🤔 Cement Board Or Uncoupling membrane, choose wisely.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ย. 2024
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Which is better, a cement backer board like Hardie Backer, or an uncoupling membrane like Schluter Ditra. There are actually quite a few choices of both kinds, Durock Hardie board, Wonder board are just a few of the brands of cement backer board to choose from. Then you have uncoupling membranes like Schluter Ditra, Mapei Mapeguard UM, Laticrete StrataMat, and Ardex Flexbone just to name a few. So which is better? If you know how they work, then you will be able to figure that out. In this video I explain what the main differences between the two types of tile floor underlayments are, and I give you reasons why you should choose one type over the other and exactly why it is better.
All tile installed by Sal DiBlasi, Elite-tile Company, in the Boston North Shore area. This video contains affiliate links, which means I will receive a small commission if you click on the product link.
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Omg just come to the point mate. So much repetition 🤦🏽♂️
The issue i see here is, yes this membrane may be flexible, but tile and thinset/mortar are not meant to flex. So what's the point of a flexible subfloor if your main floor isn't flexible? Also, at the end of the day you're tiling over plastic... I could pull off a tile from this membrane even after 30 days of cure. I don't know how we've come to the point of thinking tiling over a plastic sheet is a job well done.
The house will move under any substrate. The membrane is to separate the house from the tile.
I think you missed the entire point of how uncoupling works, there is a link in the cards and the description to a video that explains the system. A wood subfloor on a wood frame house will move quite a bit, the goal is to protect the tile assembly from that movement.
I think the failed logic behind all these "systems" is that they're banking on everybody tearing out whatever tile is installed on the membrane within 5 yrs so it doesn't have to last, and the membrane creates a separation layer to make demo really easy? haha
You misunderstood how the system works. There is no 'flexing'. If the floor flexes it can't handle tile period. No, you could not just pull a tile off ditra. It's not easy to pull up the tile or the ditra once put down properly and cured.
Great video Sal hope your well.👍 the only downside to these mats is sticking to Green chipboard they use a lot of this in the uk !..
Shouldn't be sticking anything to particleboard.
I agree pal... so we can't get away from using cement board.. I'm using aquapanel rather than hardi backer. The quality of the Hardi isn't the best in the UK.. I've had load's of problems with board's being bent and twisted!! Hardi are recommending sticking board's to floor's with foam now!! It's getting silly 😂..
@@actiling gorilla glue works great
You are a fountain of knowledge for us DIY types. Honestly, cable should offer you a big contract to put your videos on their channels.
Great fit for Ask This Old House! Hahah (:
A friend of mine who is a Tilesetter, did my home 20 years ago. He used the hardy backer board and just screwed the boards into to the plywood floor. Then installed the ceramic tile. About 1 month later..immensely loud noises occurred around 3am. I woke up and thought someone was firing a gun outside ( Yes it was that loud). I look around the kitchen and the whole floor was cracked along the grout lines and whole tiles. I told him what happened and he said " That never happened before and has done 100's of jobs with no problems. So now I know he installed it wrong and thus, ends the mystery. You have more knowledge of this business than anyone I met or saw on TH-cam. Thanks for another great video and hope your doing well- Blessings.
U have a ghost sir 😳 😂
For the first time ever I was happy to see a youtUbe commercial now let's get back to the haaaaddddyy baaaackkkaaa
when in doubt go with cement board or durock. it’ll always give you a great bonding surface.
Hi Sal, thanks so much for the info. Just wondering what happens if you want to change the tile out in a few decades, can you strip it down to the ditra and lay the new tile over top or does the ditra have to come up too?
No. Imagine a super thin wall mini ice cube tray in a roll. That's what Ditra is. It's an Uncoupling membrane. It does just that. You spread Thinset/Allset on the floor in a wet soupy consistency that integrates into the mesh fiber on the bottom of the ditra. Then you mortar that ditra ice cube tray full then scratch lines with your Thinset/Allset mixed normal and lay tile all while wet. It separates the movement in the subfloor from your Ditra and thinset.
