If you've not used Ditra or an uncoupling membrane before don't try and lay tiles the same day. Use Rapid Set adhesive to fix the ditra to the floor and always leave it overnight. Tat way if you have to lift a tile you won't pull the mat up with it :)
@@ks13077 I do this for a living and I see stupid new products all the time, but uncoupling is certainly necessary for tiling over wooden floors and underfloor heated screeds. It’s super easy to lay, so it is heard to make a mistake.
@@vapeurdepisse all depends on the situation. You can’t screw hardi over an under floor heated screed or screw into a floor of unknown depths with screws. Ditra goes on without penetration of the floor. Both work well, just depends on what it has to do.
Matt have you never seen Holmes on Homes? From the late nineties in Canada Practically every show they are rebuilding a bathroom or kitchen & using Shulter products to lay tile!
Don't let people tell you that you're crazy! You're not crazy for noticing it. They are crazy for NOT noticing and just want to protect their fragile ego. Tech in the wrong hands = bad, bad, bad.
I’m a plumber in Dallas and I would love to do work for this man. He is all about the highest quality. I would love a chance to work for a residential contractor that has those standards. Most contractors have no interest in quality. They only want cheap. That’s why I quit the residential world and went the mechanical/industrial route where quality is still valued. He does amazing work.
I can appreciate the sentiment. I think that when the quality is high people can just go on with their lifes and create new things that give new value, but if the quality is low then there's this whole spiral of time wasting: - the customer notices the problem and has to call the person that has done it - Not always, but sometimes they will waste time arguing, because the company tries to avoid repairing it - Someone needs to come and repair it - Often someone on the side of the customer needs to spend time and "watch" the person repairing it (I think that 99% of people that would come to do the repair are decent and wouldn't steal anything even if they had a chance, but there's always this 1% that is less decent and also there's always this anxiety when You need to let a stranger into your house) All this is time wasted, and also there are other situations -> maybe the thing doesn't break, but is just slightly (but visibly) out of sync and then people are annoyed at that. More quality -> more time and energy to enjoy life and hopefully create more awesome things
As part-time handyman and I have done a couple showers for others now using Schulter and was very happy with it. Now doing a whole master washroom reno for my wife and feeling confident using this product to tile over the wood floor. Cheers
16years ago I put this product down along with a floor heating electric system in my house built in 1936. My tile has not cracked, moved and none of the grout has cracked. It stiffened the subfloor greatly but also allows the structure to move without damage to the floorI love Schluter my brother is a kitchen and bath designer and that'll those guys use for decades. Great product super easy to work with and super light THAT WORKS!!!
@@thebobloblawshow8832 I dont agree. Our stick home was built in 1999 and the bathroom grout is cracked or there are gaps between grout and the tile edge, decoupling membrane wasnt used over plywood subfloor. Now, it doesnt matter much to us because we dont care or observe too closely, but for sticklers and perfectionists they would want a reno
@@LincolnLog well agree or not the proof is in the pudding. Never had an issue. Let me put it to you this way: what did people do before Schluter? Waste of money.
I have specified this product for many years and it has never failed. I first used it 20 years ago in two office block foyers where the contractor had laid tiles direct on the concrete floor that had subsequently cracked along joint lines in the substrate below. The installation allowed the contractor to retile the floor as originally specified that was now fully reliable and without having to rebuild the foyer floors to cure inherent problems. I have since spec'd this below all wet tile areas and in location where the substrate was variable, irrespective of where a finishing screed was laid on top. I have had no reported tile failures of any sort.
I used to help my uncle lay mosaic tiling when I was in college. That was around 8-9 years ago. It’s to my understanding it’s code to use a product similar to float the floor. He used this product and I’m sure to this day still does. It’s brought back so many memories of painstaking hours of laying tile. It’s unbelievable how hard that work is and I have a great level of respect for the laborers that work with tile. My uncle is an artist and to watch him break pieces of tile and pick and choose what shapes to build a piece is amazing. Then to tie it into a floor is on another level. I’m glad I learned what I could with him. Thanks UA-cam for putting this in my recommendations. Great product and with my experience with it I give it a thumbs up.
I mean, I’d have to see the work before I go as far as calling anyone a skilled anything lol. If you’ve been in construction you know it’s a hit or miss with the contractors.
I have used this many times, very good for large tiled areas where you want to avoid expansion joints. Never had any tile or grout line crack after using this even when pushing the area with continuous tile well past what would normally result in expansion cracks. Over underfloor heating this stuff is pretty much essential and works very well, I tiled a 150 square metre heated floor over 10 years ago with it and not a single crack in tile or grout in all that time.
@@private8559 Yes they do but in my experience using decoupling membrane this can be pushed well beyond the recommendations, that was my point. This is especially true for tiling over underfloor heating. The recommendations are very conservative.
@@private8559 For the most part pushing the boundaries comes from clients who are prepared to take the risk to avoid expansion joints. I have read the Schluter documentation together with Vario and Durabase which I also use. Its usually down to the type of tile being used and the type of floor how far I would be prepared to push it.
@@christiann4635 Depends on the situation really, heated floors really always require flexible adhesive often the really flexible stuff which is expensive but cheaper than having to redo it when there are problems. Decoupling membranes really work best with the polymerised flexible adhesives anyway. I have found the fibre reinforced adhesives to be very good too where there is going to be excessive expansion.
You mentioned goin over the heated mats with ditra ...What do you recommend using along side of the heated mats to make up the same height ? ( I plan on only doing 50% heat mat coverage on concrete slab)
Used this product in upstairs master bathroom and was very pleased. One benefit Matt does not point out is sound dampening. Significantly lessens sound of footfalls on tile in downstair rooms.
Hay Matt, Excellent Video. When I was in Italy the house I was billeted in was an amazing structure hundreds of years old. This entire structure was masonry, with floors that had not cracked since originally built. What I witnessed amazed me and I couldn’t believe how simple and affective this method was. The tile floors where laid on sand. Like you said, uncoupled, when the building moves the floors just kind of vibrates sliding around. Crazy. Hope you have a Great New Year.
The same reason you lay a foot or two of sand before pouring a concrete slab for a garage, or putting a down a sand pad for an above ground pool. It's effective.
My subfloor is three-quarter inch plywood, the builder tiled directly to the plywood, 21 years later I tore it out just to remodel and a change of scenery, never had a single issue with the tile.
You should look into Japanese showers, these are found on middle class homes all over the country. It's how I plan on building a master bath in my forever home.
That product is simply an Anti Fracture Membrane, its very pricey product, sure its a great product if you want to spend big bucks, or you can use a simple Anti Fracture membrane that people have been using for years, and its cost is a fraction. Great video.
I'm in Arlington, TX ...I invested in an uncoupling membrane for my kitchen and bathroom tile install, 5 years ago. Best investment..my foundation has settled and repair has been done recently and no cracked tiles in the kitchen or bathroom. The installer definitely needs to install it correctly and use the correct mortar for the installation.
@@QueOndaWhey OH NO! Gosh do you have foundation issues? It sucks when stuff is moving and cracking around you lol. If that's not it, I know my best friend had cracked tiles because of bad installation..not enough mortar used when they were installed.
Did my master bath, with walk in shower (no curb) 7 years ago. With ditra, and kirdi awesome products. Their shower kits and drain assemblies are very well designed, be available here in Ontario Canada for over a decade, Mike Holmes has featured it on almost every build since it came available in north America
Also they are the products that will have hidden mold and rot and will never show These products are the worst products i have ever seen. My experience I had to renovate 4 bathrooms in one house and rip apart this company products On the surface everything was good under neat complete garbage Watch horror stories here on youtube All from this company products I am using MAPEI way better and professional This company y has good ideas but their products rot very easily.
I installed about 250k ft of tile over my career and I was very reluctant to start using these uncoupling mats. I've had very few issues with bond failure on my tile jobs,I have done repairs where the tile has come loose on the top half of the ditra mat. I have used uncoupling mats with the fleece on both sides,that's what I use now.
I’ve been using Schluter Kerdi and Ditra products… sheets, board, shower pans… making benches, curbs, tub pedestals, etc., for the past 7 or 8 years. It’s versatile, fast… excellent!
I used the Kerdi shower system with the square drain and fleece to build my shower system 8 years ago and its working perfect. I hired out the tile work and the guy loved working around the square drain instead of the round ones most people us. If I did it again I would for sure add heat to the shower floor and the bathroom floor. Its a great system.
Hi Matt, I completely agree with you about the Schluter products. I used them on my concrete floor on grade about 10 years ago and I love it. I think at the time I felt that I was taking a chance after our whole downstairs flooded from a toilet overflow after a massive rainstorm. Less than a year, after install we had another massive overflow of the toilet. I cried and we had to empty the down stairs again, but because I had all the walls to floor waterproofed along the bottom edges with Kerdi, I did not have ANY need to repair dry wall. Boy was I happy!!! With the Ditra between the cement and the tile, I have not had any separation of Tile from the floor. And so as a result I am totally convinced, just as you are that Schluter products work. I did a lot of research before doing this and was pretty convinced ahead of time. I have NOT changed my mind, I spent extra money for it but never regretted the decision. Thank You Schluter!!!!!
