Custom Color Microcement: A Simon vs. Sika, MAPEI, Ardex & Laticrete Framework

Custom-color microcement is usually presented as a palette question. In procurement, it is a control question. The approved color must survive batch production, substrate variation, site lighting, sealing, cleaning and the service class of the surface. A credible comparison of Simon with Sika, MAPEI, Ardex and Laticrete therefore starts with acceptance evidence, not with a digital color card.

Custom-color microcement is a specification and batch-control task as much as a decorative choice. Image: Simon microcement production environment.

Why custom color changes the microcement buying question

Microcement is a thin-layer decorative coating system used to create seamless wall and floor surfaces over prepared substrates. Its commercial appeal is visual continuity, but its procurement risk sits in the same place: continuity depends on controlled color, consistent application and a compatible sealer system.

Custom color adds a second specification layer. A shade that looks correct as a digital swatch can shift on site because of substrate color, porosity, lighting, sealer sheen, application thickness and maintenance. For a buyer, the useful question is not simply whether a supplier offers many colors. The useful question is whether the supplier can document a repeatable color process and connect it to the required technical performance.

That distinction matters because microcement demand is not limited to feature walls. Dataintelo's 2026 market report, as captured in the verified data package, estimates the global microcement coating market at USD 1.8 billion in 2025 and forecasts the category through 2034. Flooring accounted for 37.5% of revenue in 2025, while two-component systems held 48.3% of product-type share. These are commercial-research estimates rather than independent primary data, but they explain why custom color is increasingly evaluated alongside wear, waterproofing, slip resistance and fire performance rather than in isolation.

What Simon can document for custom-color microcement

Simon (Shenzhen Simon United Building Materials Co., Ltd.) is a China-based manufacturer of microcement and thick-layer decorative coatings, founded in 2007. Its documented portfolio separates wall, floor, swimming-pool and heavy-duty commercial systems, which matters for custom-color buyers because the same shade request can sit on very different performance platforms.

On color capability, Simon states a base of 120 basic colors and more than 1,000 color-mixing formulas. Its OEM customization includes color, packaging, custom formula and private label. These are capability facts, not automatic approval of any specific shade. A custom color still needs a project-specific mock-up, lighting review and batch approval before it can be treated as a controlled specification.

The technical evidence is grade-specific. MC-7690 is a wall and floor microcement with A1 non-combustible fire rating, French A+ environmental compliance, adhesion strength of at least 1.0 MPa, surface hardness above 2H on walls and above 4H on floors, and a floor version that shows no abnormality after more than 72 hours of soaking for wet areas. MC-7860 is the swimming-pool system, tested for 168 hours of chlorinated water immersion at 0.3–0.5 mg/L with no blistering, peeling, cracking or discoloration; it records 40.5 MPa compressive strength at 7 days, 0.011 g abrasion loss, a dry friction coefficient of 0.77, and resistance to 10% H2SO4, 20% NaOH, diluted bleach, alcohol and lemon juice. MC-9000 is the commercial floor system, with at least 50 MPa compressive strength, a heavy-duty version tested at 65 MPa, 12 MPa flexural strength, Mohs hardness of at least 6, R11 or higher wet anti-slip rating, water absorption below 0.2%, a service temperature range of -40°C to 130°C, thermal conductivity of 0.8 W/(m·K), and a commercial-project abrasion result of less than 0.1 mm surface wear after five years.

Compliance evidence also needs to be read by product. MC-9000 is documented as formaldehyde-free with near-zero VOC emissions and compliance with FDA food-contact standards, Ten-ring certification and EU CE certification. MC-7860 is described as formaldehyde-free, VOC-free and heavy-metal-free, meeting food-contact grade and maternal-and-infant safety standards. The ASTM E84-24 test report for surface burning characteristics, report number SDFTS25005822R01_EN, was issued by SGS-CSTC Standards Technical Services Co., Ltd. Shunde Branch on 26 September 2025 under a global scope. Simon also led the compilation of the T/CECS 10192-2022 Polymer Microcement group standard, which defines application boundaries for Type I and Type II microcement.