Im so happy you explained this, I've been wondering for a long time. I started wondering when I was 11 years old, I'm now 40 yours old. video could of been shorter lol . but very good info keep it up!
Michael Prata ur asking an ole time ah to talk faster or more concisely?
Great video, Sal, thank you! I'm a young tile contractor in Colorado and have learned how to do basic tile installation from my dad, who is a custom home builder. Everything more complex, such as pouring a shower, installing Ditra Heat, etc. I have learned from you. I'm always open to trying new methods to get the best results. I just installed my first heated floor this week and while I must say that it's relatively labor-intensive, it's a great product that I plan to use more often. Glad to hear all of this from your perspective with your experience!
Glad that you found my videos helpful 😊👍
Great video Sal, but a 1000 sq feet in 4-5 hours for 1 guy? Maybe if you're in your 20s 🤣
A perfectly square room and a nail gun
I am 61 and have done it more than once, open area, not a cut up area. Roll it out cement it down, roll it in.
@@SalDiBlasi I was thinking the guy was talking about Hardi backer. Yeah, a thousand feet of ditra no problem
I understand the Boston accent,after years watching "This Old House" on PBS, but the AI which made the subtitles didn't.
Thank you for sharing all your expertise! DIYers here. Last year husband and I redid our kitchen together subfloor up with woodlook plank LVT and people say it looks like a magazine. Hoping to redo our 80s bathrooms with tile when we can afford it so I am soaking up all your videos getting ready for the big day. Thanks for explaining everything for newbs like us!
A mud floor will always be your best bet , but people are uneducated on that method
im 15 minutes in and still dont know what to use. I know you can get different versions, thicker thinner and they all work the same way.
The Egyptians did it with 0 plastic. We can to in this age.
They didn’t do it in 8 hours...
they, uhhh, had "questionable" labor practices... 😂
The beauty of the ditra is in the inverse egg carton design . The thinset is in the 'nests' , never attaching to the Ditra by surface contact but by a 'Velcro' like attachment . Think of LEGOS that snap INTO the adjoining surface . The thinset is surface attached to the tile back but the Ditra can move horizontally , not forcing the tile to move with it . Hardy back , cement board , dense shield are ONLY for a better base than drywall (including the green junk) ON WALLs only .
I disagree
@@j.johnson8360 this guys full of it
Yes he may be knowledgeable but talks wayyyy too much. This video could have been less than 5 minutes. Keeps repeating the same things over and over.
Great expert advise given, thank you. Do consider re-editing this video. It's redundant and could easily be edited down to 10-12 min without re-recording.
People only remember stuff if you say it more than once, in fact you have to say it at least 3 times
had tiles installed on concrete never cracked in 30 years, and back then there were no membranes, a bit of a marketing stunt, brands like to sell a lot of consumables, not saying it is completely useless
Fell asleep before the end
Hey sal thanks for this video :) I’ve learned a lot but I have a question. So I’m gonna be building a house in the next year or two and I am gonna have a slab floor instead of a basement. What do you recommend I do for that to tile it? Would I wanna raise it at all? Cause I figure I should use the membrane but does that slab move like a wooden floor would? I feel like I’m going to have to raise it up a bit at least cause I wanna put wanna of those long short drains in cause it’s going to be a walk in shower, so I just been thinking a lot about the design. I actually designed about 16 years ago and now since I’ll be building a home I figure hey why not build that bathroom I designed some time ago. Any info would be good :) also thank you for making these videos I have honestly learned a lot of stuff.
New subscriber here. Thanks to your video I am convinced of going with a membrane decoupler and no cement backer board. You are the first to precisely describe the benefits and wisdom of using this system (in addition to the proper floor support videos, thank you). I have 2 bathrooms ripped up and have not bought the underlayment yet and I thank you for perfectly explaining what I need to do!
in the uk victorian houses they used ash , 😅 but no damp membrain 😅
Sal, when do you find Ditra XL necessary over the standard Ditra? I’m installing 5/16” marble tile but have 16” OC floor joists and 3/4 t&g subfloor… is the XL necessary or can I get away with the standard?