Here’s what I don’t understand about adding Kerdi-band to a seam over Ditra. There’s pockets with raised walls and recesses. Knowing that Thinset isn’t waterproof (I know, I tested it), and that’s what you’re using to apply the Kerdi-band…how does it help with those channels of the Ditra possibly allowing water to seep within those channels (even though they’re filled with non-waterproof thinset)?
This is fantastic. Here in the UK people have little or no confidence in builders because they do everything as cheap as possible only to cause home owners additional costs to rectify shoddy workmanship. Just listening to you, give me confidence in this product (even though I am useless at DIY) to have it installed in my next home. Thank you
Don't do that. This product is complete garbage Use MAPEI green mat way better than this junk. Your tiles will.pop out very soon. The only way to know the truth is if you demolish bathrooms and have tested both products This orange garbage fails all the time Shluter is a crappy company I will never use them in my life never They fail all the time. Try to pull tiles over green Mapei mat and see how it will go . You cannot remove them Over this pink garbage they pop out like nithing. Demolisued 3 bathrooms in one day Tried to demolish a bathroom with Mapei and could not go quarter in one day and need power tools Dont use this orange bs your tiles will crumble in a few years.
I live in Sweden and I am a carpenter and concrete does not crack if you do it right. If it cracks the problem is - to little rebar in the foundation - concrete dries to fast when it is "burning" - bad ground work under the foundations. happy building!
Where he is in Texas most homes have tensioned concrete foundations that flex throughout the seasons on the first floor. It may go 3 months no rain on a clay ground, so the soil shrinks a lot. Hes talking about what he has to deal with
That's heat cables. Somewhat different product. It looks more like lego studs with cable in between. Or it could be water pipes in the slab. Tile is as cold as my soul otherwise.
Tile is always going to be cold unless you are piping hot water or electric heating pads under it. Great for hot weather though! Carpet nice soft and warm but not durable, and pain the keep clean.
I installed this because of the uncoupling. What I didn't expect was HOW MUCH BETTER my room felt after the install. I had zero insulation under my old faux hardwood floors. The ditra system made it so I can walk around barefoot in the winter in my own home again
How did it feel better? From what I understand it's meant to make tile instalation better and last longer. So why would it make your room feel better if your not even walking on it
I used this to fix a crumbling tile landing that had been affixed directly to hardwood with mortar in the 60s or so. Its amazing. Only thing is people need to pick the right adhesion product. Certain mastic/mortar are specifically stated to not be used with these. Super easy to use. 10/10 would recommend
I installed this when I remodeled our master bath, complete custom shower, tub area, and flooring. About 500sq total tiling, including shower. It was an easy install and I really liked the fact that I can waterproof areas easily. My original tile floor was about 1" thick and now it is about 1/2" thick, so now I have door jams that have gaps, not sure what do about that. I would recommend this product to anyone think is building or remodeling a home. Also, building the shower curb was a breeze and looks amazing. They have products that make the install look clean and professional. I was able to get all my products from Lowes and they had everything in stock.
For the bottoms of your door jambs, I recommend plinth blocks. They have them in stock at the big box stores. They're square and make the room look much more expensive. Just mark around the block with a pencil and cut away the casing and baseboard with an oscillating multitool. For the baseboard gaps, I recommend 'stop molding.' It's the molding on the door frame, that stops the door from going any further when you close it.
Matt, I am actually doing my own shower remodel as well as the entire master bathroom. I'll be using Schluter's Kerdi system at least for the shower, which I'll be making a custom floor pan with Kerdi's drain as well. From what I've researched it is going to be a great option for our remodel. I'll try to get some photos and maybe a video of the remodel as we progress if your interested. Great product in my opinion. Your videos have definitely made me think more about the products I use in my DIY projects as well as what I'll be using should we decide to build our next home.
as a builder/remodeler this system seems to be wonderful. I will install it in my own soon to be spa room on the third floor of my house and keep u posted as to the developments with this product/s.
I learned about rhis recently, and we used it on a bathroom remodel we did. I will say that it is awesome. Very easy to install and covers all your bases. I would definitely use it again.
Hahahah me too! While watching I just kept thinking 'He's never going to get good adhesion to the back of that shluter' lol. That's what happens when you spread thinset over particle board. The particle board soaks up all the water from the thinset and the materials don't bond. Total crapola install! LOL
I also got a kick at 6:45 when the guy was struggling to get mud out of the bucket using his notch trowel. Could he not afford a pail scoop or any number of trowels/knives that could get help him get that mud out faster? That was almost painful to watch! Lol
I tiled two bathrooms on the second floor of my house 7 years ago. The subfloor is a chipboard. I used ditra in one of the bathrooms. In the other I used bakerboard and redgard on the top. Both floors look fine as of today. Tile and grout are in perfect condition. If I had to do it again, I would go with bakeroard and redgard. Easier to apply. I don't even understand from their ad why anybody would use ditra over a concrete floor. Two coats of redgard and flexibond is a way to go. I tiled 300 sq ft over very unstable concrete on the first floor in my house. ( It contracts and expands year around and the old tile was all cracked as a result. ) I isolated cracks with a membrane, put two coats of redgard and used flexibond. No problems so far. Ditra is a good product, don't get me wrong, but it is expensive and PITA to apply. Try to fill all the waffles with a thinset!
Architect here - the idea of ditra over a concrete floor is to isolate the tile work from the concrete slab. If the slab cracks, the crack will not impact the tile work...
@Anatoly Eydelzon your specific application has redguard and isolation membrane as an ideal and affordable solution due to it already having all the cracks for you to isolate. However in new construction, you have whatever lines the architect tells the concrete guys to cut in the slab. They are often times not very accurate lines as to where the cracks will actually form. Using a floor wide membrane eliminates those cracks from coming through the tile.
this stuff is awesome- i'm an owner/builder and i've done two bathrooms, a laundry room, a couple of kitchens and a deck with this stuff and most are past the ten year mark and all have experienced zero issues.
@@richardraad2816 it's a slate deck over a garage. 2 layers of ply, ditra, kerdiband on all edges and seams, and then flashing above that and then slate on top of that. The deck is super rigid, 2x12 (16 foot span) every foot, and 4x 2x12 under part of the deck that something else is supported by. Note that schluter does not like people to do this, i dont think it's because it doesn't work, i think it's because they would rather I had used their more expensive products that they market for outdoor use.
ive been in tile for 16 years and schluter is by far and away the most inventive companies i've ever used products from. it has saved me time, headache, and sheer pain. to go from 80lb sheets of concrete board to a roll that can do a whole floor that weighs like ... nothing? it's stupid strong, flexes with movement, is virtually mold immune, can be waterproofed completely.. i mean it's stupid not to use honestly. i do not work for schluter, I am just a tile guy who loves good products.
I'll second that, i've been using it when it was corrugated, not squares, fitted 100's and 100's of meters of it. All Schluter products are brilliant especially the wetroom drains, no one builds an easier to fit or stronger system :)
Awesome stuff, but after taking out a multitude of 1950's bathrooms that were almost completely tiled with some funky colors I might add, they were built some tough !! Found only one with some minor water damage but not bad after 50-60yrs !! Hopefully this holds up as well, as I think it will.
@@entropyfan5714 tell me about it just tore out a bath with .25 inch drywall then steel mesh with 2.5-3 inch concrete then tile I used a diamond wheel cutter to cut in between the studs and pryed it off in chunks, worst demo ever lol especially aroumd the plumbing and electrical!!
@@megenberg8 yeah for sure same principles apply now to installs of tile and stone and they also knew it when they made the parthenon just the material technology is different now but same principles!!
In Sweden we have a thinner membrane with taped corners. All glued with a 2component glue. The level is fixed before so all surface angles down to the drain with a steel mesh net in it, so that ”cake” won’t crack if the foundation moves.
I’ve used it and won’t use it again. I was sold on the channels for expanding and contracting to prevent tile cracking. I had more cracked tile using Schulter Ditra after about 3 years. My cement board was cheaper and preformed better with no cracked tile after 4 years. It was also a pain in the butt to replace tile with Ditra.
Try the old style metal lattice with scratch coat. Smooth it out thin with a trowel and let it set. if you're paranoid do a second layer then tile over it.
@@mrgreensuit7379 I installed it exactly as directed. All my renovations I used cement board I’ve had zero issues, with Ditra I had a couple tile crack and grout needed to be redone in several areas. I was happy when I first installed it because it was easier and faster to install and I didn’t mind paying the high cost because it saved me time. However, I ended up spending much more time repairing and replacing grout and tile. It’s a pain in the ass to remove the tile set from the tiny squares and not damage the Ditra.
Spectacular demonstration for an awesome and innovative product line. "Uncouple" is an appropriate verb for separating railroad cars, but the better engineering term would be "decouple."
