Custom® Building Products recently introduced an expanded color palette for Prism™ SureColor™ Grout, offering increased color choices for the lightweight, color-consistent grout that has set a new industry standard for cement-based tile grouts.

With 22 colors now available, Custom added 10 of the industry's most popular neutral colors to the Prism palette - Fawn, Summer Wheat, Sandstone, Tobacco Brown, New Taupe, Light Smoke, Oyster Gray, Natural Gray, Delorean Gray and Charcoal - corresponding to the popular colors offered in Custom's PolyBlend® colored tile grouts.

“The addition of these popular colors expands the number of tile projects that can benefit from the superior performance of Prism,” said Diane Wood, Senior Product Manager for Custom Building Products. “Prism offers so many benefits, such as color-consistency, versatility and easy workability; it's fast becoming a favorite with contractors.”

Introduced to the market in January 2005, Prism SureColor Grout will not shade, shrink, or effloresce. Prism's unique formula provides complete color consistency regardless of variations in temperature and humidity, no matter what tile type or substrate is involved. Prism is also stain resistant, causing spills to bead on the surface, which allows easy clean-up and incorporates Custom's exclusive MoldGardâ„¢ technology to combat mold and mildew.

Prism was developed using Custom Building Product's proprietary CustomLite technology, weighing 30% less than traditional grouts. CustomLite technology replaces the sand traditionally used in cement-based grouts with cellular aggregate composed of 100% recycled material, giving Prism SureColor Grout a smoother, creamier texture that offers greater workability. As a result, Prism is versatile enough to use in joints ranging from 1⁄2 inch down to 1⁄16 inch, eliminating the need for non-sanded grouts in most tile projects.

Due to Prism's unique, proprietary formula, Custom recommends new mixing techniques that differ slightly from those used for traditional grouts. Unlike standard sanded cement-based grouts that incorporate the water immediately upon mixing, Prism contains stain-repellent agents that initially appear to repel the water. For this reason, Prism must be mixed for 15 to 30 seconds longer until the water completely incorporates into the powder. It also has a lighter, fluffier consistency than sanded grouts. After mixing, up to a half-pint of water may be added to reach the desired consistency. Unlike traditional grouts, Prism will not thicken during standing or slaking.

Custom supports Prism SureColor Grout with one of the best warranty programs in the industry, including its Installation Systems Warranty, which guarantees installations will be free from defects for up to a lifetime when Custom products are used as a complete installation system, according to the manufacturer.