Sika SikaCeram-888 Tile Grout EP
A water-cleanable, chemical-resistant epoxy that both grouts and bonds tiles for kitchens, labs, pools and food-industry floors.
What is it?
A two-component, water-dispersed epoxy that works as both a coloured tile grout and a tile adhesive, filling joints 1-20 mm wide with a dense, stainless, chemical-resistant finish.
Where is it used?
Professional kitchens, dairies and food-processing plants, laboratories, hospitals, swimming pools (including seawater), sanitary areas and any tiled surface facing aggressive cleaning or chemicals.
Why use it?
It stays impermeable, hygienic and colourfast where ordinary cement grout would stain, crack or harbour bacteria, and it cleans up with plain water during application.
How is it applied?
Mix Part A and Part B at 9:1 by weight, press into joints with a float or spreader, strike off the excess and sponge the tiles clean before the ~95-minute pot life ends.
About Sika SikaCeram-888 Tile Grout EP
SikaCeram-888 Tile Grout EP is Sika India’s water-cleanable epoxy grouting and bonding compound, built for tiled surfaces that see far more punishment than a typical bathroom floor. It arrives as a pre-batched two-part set: a coloured resin paste (Part A) and an amber hardener liquid (Part B) blended from epoxy resin, quartz aggregate and special additives. Once cured, the joint becomes dense and non-porous, so it will not soak up water, oils, food acids or cleaning chemicals the way a cement-based grout does. That single property is why specifiers reach for it in dairies, breweries, commercial kitchens, operating theatres and swimming pools, where hygiene and chemical exposure are non-negotiable.
What makes the product genuinely versatile is its dual role. The same material grouts joints from 1 mm up to 20 mm wide and also bonds tiles as an adhesive on cementitious, gypsum, metal, glass-fibre-reinforced plastic and even existing tiled surfaces. It carries formal declarations under the relevant tile-fixing standards, classified RG (reaction-resin grout) to EN 13888 / ISO 13007-3 and R2T (improved, non-slip reaction-resin adhesive) to EN 12004-1 / ISO 13007-1. For engineers and consultants, that dual classification means one certified product can cover both the bedding and the pointing of a demanding installation, simplifying specification and procurement.
The technical insight
The performance comes from a cross-linked epoxy matrix rather than a hydrated cement one. When Part A and Part B react, the epoxy cures into a continuous polymer that encapsulates the graded quartz filler, leaving effectively no interconnected capillary pores for liquids to travel through. Water absorption is held to a negligible level (the TDS records under 0.1 g after 240 minutes of contact), which is what gives the joint its stain resistance, its resistance to bacterial colonisation and its ability to shrug off high-pressure and steam cleaning. Mechanically the cured grout is genuinely load-bearing: compressive strength of at least 45 N/mm2, flexural strength of at least 30 N/mm2 and Shore D hardness climbing to 80 or more by 28 days, so it resists the abrasion and point loading of trolleys and cleaning machinery. The one nuance worth understanding is that the “water dispersed” chemistry keeps the mixed paste workable and lets you sponge tiles clean with plain water for up to about 95 minutes, before the same reaction locks the joint hard.
Where it is used
- Grouting and bonding tiles in professional and commercial kitchens where grease, food acids and daily washdowns attack ordinary grout
- Dairies, breweries, pickling units and fruit-juice or aerated-drink plants demanding hygienic, impermeable joints
- Laboratories, hospitals and operating theatres where cleanliness and disinfectant resistance are critical
- Swimming pools, seawater and thermal pools, GRP pools and fountains, both submerged and at the waterline
- Slaughterhouses, tanneries, paper mills and animal facilities such as stables and zoos
- Industrial washing bays and areas subject to high-pressure water and steam cleaning
- Sewage treatment plants, storage tanks and other chemically exposed manufacturing floors
- Sanitary areas including bathrooms, toilets and surrounds to urinals, for both interior and exterior use
Key advantages
- Water-cleanable during application, so tiles and tools rinse off with plain water instead of solvents
- Dense, non-porous cured joint that stays impermeable to water, oils, food residues and dilute chemicals
- Broad chemical resistance, including full resistance to acetic acid, caustic soda, ammonia, diesel and many solvents
- Doubles as grout and adhesive, covering joints from 1 to 20 mm with one certified product
- High mechanical and abrasion resistance suited to trolley traffic and heavy cleaning equipment
- Stainless, colourfast and hygienic, resisting bacterial growth in food and healthcare settings
- Long open time (~45 min) and generous pot life (~95 min) for comfortable working in hot Indian conditions