I've used This product and absolutely Love it. Works great, as long as you do it as they have instructed. Do not try to cut corners with this product. Love it
Hi There. QUESTION ? I am doing a small tiling job. only x 2 square meters bathroom floor. I want to know ? Is there any multi purpose adhesive which I could use for both - sticking on waterproof decoupling membrane onto a concrete subfloor and also using the same adhesive for sticking tiles on top of it ?
Nice job! Very informative. My husband suggested I view this since he is interested in using ICF for our new house construction. I liked the way you; broke down terms and made everything easy to understand. Your Pros and Cons were very helpful, since I too, had concerns about some of the issues you elaborated on.
Man thank you and thank you UA-cam algorithms! I need to replace linoleum in my basement from a massive water leak. It is on concrete and was concerned about cracks. Will definitely check this out.
We gutted our bathroom and used yhis product on the floors, halfway up the walls, and in the shower area. Word to the wise....do NOT let your tile installer use their choice of mastic. You MUST use a recommended type of mastic or it will not dry properly. We loved uding this product!
A few years ago, I have installed this Schulter Ditra underlayment plastic and have marble over at the second floor bathrooms. Now, every time my husband is in the master bathroom I know because I heard squeaking noise from Schulter Ditra and I regret I don't choose hardboard underlayment.
Wrong! Custom home builder here who also does high-end renovations. Squeaking comes from movement between two stiffer elements. 90% of the squeaks I have found in homes are nails moving up and down and deflecting wood. Sometimes it's wood on wood similar to two branches when the wind moves the trees. That synthetic membrane does not squeak. I've tried numerous times and never get any sound out of it. It's the subfloor below the ditra mat. There's a nail in the plywood subfloor below the mat. When the floor deflects the plywood moves and makes the nail squeak. I have been called to many other contractors customers with squeaky issues. And I always find the squeak. It could be a royal PITA, but I find it in 90% it's wood moving and the nail is not. Every now and then it's two pieces of wood.
60 years ago, Earnest Pisano, put tile on plywood. Real 3/4" plywood. years went by, and the only reason I started taking things apart, was because of a leak from the toilet. (The toilet did not last 60 years). I was STUNNED. 3/4" plywood was in near new condition, and perfectly fine. I glued the tile that fell back up. It worked better then anything I've ever seen, and it did not fight the water that hard.
I used it on a 3/4” plywood bath floor that I was trying to maintain the elevation going into an existing floor outside that bathroom, so I didn’t have the room to add 1/2” cement board. After a couple years and no cracks in my tile. That’s all I need for proof that this works...
I don’t know if you have more online videos like this but you are the best teacher I have ever been able to actually watch online and learn better than I can when I’m on the site because I get yelled and bitched at. You’re calm you are very well spoken and you show an example As you were explaining yourself somebody is doing the background work at the same time. Brilliant. Please continue as this is something that I would definitely describe four or even sign up for for course. Learned on the job well, I can imagine you only understand better than I do these people we work for I just bitch and moan and call you names but don’t teach you. Thank you for doing this. God bless I hope your family is safe healthy and well.
Love Mike Holmes he's one of the best and I wish more contractors took pride in their work and cared about their customers doing the job correctly the first time around.
We had that stuff put under our floors and in large areas, the grout started to crack and come out within a week or two. I'm sure it was installed wrong, but what a pain it was to get it corrected.
Since I am deaf enough to need captioning, I watched once for action in background, once more to read. For a bad builder job master shower replacement, I gutted walls to metal studs over concrete slab (South Fl), replaced, added and reinforced studs, and did .5" cement board, doubled on longest wall. Properly notched grey pudding type waterproofing over all. Walls, floating bench (not the block type shown here), arched niche, upper corner shelf bowl draining cement pan to direct drain. I used several Schluter products....corner membrane, faucet water proofing pieces, drain top. But I am still with cement board. Properly done, cement board just makes me feel like it will BE there for awhile. If you want it done right, DIY. Or micromanage a select subcontractor. 😉 122 lb lady DIY'er
Thank you for this (from Ontario, Canada). I’m retired & have worked on a number of tile projects over the past few years. I was looking for a system to reduce the thickness of tile install over plywood subfloor & still get good results without using concrete boards. Really enjoy your videos.
Seeing a lot of these 'membrane' applications around YT these days. Good! I've been using rubber membranes between my dry wall/plasterboard since the 90's. I always fit highest quality double glazed windows too. #1 complaint of most private tenants is sound/air pollution. Always found it totally mind blowing that 99% of landlords don't think this matters. Guess they enjoy turning over tenants every 6 months! I think I've saved myself thousands of hours wasted on admin/checks over the years. A well maintained property = happy long term tenants. No brainer!
I can't believe that some places still allow builders to install single glazed windows for living spaces, the quality of life benefits from the thermal/sound blocking is so big that it should be in every building code. Not to mention poor ventilation is so common if left up to the tenant so you don't want condensation to wreck the sills with mould.
What rubber membranes do you use? Researching sound deadening and there's lots of opinions. Most recommend 2 layers of 5/8 as the most cost effective method. Thanks
The concept behind this solid. We’ll be using this in a total bathroom gut including a shower using the Schluter system. My wife studied up on this more than I did, so that’s her job. I do have to laugh about not putting tile directly on sub flooring. I’m not sure what I did wrong but I installed tile in a kitchen and breakfast nook in 1988. Tore it out in 2015. No cracks in the grout anywhere, no loose tiles, no movement of any tiles, period. What did I do wrong?
Did my entire 1700 sq ft cement slab house in this product. I know that in places the slab has shifted and drywall cracks but the floor looks the same as when I finished it over 5 years ago. I did break a tile from dropping a heavy object on it. It was a bear removing the broken tile. I'm pretty that I would have lots of issues if I had not used ditra.
Greetings from Guayaquil, Ecuador. Your videos are of great quality, congratulations. The importance of your dialogues requires that they be translated and put as subtitles. Please try to do so as soon as possible in Spanish, the construction-loving community will thank you.
We have bathroom with this product on a wooden floor, they used thin tiles on this product on the floor, lots of tiles are broken because this product bends down walking on it,but better for thick tiles
Been using Ditra for years, including Ditra Heat, love it! Have also done a few showers using Kerdi and Kerdi Board, wouldn't do it any other way. Great system!
Thats all we use. Most tradesmen don't do the training to understand the system. I use kerdi for al my repair jobs of the other so called superior systems, the more things change the more they stay the same- doing things the same old dumb ways and most guys don't even do it right the old way
I have used this product a few years ago out of interest, but now see how it can really be applied. Thank you for the video I now know what else I need to look out for.
I purchased this complete system and handed it over to my contractor along with the how to video in 2009. He refused to watch the video and insisted that no bathroom renovation could be started without mud. He piled on so much mud that the floor slopes down towards the entryway. He had to cut the bottom of the door on an angle to accommodate the floor's slope. Some contractors just don't get it.
I see the resistance of "Experinced installers" like those posting here - watched that happen for years at Lowe's same with epoxy grout - installers hated it because they had to go slower and couldn't slap it up and run out the door - Schlutter, Epoxy grout and a number other newer products take a little more time, more skill and yes more cost to customer - in the long run the customer wins and the installer saves time on call backs and fighting with customers over failed installs. BUT you have to do it right or it won't work - that means CHANGING your work habits.
I was surprised you didn’t make this video earlier. I have been using this product for years and the time saving will pay for the extra cost. You should also use the Kerdi product as well
These are great products, first found out about them from Mike Holmes, he has been using these for years. If it's Holmes approved then it's good for me.
Thank you for sharing this insightful video! The tips on maximizing return on investment by utilizing existing foundation space or expanding it strategically are extremely valuable for homeowners. Your expertise and clear explanations make complex concepts easy to understand. Keep up the great work!
Very impressive and informative. Just bought a house with most of the bathroom custom tiled. I hope the person(s) used this in their install. Only time will tell as myself and the Mrs. use the bathroom. I'm now a sub!
I'm a 70 year old with a bad back & knees & have no plans to get down on my knees. I wouldn't be able to get back up. 😂 Plus I'm not building anything either.
@Mike B... I'm a 70 year old, retired kitchen & bath remodeler, with arthritis & two artificial knees, but, there is one job left in me and that's my own master bath tile floor job, so glad I stumbled on to this channel, I didn't know about this stuff, no more Durarock... Wahoo!... Oh yeah, I'm going to have to get somebody to help me get off my knees ;-》
I have specified Schluter systems many times over the last 10 years or so and it is my go to spec for any tiled areas irrespective of whether they are wet or not. In fact I was called to provide a rectification spec on two large office reception areas where the tiling had reflective cracking over concrete daywork joints. In both areas threats of consequential loss and disruption meant that the pressure was on to settle the issue once and for all. Schluter provided both the Ditra matting and the underfloor heating mat (check this out it is the best system I have seen) in the two areas.
Mapei is better This company is epic fail all the time. Will never use them in my life All their products are complete garbage You will find out when your cliets sew you in a few years and you cannot explain why all their oroducts failed. MAPEI is number one This company is a sham.