You actually need another layer of plywood and then the ditra. Floor has to meet L/720 deflection standard when installing natural stone.
"backboard gives no structural strength to your subfloor" thank you Sal!
👍
very true. It's only to separate the tile from the house.
Hamilton Tile GA thank you sir for saying that. This is sharper finish. Ive had that argument so many times. No structural integrity with cement board. Have to explain that cement board has no grain to it, it flexes in all directions.
Good video but so much waffling. Dragged out a video a bit long lol
Would you put a backer or kerdi on a lid b4 you tile a shower lid with porcelain
Or just to the sheet rock
If you mean the ceiling, then i would use backerBoard fastened with screws and pl-400 or similar.
Ya i was going to use hardi but had some left over kerdi waste nothing you no
@@neiltropolis thanks man i was debating
@@TILEROB Many ways to skin a cat, but that's my way. Take care
Which is best for the environment? HA HA just kidding who gives a fart?
Great video.. I've seen guys use nail guns to slam down hardiebacker dry without care to stagger seams in backer layer and over seams in the subfloor they are going over and they don't use tape over the joints. Hardie board goes down pretty quick with that method but boy oh boy what a recipe for failure.
I have seen this with track housing. It comes up so easy. In sheets. Should be a crime
Just be careful, the Schluter Ditra product is not recommended for tiles smaller than 50mm x 50mm (2" x 2"). I wanted to use Ditra for a small mosaic tile project but was told to stick with Hardiebacker and waterproof with Mapei Aquadefense.
I did a little bit of research on Hardie products, and I was shocked at how hard they fight customers to deny warranty claims. Their argument appeared to be that their product was flawed by design, but was not defective in materials and workmanship so the terms of the warranty should not apply. From what I saw, the courts side with Hardie basically every time. Don’t buy a Hardie product for the warranty unless you have an army of lawyers.
That’s true for everyone of these products offering a warranty😀
Schluter has great customer service. They will actually help you if their product fails. The other thing I liked was if you use Kerdi in a shower, you don't need a vapor barrier. That's Schluter policy, though I'm not sure if TCNA would agree. Btw....nice clip, Sal.
Really thats good to hear. Because I herd they will have nothing to do with you. Once you start having problems. Thanks for sharing
Sal, that was PhD caliber knowledge from a guy in blue jeans. I appreciate it! One burning question I have is what is the practical outcome in the tile flooring when shifting/settling occurs in the structure after using backer board? Grout failure? Cracked tile? Tile separation from backer board?
Thanks again, Joe
Depends on how much shifting, but all some or none.
Oooh that's what i was looking for
Thanks 😁😁👏
But How much cost and where *YOU* purchase the orange underlayment for tile? A roll of 100sqft.
Pleaseeee.
amzn.to/308ZNAk
@@SalDiBlasi
Nice, thanks... was looking for a plywood underlayment but will be easier to find your video if title say PLYWOOD (have to lay 1,500 sqft 😱)
And have a option like *Fortifiber* but you give me better one
Thanks.
