrasion, UV and frost, repels water and everyday contaminants, and holds its colour, so joints stay clean and intact far longer than plain cement pointing.
How is it applied?
Add clean water at 310-350 mL per kg, mix with a slow paddle, let it mature, then work it into the joints with a float or squeegee and clean the tile face diagonally.
About Sika SikaCeram-638 Colour Grout Super
SikaCeram-638 Colour Grout Super is Sika’s upgraded cementitious jointing grout for narrow tile gaps, built for the kind of daily wear that Indian bathrooms, kitchens and commercial floors put on grout lines. The powder blends Portland cement, graded quartz sand, water retainers and a package of polymers and special additives. That polymer content is what separates it from a basic sand-cement filler: it tightens the cured matrix, cuts water uptake and gives the joint a harder, more colour-stable surface that shrugs off scrubbing and foot traffic. It is rated for joint widths of 1 to 6 mm and works across ceramic, earthenware, vitrified and fully vitrified, porcelain, glass mosaic, marble and other natural-stone tiles.
Because it is UV-resistant and frost-proof, the same grout can move from an internal bathroom to an exposed balcony, terrace or facade without a change of product, which simplifies specification on mixed-use projects. Only clean water is added on site, so batching stays consistent between crews. Space Arc Engineering supplies SikaCeram-638 as an authorised Sika distributor across Delhi NCR, Ghaziabad, Noida and the wider Uttar Pradesh belt, with pan-India despatch, and can pair it with the right Sika tile adhesive and shade card so the finished joint matches the design intent rather than whatever happened to be on the shelf.
The technical insight
The performance comes from a polymer-modified cement matrix rather than the cement alone. During mixing, water retainers hold moisture in the joint long enough for the cement to hydrate fully instead of drying out prematurely, which is what causes the powdery, weak, crack-prone joints you see with ordinary pointing mortar. The dispersed polymers then film-form through that matrix as it sets, bridging micro-pores and lowering permeability, so water sits on the surface instead of wicking in. That is why the sheet reports water absorption of only around 5 g at 30 minutes and 10 g at 240 minutes, and shrinkage held below 3 mm/m. Denser pore structure also means a harder wearing face, delivering the abrasion resistance and colour hold, while the reduced water path is what carries the frost resistance for external joints where trapped moisture would otherwise freeze, expand and spall the grout.
Where it is used
- Filling 1-6 mm joints on bathroom, kitchen and utility floor and wall tiling
- Grouting vitrified, fully vitrified and porcelain tiles in living and commercial areas
- Pointing glass-mosaic and natural-stone (marble) finishes where colour consistency matters
- External joint grouting on balconies, terraces and tiled facades exposed to sun and rain
- Swimming-pool surround and wet-area tiling that stays damp for long periods
- Institutional and commercial floors needing an abrasion-resistant, easy-clean joint
- Retiling and refurbishment work where a durable coloured joint upgrades the old finish
- Projects requiring a single grout usable both indoors and outdoors to cut SKU count
Key advantages
- Polymer modification gives lower water absorption and a harder, more durable joint than plain cement grout
- UV-resistant and frost-proof, so one product covers both interior and exterior tiling
- Wide tile compatibility, from ceramic and vitrified to glass mosaic, marble and natural stone
- Colour-stable, abrasion-resistant finish that stays clean and legible under regular use
- Water and powder only, no separate polymer liquid to dose, keeping site mixing simple and repeatable
- Generous ~90-minute pot life at +25 C gives working time across larger tiled areas
- Available in a range of shades against a shade card for design-led finishes
- Backed by Sika technical data with EN and ASTM referenced characteristics
Limitations & considerations
- Suited to narrow joints of 1-6 mm only; wider joints need a different grout specification