I’ve been a tile setter for 43 years and I can tell you in all honesty whenever You hard fasten you the subfloor you will have problems. Wood never stops being a tree swelling with moisture in the summer and shrinking in the winter this will cause joints to crack every single time.A floating mud bed is far less expensive than This product and much more reliable.
Jeff Nelson Builder of high end homes in Connecticut for 35 years, could not disagree more. If your using a plywood base and leave a saw blade kerf between sheets you will not have cracks.
I've installed this, what I see is, at seams at a middle of the room, it is now a buildup, a hump, the adhesive on top of the membrane, to add the 6"waterproofing band, now you have to accommodate for that humph, if you do not, a tile can teeter totter over that, which means you have to add more adhesive, make sure you do that!
I've been installing this stuff for about 10 yrs, been thru many Certification classes. It sounds like you aren't pressing down hard enough after laying the Ditra and the mud is built up at the seams. I use a wood smoothing float to push out air and excess mud. If you use kerdi band to seal the seams, again it should not really make any difference at all. Sounds like you are using too much mud. Invest in a set of Trowels from Schluter . They make one specifically for Kerdi and one for Ditra If you are left with a slight hump after all of that, your tile should still lay flat if you are using enough mud above the Ditra. If you are still concerned increase your notch trowell size slightly. You will essentially float the tile over any irregularities in the floor
Just finished a bathroom remodel on my 2nd floor main bath. Full tile tub surround and from the countertop down in the rest of the room. Looks fantastic. Installer used traditional methods. We talked about the Kerdi system and it’s benefits. He really wants to use it but the company he works for doesn’t use it, yet. So, fingers crossed it doesn’t fail. I may take on the downstairs bathroom myself with the kerdi. Looks so much easier than what had to be done upstairs for waterproofing.
As an engineer doing forensic foundation inspections, I can't count the number of times I had to explain how concrete cracks transfer into overlying floor tiles.
When he mentioned the washer overflowing and flooding the upper floor that resulted in major insurance claims, that is one of the main reasons why the washer DOES NOT go above the ground floor. Washers belong on the ground floor, and preferably in the garage where water mishaps don't screw up the house.
By that logic you shouldn't have second floor bathrooms either. If you put it just anywhere without preparing the space to house it adequately then yeah you're going to have problems.
@@qtipmotha Bathroom fixtures don't create leak issues to the degree that a washer can because bathroom fixtures are generally used by a person who is present during the entire use to see a leak issue right away, and when the person is done the water get's turned off. Besides that, bathtubs, toilets and sinks rarely ever leak, and if they do it's a very small amount. Washers are turned on and left to themselves without being watched. When the washer leaks, or the house drain line for the washer leaks, it can be a long time before it's discovered. If they leak in the garage, the water runs down to the street with no damage caused. Another reason washers shouldn't be on the upper levels is because they are designed to work best on a solid cement slab to keep them steady during the spin cycle. You heard the guy on the video mention the insurance claim from the washer, but said nothing about the fixtures causing a claim. That's because they rarely cause serious leak issues. I speak from experience on this because my occupation has seen washer flood damage hundreds of times.
@@truthseekerKJV that isnt the issue at all with washers. It's the volume of water than can leak in a short period of time. No one is noticing that their 2nd floor shower pan or tub is leaking when they're using it until its too late. The damage is more likely to be structural by the time that a problem is detected, especially with the building materials that they're using for the joists in newer homes. In either case if built to suit it shouldn't be an issue. Its unlikely that a washer will ever leak during its lifetime, where as a shower/bath...? Not so sure about that. They also make prefab drain pains to install the washer on or a pan can be built with a liner like your standard tile shower. That goes back to adequately preparing the space for the appliance instead of just sitting it in a closet.
@@qtipmotha Based on your fake youtube id, and your obvious ignorance of washers and house drains, I'm seeing you as nothing but a troll who thrives on arguing online. You cannot prepare a second story house well enough to deal with the amount of water that comes from a serious washer leak, or backed up house drain line. Those $20.00 pans that are used in 2 story homes are garbage. As I stated before, my 30 years in the field gives me far more experience in this issue than some online troll who gets a kick out of online debates, so go to hell.
Ditra is the stuff for underlaying under floor tile. The previous owner of my house laid floor tile directly over linoleum. Needless to say I was not happy, when it all started coming up.
A builder should always have every possible method in his arsenal. This system was covered by Holmes on Homes some time ago however it is nice to be reminded of it. As a decoupler, it may also be good under wood floors which are glued to a slab (only after a water seepage test has been performed and passed) to keep the boards from separating over time if a crack develops.
Please research Moxie concrete additive. Eliminates: Water permeability, structural instability from curing processes, expansion/contraction from freezing water, toxic “white dust” over time, and need for rebar (though local code will still mandate it!). I’m not a rep or anything but I’ve been on jobs that used Moxie treated concrete in the wet mix and am amazed it isn’t standard for all concrete worldwide.
have given a thumbs up for this product and the video; Though have been tiling in the UK now for 36 yrs! ...Sadly I find that for many suburb jobs , the price is by far the primary factor! In short if you choose to price in an excellent product like this to the overall cost;, sadly someone else will get the job?.....Though from a thermal perspective this looks excellent! Would definitely include this within a job whereby the customer is not hunting for a cheaper option👍
im a Registered Nurse, dont know how i got here but it was very INFORMATIVE
I work in HC as well. Have no clue how I got here but I know I want this under the tile in my new home!
I'm watching this from the space station, idk how I got here but I didn't know I needed this info until I got the info
If you've not used Ditra or an uncoupling membrane before don't try and lay tiles the same day. Use Rapid Set adhesive to fix the ditra to the floor and always leave it overnight. Tat way if you have to lift a tile you won't pull the mat up with it :)
@@ks13077 I do this for a living and I see stupid new products all the time, but uncoupling is certainly necessary for tiling over wooden floors and underfloor heated screeds. It’s super easy to lay, so it is heard to make a mistake.
But Hardie Backer had worked great for decades and it's screwed down into the floor, so it's even more secure.
@@vapeurdepisse all depends on the situation. You can’t screw hardi over an under floor heated screed or screw into a floor of unknown depths with screws. Ditra goes on without penetration of the floor. Both work well, just depends on what it has to do.
Matt have you never seen Holmes on Homes? From the late nineties in Canada
Practically every show they are rebuilding a bathroom or kitchen & using Shulter products to lay tile!
Great product... factory certified in Reno facility.
My mom mentioned this to me yesterday, I had no idea what she was talking about. UA-cam recommends this 1 year old video... They are always listening.
No shit. scary.
A sure sign Google Ads is picking up key words in your conversations !
Just called my tile guy yesterday, video recommended this morning.
I know how you feel. I've just recently wanted to do something with tiles and these vids pop up.
Don't let people tell you that you're crazy! You're not crazy for noticing it. They are crazy for NOT noticing and just want to protect their fragile ego. Tech in the wrong hands = bad, bad, bad.
I’m a plumber in Dallas and I would love to do work for this man. He is all about the highest quality. I would love a chance to work for a residential contractor that has those standards. Most contractors have no interest in quality. They only want cheap. That’s why I quit the residential world and went the mechanical/industrial route where quality is still valued. He does amazing work.
I can appreciate the sentiment. I think that when the quality is high people can just go on with their lifes and create new things that give new value, but if the quality is low then there's this whole spiral of time wasting:
- the customer notices the problem and has to call the person that has done it
- Not always, but sometimes they will waste time arguing, because the company tries to avoid repairing it
- Someone needs to come and repair it
- Often someone on the side of the customer needs to spend time and "watch" the person repairing it
(I think that 99% of people that would come to do the repair are decent and wouldn't steal anything even if they had a chance, but there's always this 1% that is less decent and also there's always this anxiety when You need to let a stranger into your house)
All this is time wasted, and also there are other situations -> maybe the thing doesn't break, but is just slightly (but visibly) out of sync and then people are annoyed at that.
More quality -> more time and energy to enjoy life and hopefully create more awesome things
Do the contractors want cheap, or their customers?
@@apatwella most want cheap
Plumber? You don't even need a license in Texas. Totally worthless title.
As part-time handyman and I have done a couple showers for others now using Schulter and was very happy with it. Now doing a whole master washroom reno for my wife and feeling confident using this product to tile over the wood floor.
Cheers
16years ago I put this product down along with a floor heating electric system in my house built in 1936. My tile has not cracked, moved and none of the grout has cracked. It stiffened the subfloor greatly but also allows the structure to move without damage to the floorI love Schluter my brother is a kitchen and bath designer and that'll those guys use for decades. Great product super easy to work with and super light THAT WORKS!!!
❤
It would have turned out the same without it. On top of concrete is it’s only use.
@@thebobloblawshow8832 wrong,
@@thebobloblawshow8832 I dont agree. Our stick home was built in 1999 and the bathroom grout is cracked or there are gaps between grout and the tile edge, decoupling membrane wasnt used over plywood subfloor. Now, it doesnt matter much to us because we dont care or observe too closely, but for sticklers and perfectionists they would want a reno
@@LincolnLog well agree or not the proof is in the pudding. Never had an issue. Let me put it to you this way: what did people do before Schluter? Waste of money.