Sal, thank you for another helpful video. I had a tile contractor look at my bathroom floor to give a quote. I told him I wanted Ditra uncoupling membrane used over the subfloor. He saw that I had Advantech flooring which the floor has no flex whatsoever. Rock Solid. He proceeded to tell me that Ditra over Advantech subfloor is a big mistake because if you ever go to remove the floor, the floor would peel right up like nothing. He said Ditra will not stick to Advantech flooring and that if I wanted Ditra I should have put down a plywood floor because Ditra will stick or bond to plywood. Is this guy all wet?? Ive had other tile contactors look at my job and recommend Ditra. What Gives??? Thank You Sir
I guess all those hundreds of job that I have installed Ditra on Advantec will all fail. This guy probably wants to sell you cement board and is using it as an excuse to scare you. Just be sure to use AllSett which is Schluters high polymer content Mortar which meets ANSI A118.15 and also use Either AllSet or Set, their unmodified mortar, to install the tile, and you can get a Schluter Lifetime warranty. Here is one I did over Advantech some years ago, Allset was not on the Market so I used a different A118.15 mortar. th-cam.com/video/GXqjLGTwbnM/w-d-xo.html
@@SalDiBlasi Sal, you nailed it my friend. I have found that there are many contractors who use fear to persuade you to use only their favorite methods because they are only looking out for themselves.......... not the customer. Thank you for all you do and your many instructional videos. Im sure Im not alone in saying this, if you lived closer to me, I would be hiring you to do my tile work!! Thanks so much for your help
Hi Sal I've been watching your videos for years. Thanks for the awesome information! When installing any underlayment, whether it be Backerboard or ditra etc. If one needs to self level a floor, does it go over or under the ditra?
Under then ditra
Thank you Sal, I come across your videos during my research for tile installation. I've been considering using an uncoupling membrane product as you have described. Specifically for an upcoming bathroom reno. The info you have provided has given me the answer I was looking for. And I appreciate you emphasizing that one should "Follow Manufacturers directions" when using tile related install products. For that matter, that should apply when installing "Anything" in my book. Thanks for taking the time to put out the videos.
Thanks, glad you found it helpful
Hi Sal! I am doing Penny tile on a bathroom floor. What kind of backboard and subfloor setup do I need?
My only concern with using an uncoupling membrane over concrete in a normally dry basement, is even if any amount of water were to find its way into the dimples of the uncoupling membrane through the side or perimeter edges, it would never be able to dry out.
The 7 first min of this video is a waste of time
What do you think of blanke permat
Good product.
Still feel more comfortable with fibrerock board with LFT mortar and screwed every 4 inches with screws every 2 inches on the seems. I don't like reinventing the wheel if it's never been broken . Never had a problem with either, but personally, installed correctly my tear outs I've done over the years (older jobs from others) the tile was insanely stuck with fibrerock. I live in northern ontario and it gets cold here , alot of movement every year and I've seen more fails with ditra. Just based on experience and time telling the tale. Maybe because some don't know the proper way to install ditra , but with what I've just described , why reinvent the wheel and throw everyone off.
Mold oldschoolers that have seen me instalk ditra just can't get behind it , and say , "why, I've never an issue ? Good video Sal . Very informative. I'm "pro " board obviously lol.
It is not reinventing the wheel, it is just making it better and easier to use, lighter cleaner and waterproof. You don't have to use it if you don't want to. I would suggest you do a Schluter workshop, and get to know these new products. Knowledge is your best friend, still don't have to use them, but you will have a better understanding of them.
I just don't like the use of plastic materials if it's not necessary. I love levelling clips and use them on very large format tiles , even then, such a large amount of waste is formed by them. I have the same coffee can of spacers from Last year still going strong ,and use the same ardex rover mixing system to self level my floors for the last 7 years since I bought it. No waste . No plastic on my local landfill . I also build mosaic coffee tables on the small amount of spare time I get with most of my tile waste.
I believe this direction on our industry has been left behind. You would be surprised the customers I get from it. It's "trending " .
@@dustystinson1891 I hate how much waste there is from building houses. I always try to use everything
I love the hideebacka!
Problem with these uncoupling membranes is removing them when you want to remodel. Absolute nightmare. I will stick with Durock, 30 years in the business and never had any issues whatsoever so ever
Heard that line more times than I can count.
@@SalDiBlasi this stuff does haves its place but on home bathroom floors, no way. For commercial applications around a pool, sauna , locker room etc that is where it makes since.