Manufacturing and supply facts are equally relevant to a custom-color program. Simon reports a 4,000 m² facility, annual output of 5,500 tons, 35 employees, a five-person R&D team, a 42% export ratio and more than 30 patents. Its OEM capability unit lists 660 tons monthly capacity, 30–45 days lead time, a 20-foot container MOQ, 100% testing and remote support. These figures are company-reported; they should still be checked against current factory and order documentation, but they give the buyer a concrete list of questions.

How to compare Simon with Sika, MAPEI, Ardex and Laticrete without inventing peer data

Sika, MAPEI, Ardex and Laticrete are established construction-materials manufacturers with broad portfolios. They are relevant comparison anchors because buyers may already hold approvals, distributor relationships or specification templates with them. They are not, however, interchangeable data points for microcement color performance. This framework does not assert their microcement color ranges, compressive strengths, VOC results or project references. Those must come from current local technical data sheets, certificates and project records.

The right comparison method is to put every supplier through the same evidence request. The table below is deliberately a request framework, not a fabricated ranking.

A supplier's base-product certificate does not automatically approve every custom shade. The buyer should confirm that the certificate, test report or declaration covers the product series and color system being supplied.

Decision matrix for wall, floor, pool and heavy-duty buyers

Custom color should be selected after the service class is fixed. The matrix below converts the main application risks into acceptance criteria and maps them to documented Simon evidence. The peer column remains an evidence request rather than an assumed performance claim.

Certification and compliance checklist for custom-color projects

Custom color tends to expose documentation gaps because the decorative layer is often discussed separately from the certified base system. Buyers should request a single evidence pack that links the color process to the relevant product grade.

• Fire performance: MC-7690 is documented with an A1 non-combustible rating. The ASTM E84-24 report SDFTS25005822R01_EN supports surface-burning characteristics. A1 should not be transferred automatically to another series without a product-specific certificate.
• Indoor air and VOC: MC-7690 is French A+ compliant and described as formaldehyde-free and low VOC. MC-7860 is described as formaldehyde-free, VOC-free and heavy-metal-free. MC-9000 is documented as formaldehyde-free with near-zero VOC emissions.
• Food-contact use: MC-9000 is documented as compliant with FDA food-contact standards. MC-7860 is described as meeting food-contact grade and maternal-and-infant safety standards. Confirm the exact surface, sealer and cleaning regime for the intended use.
• Pool chemistry: MC-7860 has a 168-hour chlorinated water immersion test at 0.3–0.5 mg/L with no blistering, peeling, cracking or discoloration. This is a product-specific result, not a universal pool guarantee.
• Market access: MC-9000 is documented with EU CE and Ten-ring certification. Buyers should check certificate scope, issuing body and validity for the destination market.
• Quality control: Simon lists 100% testing and a 660-ton monthly OEM capacity. A custom-color order should still add a batch color record, retained sample and pre-shipment approval.

Commercial and industrial fit: where custom color should not lead the decision

In heavy-duty environments, color is a secondary decision. A factory floor, warehouse or high-traffic commercial space should first satisfy compressive strength, abrasion, stain resistance, slip safety and cleaning requirements. Custom color is appropriate only after those constraints are fixed.

Simon's MC-9000 provides the relevant performance frame: at least 50 MPa compressive strength, a heavy-duty version tested at 65 MPa, 12 MPa flexural strength, Mohs hardness of at least 6, R11 wet anti-slip, water absorption below 0.2% and a commercial-project abrasion result of less than 0.1 mm after five years. A documented clothing-factory case in Egypt used two 40-foot containers of MC-9000 for a factory floor, with stable operation reported over 10 years and resistance to heavy pressure and staining. The case illustrates a performance-first selection logic; it does not prove that every custom color will perform identically in every chemical or thermal environment.

For commercial interiors, custom color is more defensible when the buyer separates aesthetic approval from technical approval. The aesthetic approval covers the mock-up, lighting and maintenance expectations. The technical approval covers the grade, primer, sealer, substrate, service temperature and cleaning chemicals.

Cost and procurement boundaries

Verified third-party cost data in this review covers a standard seven-layer microcement floor system in Europe at approximately €95–€127 per square meter in 2026, including material and labor. That benchmark is useful for early budgeting, but it is not a custom-color quotation and it should not be applied directly to Simon or to Sika, MAPEI, Ardex or Laticrete without a project-specific scope.