- Cementitious chemistry, so it is not a chemical- or acid-resistant grout like an epoxy system for aggressive environments
- Colour uniformity cannot be fully guaranteed batch to batch; blend different batch numbers dry before adding water
- Never exceed the 310-350 mL water per kg dose or re-temper after mixing, or strength and colour suffer
- Application and substrate temperatures must stay within +5 C to +35 C, and adhesive must be fully set first
- Actual shades can vary slightly from the shade card under site lighting, so confirm with a sample panel
Selection & best practice
Check that joints are dry, clean and free of excess adhesive and spacers before you start, and confirm the tile adhesive has fully set: typically 24-36 hours for normal-set floor adhesive, 4-6 hours for fast-set, and 8-10 days for a thick traditional bed. In hot weather or on absorbent substrates, lightly pre-dampen the joints, but leave no standing water. Pour 310-350 mL of clean cold water per kilogram into the bucket first, add powder gradually while mixing on a slow paddle under 500 rpm, mix about three minutes to a smooth uniform colour, let it mature roughly five minutes and remix for 30 seconds. Work it fully into the joints with a float or squeegee, compact, finish while wet, then strike off excess diagonally across the joints and clean the tile face before it hardens. Protect fresh grout from water, and plan the programme around pedestrian traffic at 24-36 hours, full traffic at about 14 days and water immersion at about 21 days.
Specifications
| Product type | Polymer-modified cementitious coloured tile grout |
| Chemical base | Portland cement, quartz sand, water retainers, polymers and special additives |
| Joint width | 1-6 mm |
| Mixing ratio | Water : Powder = 0.31-0.35 (310-350 mL water per 1 kg) |
| Compressive strength | Greater than or equal to 10 N/mm2 (28 days, +30 C; ASTM C109) |
| Flexural strength | Greater than or equal to 2.5 N/mm2 (28 days, +30 C; EN 12808-3) |
| Water absorption | Less than or equal to 5 g at 30 min; less than or equal to 10 g at 240 min (EN 12808-5) |
| Shrinkage | Less than 3 mm/m (EN 12808-4) |
| Pot life | About 90 minutes (100 g mass, +25 C) |
| Packaging / shelf life | 1 kg pouch; 12 months from production in dry, sealed store at +5 C to +35 C |
Industry use cases
Residential wet areas
Bathroom and kitchen floor and wall joints where water resistance and an easy-clean, colour-stable finish keep tiling looking new.
Commercial and institutional floors
Offices, retail, schools and hospitals needing abrasion-resistant joints that survive heavy foot traffic and frequent cleaning.
Exterior facades and balconies
Sun- and rain-exposed tiling where UV resistance and frost-proofing stop the joint fading, cracking or spalling.
Pool surrounds and wet decks
Continuously damp tiled areas where low water absorption keeps the joint sound after extended immersion cycles.
Stone and mosaic finishes
Marble, natural-stone and glass-mosaic installations where consistent shade and gentle handling protect the design finish.
Frequently asked questions
What joint width does SikaCeram-638 Colour Grout Super suit?
Can it be used outdoors and in wet areas?
How much water do I add per kilogram?
Which tiles is it compatible with?
When can the tiled area take traffic after grouting?
Is this an epoxy grout?
How we position Sika SikaCeram-638 Colour Grout Super
Position SikaCeram-638 as the everyday polymer-cement colour grout for narrow 1-6 mm joints across interior and exterior tiling. Within the Sika range, step contractors up to an epoxy grout such as SikaCeram-888 Tile Grout EP where chemical resistance, hygiene or aggressive cleaning is required, and pair it with a matched Sika tile adhesive from the SikaCeram fixing range so the bed and the joint are warrantable as one system. Across our other brands, buyers weighing alternatives commonly compare it with Fosroc’s Nitotile cementitious grout line, MYK LATICRETE and Roff coloured grouts; Space Arc can supply the closest match on shade and joint width from whichever brand the specification calls for, along with the correct waterproofing and tile-fixing products for the substrate.
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Authorised distribution, technical advice & professional application across Delhi NCR and Pan-India.