I have specified this product for many years and it has never failed. I first used it 20 years ago in two office block foyers where the contractor had laid tiles direct on the concrete floor that had subsequently cracked along joint lines in the substrate below. The installation allowed the contractor to retile the floor as originally specified that was now fully reliable and without having to rebuild the foyer floors to cure inherent problems. I have since spec'd this below all wet tile areas and in location where the substrate was variable, irrespective of where a finishing screed was laid on top. I have had no reported tile failures of any sort.
I used to help my uncle lay mosaic tiling when I was in college. That was around 8-9 years ago. It’s to my understanding it’s code to use a product similar to float the floor. He used this product and I’m sure to this day still does. It’s brought back so many memories of painstaking hours of laying tile. It’s unbelievable how hard that work is and I have a great level of respect for the laborers that work with tile. My uncle is an artist and to watch him break pieces of tile and pick and choose what shapes to build a piece is amazing. Then to tie it into a floor is on another level. I’m glad I learned what I could with him. Thanks UA-cam for putting this in my recommendations. Great product and with my experience with it I give it a thumbs up.
Well if you have great respect for them then stop calling them labourer they are skilled craftsmen
I mean, I’d have to see the work before I go as far as calling anyone a skilled anything lol. If you’ve been in construction you know it’s a hit or miss with the contractors.
It's also good for heated floors. As an electrician we run our heating conductor in between the squares. It holds the conductor very well
that would be the ditra heat you are referring too! Same general look but denser and has grooves for heating wires!
I have used this many times, very good for large tiled areas where you want to avoid expansion joints. Never had any tile or grout line crack after using this even when pushing the area with continuous tile well past what would normally result in expansion cracks. Over underfloor heating this stuff is pretty much essential and works very well, I tiled a 150 square metre heated floor over 10 years ago with it and not a single crack in tile or grout in all that time.
@@private8559 Yes they do but in my experience using decoupling membrane this can be pushed well beyond the recommendations, that was my point. This is especially true for tiling over underfloor heating. The recommendations are very conservative.
@@private8559 For the most part pushing the boundaries comes from clients who are prepared to take the risk to avoid expansion joints. I have read the Schluter documentation together with Vario and Durabase which I also use. Its usually down to the type of tile being used and the type of floor how far I would be prepared to push it.
What type of thinnest did you use on top to lay the tile? Modified or unmodified?
@@christiann4635 Depends on the situation really, heated floors really always require flexible adhesive often the really flexible stuff which is expensive but cheaper than having to redo it when there are problems. Decoupling membranes really work best with the polymerised flexible adhesives anyway. I have found the fibre reinforced adhesives to be very good too where there is going to be excessive expansion.
You mentioned goin over the heated mats with ditra ...What do you recommend using along side of the heated mats to make up the same height ? ( I plan on only doing 50% heat mat coverage on concrete slab)
Used this product in upstairs master bathroom and was very pleased. One benefit Matt does not point out is sound dampening. Significantly lessens sound of footfalls on tile in downstair rooms.
°°
Thank you. This is exactly what I wanted to know at 4am
Hay Matt, Excellent Video. When I was in Italy the house I was billeted in was an amazing structure hundreds of years old. This entire structure was masonry, with floors that had not cracked since originally built. What I witnessed amazed me and I couldn’t believe how simple and affective this method was. The tile floors where laid on sand. Like you said, uncoupled, when the building moves the floors just kind of vibrates sliding around. Crazy. Hope you have a Great New Year.
The same reason you lay a foot or two of sand before pouring a concrete slab for a garage, or putting a down a sand pad for an above ground pool. It's effective.
Sand is probably too heavy to be practical with today cheap wood stick carpentry used in america but i get the decoupling idea, that's great.
My subfloor is three-quarter inch plywood, the builder tiled directly to the plywood, 21 years later I tore it out just to remodel and a change of scenery, never had a single issue with the tile.
20 yrs installing this product it's the right stuff worth every penny
can you lay it upside down. I done it by mistake
One aspect that really impressed me is that you can use this to create a full room shower without a barrier.. Can be really creative.
I have an 8 bathroom new construction house I'm doing and they will all have curbless barrier free showers
@@jlanemiller totally!
@@jlanemiller pictures or it didn't happen 😉
Panasyukvic I’ll keep you posted!
You should look into Japanese showers, these are found on middle class homes all over the country. It's how I plan on building a master bath in my forever home.
Your character, wisdom, and presentation is the best I've witnessed in a long time. You deserve the best!!!
Are you this guys mom or something lol.
But in all seriousness it is a helpful video
That product is simply an Anti Fracture Membrane, its very pricey product, sure its a great product if you want to spend big bucks, or you can use a simple Anti Fracture membrane that people have been using for years, and its cost is a fraction. Great video.
Been using it for 25yrs now, can't beat it!
DIYer here, and this is a great product. I need to remodel a bathroom and this is the way to go, thanks for the info.
I removed one of these ditra systems and it was a nightmare wrestling match. Very strong install, surprised me and I've lots of demo experience.
exactly....awesome for install,..but it's a complete pita to remove.
I'm in Arlington, TX ...I invested in an uncoupling membrane for my kitchen and bathroom tile install, 5 years ago. Best investment..my foundation has settled and repair has been done recently and no cracked tiles in the kitchen or bathroom. The installer definitely needs to install it correctly and use the correct mortar for the installation.
In North Dallas and all our kitchen tiles are cracking severely
@@QueOndaWhey OH NO! Gosh do you have foundation issues? It sucks when stuff is moving and cracking around you lol. If that's not it, I know my best friend had cracked tiles because of bad installation..not enough mortar used when they were installed.
Hope yall alright down there. 🙏🏽
If you have foundation issues its going to crack anyways.
@@smcewen7 None of my tiles have cracked, but hey I can't speak for everyone's experience with the product.
Did my master bath, with walk in shower (no curb) 7 years ago. With ditra, and kirdi awesome products. Their shower kits and drain assemblies are very well designed, be available here in Ontario Canada for over a decade, Mike Holmes has featured it on almost every build since it came available in north America
Also they are the products that will have hidden mold and rot and will never show
These products are the worst products i have ever seen.
My experience
I had to renovate 4 bathrooms in one house and rip apart this company products
On the surface everything was good under neat complete garbage
Watch horror stories here on youtube
All from this company products
I am using MAPEI way better and professional
This company y has good ideas but their products rot very easily.
I installed about 250k ft of tile over my career and I was very reluctant to start using these uncoupling mats. I've had very few issues with bond failure on my tile jobs,I have done repairs where the tile has come loose on the top half of the ditra mat. I have used uncoupling mats with the fleece on both sides,that's what I use now.
Still using fleece on both sides, or have you switched to something else now?
I’ve been using Schluter Kerdi and Ditra products… sheets, board, shower pans… making benches, curbs, tub pedestals, etc., for the past 7 or 8 years. It’s versatile, fast… excellent!
I used the Kerdi shower system with the square drain and fleece to build my shower system 8 years ago and its working perfect. I hired out the tile work and the guy loved working around the square drain instead of the round ones most people us. If I did it again I would for sure add heat to the shower floor and the bathroom floor. Its a great system.
Hi Matt, I completely agree with you about the Schluter products. I used them on my concrete floor on grade about 10 years ago and I love it. I think at the time I felt that I was taking a chance after our whole downstairs flooded from a toilet overflow after a massive rainstorm. Less than a year, after install we had another massive overflow of the toilet. I cried and we had to empty the down stairs again, but because I had all the walls to floor waterproofed along the bottom edges with Kerdi, I did not have ANY need to repair dry wall. Boy was I happy!!! With the Ditra between the cement and the tile, I have not had any separation of Tile from the floor. And so as a result I am totally convinced, just as you are that Schluter products work. I did a lot of research before doing this and was pretty convinced ahead of time. I have NOT changed my mind, I spent extra money for it but never regretted the decision. Thank You Schluter!!!!!
Here’s what I don’t understand about adding Kerdi-band to a seam over Ditra. There’s pockets with raised walls and recesses. Knowing that Thinset isn’t waterproof (I know, I tested it), and that’s what you’re using to apply the Kerdi-band…how does it help with those channels of the Ditra possibly allowing water to seep within those channels (even though they’re filled with non-waterproof thinset)?
This is fantastic. Here in the UK people have little or no confidence in builders because they do everything as cheap as possible only to cause home owners additional costs to rectify shoddy workmanship. Just listening to you, give me confidence in this product (even though I am useless at DIY) to have it installed in my next home.
Thank you
We like to use stuff like because it means we don't have to fix cracked tiles all the time for free.
I used this on our bathroom remodel project a few years ago. What a great product! I will always use this for tile work moving forward.
Don't do that.
This product is complete garbage
Use MAPEI green mat way better than this junk.
Your tiles will.pop out very soon.
The only way to know the truth is if you demolish bathrooms and have tested both products
This orange garbage fails all the time
Shluter is a crappy company I will never use them in my life never
They fail all the time.
