21+ Schluter Ditra Over Cement Bathroom Floor Under Porcelain Tile

Stop! Ditra is meant to reduce deflection on floors that have some movement. Over cement substrates (especially one that is already smooth), it is a complete waste of a lot of money. It will offer you no benefit whatsoever. Cement is already the best tile substrate possible. Short Answer: If you are talking about installing Schluter Ditra with a Suntouch floor heat system then the heat goes under the Ditra.Suntouch addresses this very question in their FAQ on their website. Long Answer: The makers of uncoupling membranes (Schluter Ditra is in the category of uncoupling membranes) feel that their products perform better when they are as close to the tile as possible.

Tile with Schluter Edge, Bathroom O u r T i l e C r

DITRA is way easier to install than cement board. First, it’s light. Second, it stops tile and grout from cracking. Third, it can waterproof the wood subfloor. If you’re afraid of mold in the bathroom DITRA will help. Steve and I will show you how to install DITRA today and make it 100% waterproof. Here are the supplies you need . Schluter.

Schluter ditra over cement bathroom floor under porcelain tile. Cementboard has replaced a manually applied mortar bed to emerge as the standard underlayment for a tile floor. In many ways, however, an uncoupling membrane such as Schluter-DITRA is an even better backing material for reasons other than the fact that it doesn't raise the height of the floor as much as cementboard. Installing Tile Directly on Concrete . Ceramic and porcelain tile are so frequently installed at or above grade level on a cement board underlayment or directly on plywood that it almost seems novel to install tile directly on concrete. Yet this application does make sense, since concrete is heavy, solid, and is typically thought of as an unbending, uncompromising material. The seven days cure time for the thinset mortar in my example is the same as the first shear bond test for porcelain tile bonded to porcelain tile required under the ANSI A118.1 standard for dry-set Portland cement mortars. At that 7-day juncture the mortar must be well enough cured to exhibit a shear bond of at least 150psi.

Re: ditra vs cement board beezo, The smallest tiles I've installed over Ditra were 2"x2". (shower floor tile) I fill the voids the day before when I don't have enough time to start setting tiles that day. Doing so gives us a head start, plus we don't need to mix as much thinset to fill the voids when we start setting. Installing ditra over an approved substrate is much, much easier. In fact, nearly every bare substrate you find in a modern house would be considered an approved substrate – shiny linoleum is not one of them (Photo 3). While there are thinsets that ‘say’ they will bond to linoleum (and some of them will) apparently the jackass who installed that particular floor was not aware of that. I'm going to tile the floors in my kitchen, entry way, and bathroom. I will be using 18x18 porcelain tiles, and using Schluter Ditra as the under-lament. Each of these floors are currently linoleum. As far as I can tell, under the linoleum is some sort of particle board, and underneath that should be the bare floorboards.

Tile Subfloor, Thickness, Deflection Installing Electric Radiant Heat Pouring Self Leveling Mortar Leveling (Flattening) the Subfloor Installing Cement Board (CBU) Installing Schluter DITRA Marking Guidelines for Tile How to Lay Tile How to Grout Tile Joints Before laying tile or installing a tile underlayment like Schluter DITRA, it's important to check the subfloor to ensure a flat, even. Schluter DITRA underlayment is an uncoupling membrane that allows the tile floor to move (in-plane) relative to the substrate, eliminating the major causes for cracked and delaminated tile. DITRA is composed of a polyethylene (plastic) grid of square cavities, each with angled, dovetail cut-backs, and an anchoring mesh laminated to the backside. Pro Tip: Tape over holes and cracks in the wood subfloor or slab before pouring on the self-leveling tile underlayment to keep it from seeping through and leaving indentations. Photo: schluter.com 3.

Be careful with the mortars with Ditra. Read the specs from Schluter. Modified mortar (with latex) is used to set the Ditra and the specs call for unmodified for setting the tile on top. This is a problem with setting porcelain tile which needs modified, the heaviest possible. Schluter ®-DITRA and DITRA-XL are specifically designed for ceramic and stone tile installations.DITRA and DITRA-XL provide uncoupling to prevent cracked tile and grout. Made of polyethylene, DITRA and DITRA-XL serve as a waterproofing layer that protects moisture-sensitive substrates, such as plywood/OSB. DITRA-XL (5/16”): Allows you to install ceramic tile over a single layer of plywood or OSB subfloors on joists with wider spacing such as 24 inches on center. In addition, DITRA-XL and standard 5/16” tile creates a floor height that is level with standard 3/4″ hardwood flooring.

Don’t install tile the same day over the Ditra Heat mat. Schluter says this is ok. Again, I think this is a bad idea. As mentioned, when you have to pick a tile up and re-install it (you will have to do this- more than once) the suction of the tile can pull up the Ditra mat causing it to break the bond to the plywood. But it’s expensive! Yes it is. But if it prevents your floor from failing after a few years then it’s probably worth it. There was an alternative product mentioned in the forum thread called "Protegga" which looks to be a slightly less expensive copy of the Ditra (you can read John Bridge’s comments about Ditra knockoffs on his tile forum).. The price difference between the two products. I don’t insist on Ditra or any other uncoupling membrane when tiling over concrete floors, but I do recommend it. Adding Ditra to a tile flooring job will cost about $2 per square foot. I think the benefit far outweighs the cost. Using Ditra, normal cracking which occurs in concrete slabs will not adversely affect your tiled floor.

Floors, Interior - Ceramic or Porcelain Tile 19.2" (488 mm) o.c. joist spacing, single layer OSB or plywood subfloor DH-W19-T-16 DH-W16-T-16 Ceramic or porcelain tile Unmodified thin-set mortar DITRA-HEAT or DITRA-HEAT-TB uncoupling membrane and heating cables Latex p.c. mortar Single layer of plywood or OSB Joists, I-joists, or trusses For our bathroom, which is approximately 170 sq ft, it took us about 2 hours total to complete the Schluter Ditra XL installation process. We finished laying our 12×24 tile over the Schluter Ditra XL about a month ago now, and it looks great! No cracked tile so the Schluter Ditra XL appears to be doing its job wonderfully. Schluter DITRA Over Wood in a Bathroom Prevent Broken Tiles. As Seen On.. Here’s the basic rundown of how to use DITRA for ceramic or porcelain tile.. To Gilles Morin , no need to install cement over wood floor, please look on schluter.com website. It will explain what is needed, even thickness of flooring needed.

I will be installing 12 x 24 porcelain tile in my kitchen. My house is almost 20 years and sits on a crawlspace. I am buying, what I think is a decent quality tile at $4.75 per sq. ft. I am uncertain what to use below the tile, Ditra, Hardie board, or cement board I am drawn toward the Ditra since it is very thin. When sandwiched between two impervious layers such as DITRA and porcelain tile, drying takes place very slowly through the open grout joints. [According to the TCNA Handbook for Ceramic, Glass, and Stone Tile Installation, this drying period can fluctuate from 14 days to over 60 days, depending on the geographic location, the climatic. “The tile format should always be greater than 2” x 2” (5cm x 5cm).” Hi, I would be using 1” square mosaics! Oh no. I was basically back to where I was when the hardwood flooring had still been in place. Cement board over top, or rip out what I had just finished and put cement board directly over the plywood subfloor? Out with the OSB.

Tile is installed over DITRA using the thin-bed method in such a way that the mortar becomes mechanically anchored in the square, cutback cavities of the matting. Designed specifically for ceramic tile and dimension stone installations, DITRA serves as an uncoupling layer, waterproofing membrane, and vapor management layer that accommodates.

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