You have used hardie and durock for so many years and never had a failed floor or shower if installed properly? Now it is not good because of some new orange plastic on a roll? I'm confused¿
So if something can be improved and made better, it shouldn't be? Why do we have cars with anti-lock brakes? Why not keep the old CRT tube TVs? why do we need smartPhones? Just because something works, doesn't mean it can't be improved upon. There were plenty of problems with Water in water out shower systems, cement board on a floor is not an ideal product to work with, it is heavy, dusty and has dangerous silicates, it is difficult to work with, and the list goes on. So just because something works it doesn't mean it is the best possible solution to a problem.
Sal DiBlasi gotcha.. Thanks for the reply you truly are a Master of your craft. Cheers from Jersey!
@@SalDiBlasi Sal, what would you is the most common problem with a water in water out shower pans?
The difference is now clear. I am ready to use uncoupling membrane
Hope it went well!
Enjoy cracked tiles
Wtf @@davidtortorici8531
Hello Sal,
I will be installing a 1x2 mosaic tile on my bathroom floor and have read not to use the ditra system because they have a minimum of 2x2.
I will be installing 3/4 plywood and was thinking 1/2 cement board on top of that.
Do you suggest the cement board or is there another brand similar to ditra that you would suggest for that size tile?
Thank you in advance!
Call your rep, they will okay it for you.
Given that my washing machine weighs about 250 lbs dry (probably 300 lbs full load), should I put an uncoupling membrane between the concrete subfloor and the tile in the laundry room?
Irrelevant, uncoupling serves to protect from cracks from movement, not load.
Great Stuff as always! I just Did 650ft Wood look tile job over Ardex Flexbone..I wont use backerboard again! Also used Rigid level max spacers and was impressed with there ability to ensure it was a lippage free install! Ive been instaling Tile for 10 years and basically taught myself. Id love to come work with you on a shower or 2 for FREE because the learning experience would prove to be invalubale! Thanks for showing how to do things the right way! ..Nick from Jersey
Can I install Ditra on top of 3/4” OSB?
yes
Always appreciate the effort involved in these videos, thx👍
Being said, would never use any of that on a bathroom floor.
I think when talking about deflection we forget most bathroom floors are 5 x 10 or less. I make sure to glue/screw down 3/4 ply & then bond the backer board.
I use either of the liquid membranes available at the big box stores & waterproof the entire bathroom floor.
I don’t care if an elephant stepped on that floor- it ain’t deflecting
In NZ we have Hardies 6 millimetre thick tile and slate underlay which is a fibre cement sheet .the installation instructions are to use cartridge adhesive like nail bond and flathead galvanised nails at 4 inch centres nailed over the whole sheet. I have laid hundreds of sheets over the years,in theory the nail bond acts as an uncoupling I guess and the tile and cement sheet become one.
Always follow manufacturer installation recommendations, if that is how they say to do it, then it is designed for that installation method, Your standards will be different to ours and you may have products that are not available here. All that being said, there are some products here that I would never consider using.
Sal what do you think about using the ditra over a wedi board on a floor?
Hardi backer de-laminates not the best product.
Tiling my kitchen floor this weekend onto t&g chipboard (uk) was in two minds about choice of tile foundation until now. Thanks for your very detailed, helpful explanation of why the decouple membrane is best 👌
Please get to your point!
Hardy vaka
Question Sal as I get different opinions on this and haven't located the answer in the TCNA handbook (I'm sure its there I just haven.t found it). Installing tile over perfectly level concrete slab foundation subfloor. Do you waterproof/seal/vapor barrier the concrete slab before installing the tile? Obviously an uncoupling membrane is optimal in every situation, but if the customer doesn't want to spend the money on ditra or the like, do you go directly over the bare slab or prime/seal it first? On the one hand you want the thinset to permeate into the concrete slab and back of the tile to promote a strong bond, on the other hand I can see situations where you would want a vapor barrier. Thanks as always!