Try to pull tiles over green Mapei mat and see how it will go .
You cannot remove them
Over this pink garbage they pop out like nithing.
Demolisued 3 bathrooms in one day
Tried to demolish a bathroom with Mapei and could not go quarter in one day and need power tools
Dont use this orange bs your tiles will crumble in a few years.
I live in Sweden and I am a carpenter and concrete does not crack if you do it right. If it cracks the problem is
- to little rebar in the foundation
- concrete dries to fast when it is "burning"
- bad ground work under the foundations.
happy building!
Where he is in Texas most homes have tensioned concrete foundations that flex throughout the seasons on the first floor. It may go 3 months no rain on a clay ground, so the soil shrinks a lot. Hes talking about what he has to deal with
One of the most common causes of concrete cracking is excess water in the mix. This happens because wetter concrete is easier to work.
Wonderful invention. *The floor is also warmer* with this type of insulation.
That's heat cables. Somewhat different product. It looks more like lego studs with cable in between. Or it could be water pipes in the slab.
Tile is as cold as my soul otherwise.
Tile is always going to be cold unless you are piping hot water or electric heating pads under it. Great for hot weather though! Carpet nice soft and warm but not durable, and pain the keep clean.
I installed this because of the uncoupling. What I didn't expect was HOW MUCH BETTER my room felt after the install. I had zero insulation under my old faux hardwood floors. The ditra system made it so I can walk around barefoot in the winter in my own home again
How did it feel better? From what I understand it's meant to make tile instalation better and last longer. So why would it make your room feel better if your not even walking on it
I used this to fix a crumbling tile landing that had been affixed directly to hardwood with mortar in the 60s or so. Its amazing.
Only thing is people need to pick the right adhesion product. Certain mastic/mortar are specifically stated to not be used with these.
Super easy to use. 10/10 would recommend
Thank you for recording and posting this valuable educational video Schmitty.
I installed this when I remodeled our master bath, complete custom shower, tub area, and flooring. About 500sq total tiling, including shower. It was an easy install and I really liked the fact that I can waterproof areas easily. My original tile floor was about 1" thick and now it is about 1/2" thick, so now I have door jams that have gaps, not sure what do about that.
I would recommend this product to anyone think is building or remodeling a home. Also, building the shower curb was a breeze and looks amazing. They have products that make the install look clean and professional. I was able to get all my products from Lowes and they had everything in stock.
For the bottoms of your door jambs, I recommend plinth blocks. They have them in stock at the big box stores. They're square and make the room look much more expensive. Just mark around the block with a pencil and cut away the casing and baseboard with an oscillating multitool. For the baseboard gaps, I recommend 'stop molding.' It's the molding on the door frame, that stops the door from going any further when you close it.
Matt, I am actually doing my own shower remodel as well as the entire master bathroom. I'll be using Schluter's Kerdi system at least for the shower, which I'll be making a custom floor pan with Kerdi's drain as well. From what I've researched it is going to be a great option for our remodel. I'll try to get some photos and maybe a video of the remodel as we progress if your interested. Great product in my opinion. Your videos have definitely made me think more about the products I use in my DIY projects as well as what I'll be using should we decide to build our next home.
as a builder/remodeler this system seems to be wonderful. I will install it in my own soon to be spa room on the third floor of my house and keep u posted as to the developments with this product/s.
I learned about rhis recently, and we used it on a bathroom remodel we did. I will say that it is awesome. Very easy to install and covers all your bases. I would definitely use it again.
Used schluter on a bathroom renovation I did. On the floor and in the shower. Made my life so much easier
Matt is absolutely right...if you are a contractor doing this kind of work the Schluter line of products is 100% what you want to learn & use.
Basically ignored everything the guy said because I was too transfixed on the dude laying down the thinset
LAUGHING... RIGHT... ME TOO
Matt wasn't paying too much attention to him, so you did (-; Me too.
The guy talks says nothing. While they show another guy doing the work that is hard to see what he was doing.
Nearly worthless video
Hahahah me too! While watching I just kept thinking 'He's never going to get good adhesion to the back of that shluter' lol. That's what happens when you spread thinset over particle board. The particle board soaks up all the water from the thinset and the materials don't bond. Total crapola install! LOL
I also got a kick at 6:45 when the guy was struggling to get mud out of the bucket using his notch trowel. Could he not afford a pail scoop or any number of trowels/knives that could get help him get that mud out faster? That was almost painful to watch! Lol
i don't know why i watched this. this is not relevant to my life. but i watched it.
I tiled two bathrooms on the second floor of my house 7 years ago. The subfloor is a chipboard. I used ditra in one of the bathrooms. In the other I used bakerboard and redgard on the top. Both floors look fine as of today. Tile and grout are in perfect condition. If I had to do it again, I would go with bakeroard and redgard. Easier to apply. I don't even understand from their ad why anybody would use ditra over a concrete floor. Two coats of redgard and flexibond is a way to go. I tiled 300 sq ft over very unstable concrete on the first floor in my house. ( It contracts and expands year around and the old tile was all cracked as a result. ) I isolated cracks with a membrane, put two coats of redgard and used flexibond. No problems so far.
Ditra is a good product, don't get me wrong, but it is expensive and PITA to apply. Try to fill all the waffles with a thinset!
you know how to install it? filling the waffles is easy.
Architect here - the idea of ditra over a concrete floor is to isolate the tile work from the concrete slab. If the slab cracks, the crack will not impact the tile work...
@@cptcosmo As I mentioned in my post I isolated cracks with membrane and used two coats of redgard. I also used flexibond for thinset.
@Anatoly Eydelzon your specific application has redguard and isolation membrane as an ideal and affordable solution due to it already having all the cracks for you to isolate. However in new construction, you have whatever lines the architect tells the concrete guys to cut in the slab. They are often times not very accurate lines as to where the cracks will actually form. Using a floor wide membrane eliminates those cracks from coming through the tile.
Thank you for the heads up on Shcluter, I hope to use this on a outdoor small covered porch at approximately 60 sq ft.
this stuff is awesome- i'm an owner/builder and i've done two bathrooms, a laundry room, a couple of kitchens and a deck with this stuff and most are past the ten year mark and all have experienced zero issues.
What type of deck? I want to lay vinyl planking on top of trex on my enclosed porch
@@richardraad2816 it's a slate deck over a garage. 2 layers of ply, ditra, kerdiband on all edges and seams, and then flashing above that and then slate on top of that. The deck is super rigid, 2x12 (16 foot span) every foot, and 4x 2x12 under part of the deck that something else is supported by. Note that schluter does not like people to do this, i dont think it's because it doesn't work, i think it's because they would rather I had used their more expensive products that they market for outdoor use.
ive been in tile for 16 years and schluter is by far and away the most inventive companies i've ever used products from. it has saved me time, headache, and sheer pain. to go from 80lb sheets of concrete board to a roll that can do a whole floor that weighs like ... nothing? it's stupid strong, flexes with movement, is virtually mold immune, can be waterproofed completely.. i mean it's stupid not to use honestly. i do not work for schluter, I am just a tile guy who loves good products.
Thanks Steve. Appreciate the personal experience
I'll second that, i've been using it when it was corrugated, not squares, fitted 100's and 100's of meters of it. All Schluter products are brilliant especially the wetroom drains, no one builds an easier to fit or stronger system :)
I don't know why UA-cam recommended this to me and I dont know why I watched it but now I'm going down the rabbit hole and watching more.
wtfuchattin lmao mr tooo🤦🏿♂️
Where am I?
Awesome stuff, but after taking out a multitude of 1950's bathrooms that were almost completely tiled with some funky colors I might add, they were built some tough !! Found only one with some minor water damage but not bad after 50-60yrs !! Hopefully this holds up as well, as I think it will.
Chickenwire + thick bed of mortar = make the new guy do the tearout!
@@entropyfan5714 tell me about it just tore out a bath with .25 inch drywall then steel mesh with 2.5-3 inch concrete then tile I used a diamond wheel cutter to cut in between the studs and pryed it off in chunks, worst demo ever lol especially aroumd the plumbing and electrical!!
@@marcfavell they built it to last - thought the 50's would never end...
@@megenberg8 yeah for sure same principles apply now to installs of tile and stone and they also knew it when they made the parthenon just the material technology is different now but same principles!!
i had to tear one out once. it was mud over diamond mesh wire, man that stuff was hard!
In Sweden we have a thinner membrane with taped corners. All glued with a 2component glue.
The level is fixed before so all surface angles down to the drain with a steel mesh net in it, so that ”cake” won’t crack if the foundation moves.
I’ve used it and won’t use it again. I was sold on the channels for expanding and contracting to prevent tile cracking. I had more cracked tile using Schulter Ditra after about 3 years. My cement board was cheaper and preformed better with no cracked tile after 4 years. It was also a pain in the butt to replace tile with Ditra.
Try the old style metal lattice with scratch coat. Smooth it out thin with a trowel and let it set. if you're paranoid do a second layer then tile over it.
