Cement board or Ditra. Which is better? There are a lot of opinions but I'm going to try to stick to facts. This post compares: Cutting and installing WaterproofingThe weight & handling of the productsCosts of Ditra vs DurockPricing 3 different scenarios of installing these products 2 … [Read more...] about Cement Board vs Ditra: Which is better?
Floor Prep
Tile Underlayment: The Complete Guide for Beginners
Tile underlayment. There are a lot of different types of products that you can put under your bathroom floor tile. But it's confusing. Which product solves your problems? Also, do you even need underlayment for your tile in the first place? Let's take a look and examine the situation … [Read more...] about Tile Underlayment: The Complete Guide for Beginners
Self-Leveling Underlayment: The Ultimate Guide
Self-leveling underlayment. It sounds soooooo easy, doesn't it? You simply pour the leveling cement over the floor and the product then just levels itself all on its own. Sort of like...magic, right? Self-leveling underlayment is not what it seems Self-leveling underlayment is, quite … [Read more...] about Self-Leveling Underlayment: The Ultimate Guide
5 Ways to Screw Up your Cement Board Installation on Floors
Cement board installation is not something that is incredibly difficult. I think most people worry about how to cut it and once they have a plan for that then they think it'll be a breeze. But I've seen these screw-ups for several years now. It's the same ones over and over. Which … [Read more...] about 5 Ways to Screw Up your Cement Board Installation on Floors
Installing Electric Floor Heat: How to Not Void Your Warranty
"How do you know it works?" I've been asked this by more than one homeowner when installing their electric floor heat system. It's a good question. Frankly, it's too big of a risk to install the whole electric floor heat system with tile on top and then hope that it works when the project is … [Read more...] about Installing Electric Floor Heat: How to Not Void Your Warranty
Do Uncoupling Membranes Really Prevent Cracked Tile Floors?
You want to tile your concrete floor. But there's a problem. The concrete has cracks in it. You know that if you tile right over the crack you soon will have floor tile that's cracked in the exact same spot. So what can you do to keep the tile from cracking? Do Uncoupling Membranes Really … [Read more...] about Do Uncoupling Membranes Really Prevent Cracked Tile Floors?
Ditra Heat Mat Installation: Ignore these two rules
This post was updated on February 2022. Typically, I encourage people to follow the manufacturer's instructions. Especially when the company has clear, detailed, and easy-to-understand instructions. But when it comes to both Ditra Heat and Ditra Heat TB [edit: now called Ditra-Heat … [Read more...] about Ditra Heat Mat Installation: Ignore these two rules
Why Schluter Ditra is so cool: Uncoupling membranes explained
Update: Schluter has launched Ditra 2.0. More details are below. You've probably seen Schluter Ditra uncoupling membrane before. In fact, it's quite a popular product on DIY television. Further, you can identify it instantly with its bright orange, waffled appearance. You may have even … [Read more...] about Why Schluter Ditra is so cool: Uncoupling membranes explained