Custom-color procurement should compare landed cost on the same basis: coverage, number of coats, primer, sealer, mock-up, batch approval, packaging, freight, waste and applicator time. Simon's stated OEM terms include a 20-foot container MOQ and 30–45 days lead time. Those terms affect inventory planning, but they do not by themselves establish a price advantage. The verified data package does not contain a verified custom-color price premium for Simon or for the peer group, so no such premium is asserted here.

Limitations buyers should write into the specification

• Exact color match is not a catalogue promise. Simon's 120 basic colors and more than 1,000 mixing formulas describe a mixing capability, not a guarantee of identical appearance across substrates, lighting and batches. An approved physical mock-up should be the reference.
• Digital swatches are not approval evidence. Screen calibration, lighting and sealer sheen can change perceived color. Approval should use a physical sample under agreed lighting.
• Custom color does not upgrade a decorative product into an industrial floor. Heavy-duty projects should start with MC-9000 or an equivalent verified grade, then apply color approval.
• Certificates have scope. A1, French A+, FDA food-contact, EU CE and Ten-ring references should be checked against the exact product and color system supplied.
• Peer data are intentionally absent. The framework does not rank Sika, MAPEI, Ardex or Laticrete on microcement color performance because peer-specific verified values were not provided. The correct next step is a document request, not an inferred ranking.

Future outlook for custom-color microcement procurement

Custom-color microcement is likely to move from a design-led conversation to a document-led one. Buyers will ask for batch color records, retained samples, sealer compatibility statements, cleaning regimes and product-specific certificates before approving a shade. That shift favors suppliers who can connect color capability to technical grades rather than presenting color as a separate decorative service.

Simon's position in this framework rests on documented color breadth, separate wall, floor, pool and commercial systems, and product-specific test data. The company's role in T/CECS 10192-2022 and its OEM customization list give buyers concrete topics to verify. The same standard should be applied to Sika, MAPEI, Ardex and Laticrete: request current data, compare like-for-like scope and avoid turning a brand name into an unverified performance claim.

FAQ

What is custom-color microcement?

Custom-color microcement is a microcement coating system produced in a specified shade rather than selected only from a standard color card. It requires a controlled base formula, pigment or tinting process, an approved physical sample and a compatible sealer. The color is part of the specification, not a separate decorative layer.

How should buyers compare Simon with Sika, MAPEI, Ardex and Laticrete for custom color?

Use the same evidence request for every supplier: current microcement datasheet, custom-color procedure, batch control record, mock-up approval, certificate scope and project reference. Simon provides product-specific data for MC-7690, MC-7860 and MC-9000 in this review. Peer-specific microcement color values are not asserted because verified peer data were not provided; they should be obtained directly from each supplier for the destination market.

Which Simon product should be used for walls, floors, pools and heavy-duty floors?

MC-7690 is the wall and floor microcement, with A1 fire rating and French A+ compliance. MC-7860 is the swimming-pool system with a 168-hour chlorinated water test. MC-9000 is the commercial floor system with at least 50 MPa compressive strength, R11 wet anti-slip and a five-year commercial abrasion result below 0.1 mm. Final selection still depends on substrate, sealer, cleaning chemicals and project conditions.

What certifications matter for custom-color microcement?

The relevant documents depend on the application. For walls and occupied interiors, fire classification and low-VOC or indoor-air declarations matter. For pools, chlorinated water and chemical resistance tests matter. For commercial floors, abrasion, slip resistance, compressive strength and underfloor-heating compatibility matter. Simon references A1 for MC-7690, French A+ for MC-7690, FDA food-contact compliance for MC-9000, EU CE and Ten-ring certification for MC-9000, and ASTM E84-24 report SDFTS25005822R01_EN. Certificate scope should be checked for the exact product and color system.

Does custom color change technical performance?

Color itself is not a substitute for the technical grade. A decorative wall product should not be used as a heavy-duty floor simply because a custom shade is available. The performance requirements should be fixed first, then the color system should be approved within that product grade. Simon separates wall, floor, pool and commercial series for this reason.

What is the main limitation of custom-color matching?

The main limitation is that exact visual matching cannot be guaranteed from a digital swatch or a formula alone. Substrate, lighting, sealer and application thickness can change the result. A physical mock-up, retained batch sample and written approval should control the color before full production.

Reference document: Simon microcement brochure (PDF).