@@mrgreensuit7379 I installed it exactly as directed. All my renovations I used cement board I’ve had zero issues, with Ditra I had a couple tile crack and grout needed to be redone in several areas. I was happy when I first installed it because it was easier and faster to install and I didn’t mind paying the high cost because it saved me time. However, I ended up spending much more time repairing and replacing grout and tile. It’s a pain in the ass to remove the tile set from the tiny squares and not damage the Ditra.
@@goldwingerppg5953 read what I said again you seem to be missing the part where I'm not recommending that plastic junk.
@@mrgreensuit7379 you comments still are vague to me, either way apparently we agree.
Spectacular demonstration for an awesome and innovative product line.
"Uncouple" is an appropriate verb for separating railroad cars, but the better engineering term would be "decouple."
I've used This product and absolutely Love it. Works great, as long as you do it as they have instructed. Do not try to cut corners with this product. Love it
Hi There. QUESTION ? I am doing a small tiling job. only x 2 square meters bathroom floor. I want to know ? Is there any multi purpose adhesive which I could use for both - sticking on waterproof decoupling membrane onto a concrete subfloor and also using the same adhesive for sticking tiles on top of it ?
Nice job! Very informative. My husband suggested I view this since he is interested in using ICF for our new house construction. I liked the way you; broke down terms and made everything easy to understand. Your Pros and Cons were very helpful, since I too, had concerns about some of the issues you elaborated on.
Man thank you and thank you UA-cam algorithms! I need to replace linoleum in my basement from a massive water leak. It is on concrete and was concerned about cracks. Will definitely check this out.
We gutted our bathroom and used yhis product on the floors, halfway up the walls, and in the shower area. Word to the wise....do NOT let your tile installer use their choice of mastic. You MUST use
a recommended type of mastic or it will not dry properly. We loved uding this product!
I'll stick to vinyl planks. Easy to put in, easy to take out when you want to update. you can also reuse what you took out.
Vinyl planks are not waterproof. You'll find out when there's a leak . . .
A few years ago, I have installed this Schulter Ditra underlayment plastic and have marble over at the second floor bathrooms. Now, every time my husband is in the master bathroom I know because I heard squeaking noise from Schulter Ditra and I regret I don't choose hardboard underlayment.
Wrong! Custom home builder here who also does high-end renovations. Squeaking comes from movement between two stiffer elements. 90% of the squeaks I have found in homes are nails moving up and down and deflecting wood. Sometimes it's wood on wood similar to two branches when the wind moves the trees. That synthetic membrane does not squeak. I've tried numerous times and never get any sound out of it. It's the subfloor below the ditra mat. There's a nail in the plywood subfloor below the mat. When the floor deflects the plywood moves and makes the nail squeak. I have been called to many other contractors customers with squeaky issues. And I always find the squeak. It could be a royal PITA, but I find it in 90% it's wood moving and the nail is not. Every now and then it's two pieces of wood.
UA-cam algorithms, we meet again
Plot twist: Not this time
Is there anything original in that brain of yours instead of this constant copy and paste from you parrots?
@@Tre16 Is there anything original in that brain of yours instead of this constant copy and paste from you parrots?
@@tomjohnable
😆
Hello Clareese
60 years ago, Earnest Pisano, put tile on plywood. Real 3/4" plywood. years went by, and the only reason I started taking things apart, was because of a leak from the toilet. (The toilet did not last 60 years). I was STUNNED. 3/4" plywood was in near new condition, and perfectly fine. I glued the tile that fell back up. It worked better then anything I've ever seen, and it did not fight the water that hard.
I used it on a 3/4” plywood bath floor that I was trying to maintain the elevation going into an existing floor outside that bathroom, so I didn’t have the room to add 1/2” cement board. After a couple years and no cracks in my tile. That’s all I need for proof that this works...
I don’t know if you have more online videos like this but you are the best teacher I have ever been able to actually watch online and learn better than I can when I’m on the site because I get yelled and bitched at. You’re calm you are very well spoken and you show an example As you were explaining yourself somebody is doing the background work at the same time. Brilliant. Please continue as this is something that I would definitely describe four or even sign up for for course. Learned on the job well, I can imagine you only understand better than I do these people we work for I just bitch and moan and call you names but don’t teach you. Thank you for doing this. God bless I hope your family is safe healthy and well.
Mike Holmes has been using this material for years in his remodels...great stuff. I wish I had known this product when I remodeled by bathrooms.
Love Mike Holmes he's one of the best and I wish more contractors took pride in their work and cared about their customers doing the job correctly the first time around.
We had that stuff put under our floors and in large areas, the grout started to crack and come out within a week or two. I'm sure it was installed wrong, but what a pain it was to get it corrected.
We are planning to use this system in our new custom home! As an architect, we always spec Schluter products!
I have known about this stuff for about 10 years now. Super nice product. I love its versatility.
Since I am deaf enough to need captioning, I watched once for action in background, once more to read. For a bad builder job master shower replacement, I gutted walls to metal studs over concrete slab (South Fl), replaced, added and reinforced studs, and did .5" cement board, doubled on longest wall. Properly notched grey pudding type waterproofing over all. Walls, floating bench (not the block type shown here), arched niche, upper corner shelf bowl draining cement pan to direct drain. I used several Schluter products....corner membrane, faucet water proofing pieces, drain top. But I am still with cement board. Properly done, cement board just makes me feel like it will BE there for awhile.
If you want it done right, DIY. Or micromanage a select subcontractor. 😉
122 lb lady DIY'er
Thank you for this (from Ontario, Canada). I’m retired & have worked on a number of tile projects over the past few years. I was looking for a system to reduce the thickness of tile install over plywood subfloor & still get good results without using concrete boards. Really enjoy your videos.
Thank you for this great comment.
Seeing a lot of these 'membrane' applications around YT these days. Good! I've been using rubber membranes between my dry wall/plasterboard since the 90's. I always fit highest quality double glazed windows too. #1 complaint of most private tenants is sound/air pollution. Always found it totally mind blowing that 99% of landlords don't think this matters. Guess they enjoy turning over tenants every 6 months! I think I've saved myself thousands of hours wasted on admin/checks over the years. A well maintained property = happy long term tenants. No brainer!
I can't believe that some places still allow builders to install single glazed windows for living spaces, the quality of life benefits from the thermal/sound blocking is so big that it should be in every building code. Not to mention poor ventilation is so common if left up to the tenant so you don't want condensation to wreck the sills with mould.
What rubber membranes do you use? Researching sound deadening and there's lots of opinions. Most recommend 2 layers of 5/8 as the most cost effective method. Thanks
The concept behind this solid. We’ll be using this in a total bathroom gut including a shower using the Schluter system. My wife studied up on this more than I did, so that’s her job. I do have to laugh about not putting tile directly on sub flooring. I’m not sure what I did wrong but I installed tile in a kitchen and breakfast nook in 1988. Tore it out in 2015. No cracks in the grout anywhere, no loose tiles, no movement of any tiles, period. What did I do wrong?
Did my entire 1700 sq ft cement slab house in this product. I know that in places the slab has shifted and drywall cracks but the floor looks the same as when I finished it over 5 years ago. I did break a tile from dropping a heavy object on it. It was a bear removing the broken tile. I'm pretty that I would have lots of issues if I had not used ditra.
Greetings from Guayaquil, Ecuador. Your videos are of great quality, congratulations. The importance of your dialogues requires that they be translated and put as subtitles. Please try to do so as soon as possible in Spanish, the construction-loving community will thank you.
We have bathroom with this product on a wooden floor, they used thin tiles on this product on the floor, lots of tiles are broken because this product bends down walking on it,but better for thick tiles
Sounds like it wasnt installed correctly. It should not compress at all
What subflooring do you need under this stuff?
@@private8559 thanks.
Been using Ditra for years, including Ditra Heat, love it! Have also done a few showers using Kerdi and Kerdi Board, wouldn't do it any other way. Great system!
steven kile 😂😂😂😂😂
Thats all we use. Most tradesmen don't do the training to understand the system. I use kerdi for al my repair jobs of the other so called superior systems, the more things change the more they stay the same- doing things the same old dumb ways and most guys don't even do it right the old way
I have used this product a few years ago out of interest, but now see how it can really be applied. Thank you for the video I now know what else I need to look out for.
I purchased this complete system and handed it over to my contractor along with the how to video in 2009. He refused to watch the video and insisted that no bathroom renovation could be started without mud. He piled on so much mud that the floor slopes down towards the entryway. He had to cut the bottom of the door on an angle to accommodate the floor's slope. Some contractors just don't get it.
I see the resistance of "Experinced installers" like those posting here - watched that happen for years at Lowe's same with epoxy grout - installers hated it because they had to go slower and couldn't slap it up and run out the door - Schlutter, Epoxy grout and a number other newer products take a little more time, more skill and yes more cost to customer - in the long run the customer wins and the installer saves time on call backs and fighting with customers over failed installs. BUT you have to do it right or it won't work - that means CHANGING your work habits.