- Available in ten colour shades and formally declared to EN 13888 / EN 12004-1 standards
Limitations & considerations
- Once hardened it can only be removed mechanically, so tiles and tools must be cleaned before the pot life ends
- Epoxy grouting is slower and more labour-intensive than cement grout and demands trained applicators
- Some strong chemicals cause discolouration or loss of gloss rather than failure, including hydrochloric and sulphuric acid, sodium hypochlorite bleach and tea staining
- Full units must be mixed as supplied at 9:1; part-mixing or wrong ratios compromise cure and strength
- Higher ambient temperatures shorten pot life and working time, so hot-weather batching must be planned
- Substrate must be dry, clean and free of ponding water, and tiles or marble should be trial-tested for staining before full application
Selection & best practice
Work in full pre-batched units only. Mix Part A on its own for about 30 seconds, add the whole of Part B and mix continuously for three minutes with a slow-speed paddle (under 400 rpm), scraping the sides and base at least once so no unmixed resin is left. Avoid over-mixing, which whips in air. For grouting, make sure joints are dry, free of spacers and cleaned to at least two-thirds of the tile depth, then press the grout in with cross-hatch strokes to fill and compact fully. Strike off the surplus diagonally, and once the surface is touch-dry sponge the tiles with clean water, rinsing the sponge often. When the joint is fingernail-hard, polish with a dry cloth. As adhesive, aim for 100 percent contact on the tile back, and always use the double-buttering technique for tiles larger than 30 x 30 cm. Never clean finished joints with acid-based cleaners, and keep fresh work out of direct sun, rain and freezing conditions for the first 12 to 24 hours. Foot traffic is safe after about 24 hours, full cure at three days and water immersion only after seven.
Specifications
| Composition | Two-component water-dispersed epoxy (resin paste + hardener liquid) with quartz aggregate |
| Standards | RG to EN 13888 / ISO 13007-3 (grout); R2T to EN 12004-1 / ISO 13007-1 (adhesive) |
| Mixing ratio | Part A : Part B = 9 : 1 by weight |
| Joint width | 1-20 mm |
| Pot life / open time | ~95 minutes / ~45 minutes at +25 C |
| Grout consumption | ~1.6 kg/m2 per mm of joint volume |
| Adhesive consumption | ~3.2 / 4.8 / 6.4 kg/m2 with 4 / 6 / 8 mm notched trowel |
| Compressive / flexural strength | = 45 N/mm2 / = 30 N/mm2 |
| Cure schedule | Foot traffic ~24 h, full cure ~3 days, water immersion ~7 days |
| Pack sizes / colours | 1 kg and 5 kg pre-batched sets; 10 colour shades |
Industry use cases
Food & Beverage Processing
Dairies, breweries and juice plants use it to grout floor and wall tiles where lactic and food acids, hot washdowns and constant moisture would degrade cement joints and breed bacteria.
Healthcare & Laboratories
Hospitals, operating theatres and labs rely on its non-porous, disinfectant-resistant joints to maintain sterile, easily cleaned surfaces that resist staining and microbial growth.
Commercial Kitchens
Hotel and institutional kitchens specify it for tiled floors and splashbacks that face grease, oils and daily high-pressure cleaning without discolouring or crumbling.
Swimming Pools & Water Features
Pool shells, waterlines, seawater and thermal pools and fountains benefit from its waterproof, chemical-resistant joints that withstand permanent immersion and chlorinated water.
Industrial & Chemical Areas
Tanneries, paper mills, sewage plants and washing bays use it where spillage of dilute acids, alkalis and solvents demands a grout that stays intact under aggressive service.
Frequently asked questions
Is SikaCeram-888 a two-part or three-part epoxy?
Can I use it as a tile adhesive as well as a grout?
How much grout will I need?
How long do I have to work with it before it sets?
Is it fully chemical resistant?
How soon can the tiled area be used?
How we position Sika SikaCeram-888 Tile Grout EP
SikaCeram-888 Tile Grout EP sits at the premium, chemical-resistant end of Sika’s tile-fixing range and is the right call wherever hygiene and chemical exposure rule out cement grout. Where the joints are less demanding, a cementitious tile grout or a standard Sika tile adhesive from the SikaCeram range is a more economical fit, and areas that stay wet should first be waterproofed with a suitable Sika membrane system before tiling. For structural or machine-base grouting rather than tile joints, look instead at flowable epoxy or cementitious grouts such as Sika’s SikaGrout range or the Fosroc Conbextra family we also supply. As an authorised distributor and applicator across Delhi NCR and pan-India, Space Arc can help match the right grout, adhesive and waterproofing combination to your project and arrange trained application for critical food, healthcare and pool work.
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