Epoxy grout only commercial projet dont ask me for house
I was surprised you didn’t make this video earlier. I have been using this product for years and the time saving will pay for the extra cost. You should also use the Kerdi product as well
These are great products, first found out about them from Mike Holmes, he has been using these for years. If it's Holmes approved then it's good for me.
Thank you for sharing this insightful video! The tips on maximizing return on investment by utilizing existing foundation space or expanding it strategically are extremely valuable for homeowners. Your expertise and clear explanations make complex concepts easy to understand. Keep up the great work!
Very impressive and informative.
Just bought a house with most of the bathroom custom tiled. I hope the person(s) used this in their install. Only time will tell as myself and the Mrs. use the bathroom.
I'm now a sub!
I been doing tile for over 16 years and don’t let guys like this’d fool u besides the fact that orange stuff is not cheap it is not nessesary
Looks to me like a huge waste of money. Doubling on your mortar and time.
He said not to lay tile on wood board I have been doing that for over 15 years haven't had any problems
I just watched the whole thing and I don't even build nor remodel houses.
I'm a 70 year old with a bad back & knees & have no plans to get down on my knees. I wouldn't be able to get back up. 😂 Plus I'm not building anything either.
@Mike B... I'm a 70 year old, retired kitchen & bath remodeler, with arthritis & two artificial knees, but, there is one job left in me and that's my own master bath tile floor job, so glad I stumbled on to this channel, I didn't know about this stuff, no more Durarock... Wahoo!... Oh yeah, I'm going to have to get somebody to help me get off my knees ;-》
currently doing this in a second floor laundry room 6 inches up the wall with an emergency drain, the stuff is bullet proof when installed right
I have specified Schluter systems many times over the last 10 years or so and it is my go to spec for any tiled areas irrespective of whether they are wet or not. In fact I was called to provide a rectification spec on two large office reception areas where the tiling had reflective cracking over concrete daywork joints. In both areas threats of consequential loss and disruption meant that the pressure was on to settle the issue once and for all. Schluter provided both the Ditra matting and the underfloor heating mat (check this out it is the best system I have seen) in the two areas.
Mapei is better
This company is epic fail all the time.
Will never use them in my life
All their products are complete garbage
You will find out when your cliets sew you in a few years and you cannot explain why all their oroducts failed.
MAPEI is number one
This company is a sham.
I thank you for your video. I wish I could find an honest contractor like you. You make it look so easy.
They all make it look easy, that's why it's on you tube. $$$
I’ve been a tile setter for 43 years and I can tell you in all honesty whenever You hard fasten you the subfloor you will have problems. Wood never stops being a tree swelling with moisture in the summer and shrinking in the winter this will cause joints to crack every single time.A floating mud bed is far less expensive than This product and much more reliable.
Jeff Nelson Builder of high end homes in Connecticut for 35 years, could not disagree more. If your using a plywood base and leave a saw blade kerf between sheets you will not have cracks.
Welcome to 15 years ago with Mike Holmes.
lol, he was immediately who came to mind for me too!
OU812 .... HIHIHIHI then u can imagine how long we have and used in Germany .... this is here everything new ... yeah new for North America ...LOL
@@wolfgangselle4307 The Germans always make good stuff...
@@OU81TWO except cars 🙃 your mechanic practically becomes a member of the family!
It's a good thing he's not presenting it as something new.
I love this product! especially the Ditra heat membrane
I've installed this, what I see is, at seams at a middle of the room, it is now a buildup, a hump, the adhesive on top of the membrane, to add the 6"waterproofing band, now you have to accommodate for that humph, if you do not, a tile can teeter totter over that, which means you have to add more adhesive, make sure you do that!
I've been installing this stuff for about 10 yrs, been thru many Certification classes. It sounds like you aren't pressing down hard enough after laying the Ditra and the mud is built up at the seams. I use a wood smoothing float to push out air and excess mud. If you use kerdi band to seal the seams, again it should not really make any difference at all. Sounds like you are using too much mud. Invest in a set of Trowels from Schluter . They make one specifically for Kerdi and one for Ditra
If you are left with a slight hump after all of that, your tile should still lay flat if you are using enough mud above the Ditra. If you are still concerned increase your notch trowell size slightly. You will essentially float the tile over any irregularities in the floor
Just finished a bathroom remodel on my 2nd floor main bath. Full tile tub surround and from the countertop down in the rest of the room. Looks fantastic. Installer used traditional methods. We talked about the Kerdi system and it’s benefits. He really wants to use it but the company he works for doesn’t use it, yet. So, fingers crossed it doesn’t fail.
I may take on the downstairs bathroom myself with the kerdi. Looks so much easier than what had to be done upstairs for waterproofing.
As an engineer doing forensic foundation inspections, I can't count the number of times I had to explain how concrete cracks transfer into overlying floor tiles.
It doesn't take an engineering degree to figure that out !
I have always enjoyed watching Mike Holmes use these products on all of his shows.
I lot all respect for Mike Holmes when he endorsed 3M Filtrete "furnace killer" air filters.
Mike holmes doesnt nothing about tile instalation hes dick
Holmes is a sellout, he was sponsored to promote this crap. I have no respect for him since he flogged this crap on his show.
@@marcopoulin1897what the hell are you talking about? How's he a dick?
When he mentioned the washer overflowing and flooding the upper floor that resulted in major insurance claims, that is one of the main reasons why the washer DOES NOT go above the ground floor. Washers belong on the ground floor, and preferably in the garage where water mishaps don't screw up the house.
that's what I was thinking, put in a laundry chute instead, a dumbwaiter or something
By that logic you shouldn't have second floor bathrooms either. If you put it just anywhere without preparing the space to house it adequately then yeah you're going to have problems.
@@qtipmotha Bathroom fixtures don't create leak issues to the degree that a washer can because bathroom fixtures are generally used by a person who is present during the entire use to see a leak issue right away, and when the person is done the water get's turned off. Besides that, bathtubs, toilets and sinks rarely ever leak, and if they do it's a very small amount.
Washers are turned on and left to themselves without being watched. When the washer leaks, or the house drain line for the washer leaks, it can be a long time before it's discovered. If they leak in the garage, the water runs down to the street with no damage caused. Another reason washers shouldn't be on the upper levels is because they are designed to work best on a solid cement slab to keep them steady during the spin cycle.
You heard the guy on the video mention the insurance claim from the washer, but said nothing about the fixtures causing a claim. That's because they rarely cause serious leak issues. I speak from experience on this because my occupation has seen washer flood damage hundreds of times.
@@truthseekerKJV that isnt the issue at all with washers. It's the volume of water than can leak in a short period of time. No one is noticing that their 2nd floor shower pan or tub is leaking when they're using it until its too late. The damage is more likely to be structural by the time that a problem is detected, especially with the building materials that they're using for the joists in newer homes. In either case if built to suit it shouldn't be an issue. Its unlikely that a washer will ever leak during its lifetime, where as a shower/bath...? Not so sure about that. They also make prefab drain pains to install the washer on or a pan can be built with a liner like your standard tile shower. That goes back to adequately preparing the space for the appliance instead of just sitting it in a closet.
@@qtipmotha Based on your fake youtube id, and your obvious ignorance of washers and house drains, I'm seeing you as nothing but a troll who thrives on arguing online. You cannot prepare a second story house well enough to deal with the amount of water that comes from a serious washer leak, or backed up house drain line. Those $20.00 pans that are used in 2 story homes are garbage. As I stated before, my 30 years in the field gives me far more experience in this issue than some online troll who gets a kick out of online debates, so go to hell.
I've used all of their products, and it's an absolute pleasure to work with, and you end up with a bullet proof job.👏
Ditra is the stuff for underlaying under floor tile. The previous owner of my house laid floor tile directly over linoleum. Needless to say I was not happy, when it all started coming up.
U don't have to use detra over vinyl u can use eco prime grip
@@Sugarshane88 I got rid of the vinyl. It was only edge glued and not really that much of a pain to get rid of.
A builder should always have every possible method in his arsenal. This system was covered by Holmes on Homes some time ago however it is nice to be reminded of it. As a decoupler, it may also be good under wood floors which are glued to a slab (only after a water seepage test has been performed and passed) to keep the boards from separating over time if a crack develops.
Please research Moxie concrete additive. Eliminates: Water permeability, structural instability from curing processes, expansion/contraction from freezing water, toxic “white dust” over time, and need for rebar (though local code will still mandate it!). I’m not a rep or anything but I’ve been on jobs that used Moxie treated concrete in the wet mix and am amazed it isn’t standard for all concrete worldwide.
More than once he's had his washer overflow, what kind of washer is he using?
have given a thumbs up for this product and the video; Though have been tiling in the UK now for 36 yrs! ...Sadly I find that for many suburb jobs , the price is by far the primary factor! In short if you choose to price in an excellent product like this to the overall cost;, sadly someone else will get the job?.....Though from a thermal perspective this looks excellent! Would definitely include this within a job whereby the customer is not hunting for a cheaper option👍
I don't build houses or have the plan to do so later but I still enjoyed this video xD you did it again UA-cam algorithm, you did it again.