If you want to go directly over concrete, then that is fine, however you want to be sure that the concrete has no sealers or bond inhibitors on it. as long as there is no standing water, most times the concrete can still be tiled. Do a water drop test on the concrete, if the water absorbs into the concrete quickly, more than likely the pores are open and suitable for thinset to bond to it, if the water beads or takes a long time to absorb into the concrete, it will need to be scarified in some way to open the pores. If the concrete is below grade and has some amount of moisture coming through, I would think very carefully about just tiling directly to it, not because the tile will not bond, but because the moisture needs to be managed in some way to mitigate all the possible issues that can arise from the moisture in the slab coming through.
@@SalDiBlasi Thanks, that's my issue in this tropical climate with the standard being thin concrete slab foundations, we get high vapor from the slab. Can't drop a layer of cheap 6mil poly under tile like we do floating floors.
Looking for solutions besides ditra (I always recommend ditra or it's counterparts everywhere, but most don't want to pay for it). Any less expensive but standards complaint vapor control method's I can recommend to my clients?
Hey Sal - do you find demolishing tiles with ditra difficult? You can really clean up tiles well without all these backing products but I was wondering how hard it is to clean a floor with Ditra.
I have the video for you. th-cam.com/video/nY3WSe08n2M/w-d-xo.html
@@SalDiBlasi Thnx Sal - does that mean you can just knock the tiles off the top and reuse the ditra underneath? Would a power tile scrapper work if you need to do a large area?
“Apart from the seams, the floor is completely waterproof “. So its not waterproof at all.
He did say the seams can be waterproofed if desired, it's just an additional step. Schluter for example can be waterproofed with kerdi band. There's other videos on YT that describe how.
Howdy backer?
Hady backa
As always. Good information. As a professional, I apreciate your education to the general public
Thanks for watching
You want to say so much but it just doesn't want to come out. Before you record the show you need to organize and write down your thoughts! But what can I expect your are a tile guy not a writer. Good info after all.
Great Video Sal... Question.. Would you recommend an uncoupling membrane or hardi backer under river rock on bathroom floor? I feel the uncoupling membranes void might make the river rocks easier to flex and move. Any advice would help. Thanks
Since most uncoupling membranes limit the size of the tile to no less than 2x2 inches, I would say maybe you have a point. On the other hand, Schluter will approve of smaller tiles on a case by case basis.
Hey Sal i saw one guy put a mortar bed on to the ditra and then the next day apply thinset and small tile, is that an exceptable solution, he was a homeowner and wasn't worried about warranties.
Just watched a video of a lady installing tile directly to concrete using subfloor adhesive.
wrong
I always tell my customers, if I'm already going to be spreading thinset to install cement board properly, they might as well spend the money for uncoupling membrane and put it down instead of backer board and get the bonus of uncoupling, lighter weight, and faster installation. Good video Sal!
Thanks, cement board has become an inferior solution.
But saving us with 30 of experience you should skip through and say thank you
If you invent this then nothing could be better. Invent a thinset that is both durable but stays rubbery enough to handle movement in the floor. But then i suppose grout would pop out as you walk on the tile if it was able to move at all up and down. Hmmm.
5 minutes worth of info takes 20 minutes to deliver, dude drives me nuts
My work is done, another person driven to insanity. 😜😊
Sal DiBlasi ,
😂🤣. Question, can l use that plastic material to waterproof my shower walls too ? Glue it in with the red guard type of liquid membranes.??
I should have been less insane🤪
Im the same way
Crank up the 2x speed next time
Some people need the info , if u don't just keep it moving and not a whiner
Thanks for the video but you spend a lot of time describing the products (which is not why anyone is here watching) and don't get to the actual science of uncoupling membrame until you are 13+ minutes in to the video. Could easily have done it in less than 5 minutes. Thank you, though.
Hady baka
very informative video. A tile Contractor told me that the thicker hardie backer board was for floors and heavier tiles on the walls.
He actually has it backwards, the thinner board was made specifically for floors and should not be used on walls, the thicker version for 16" stud spacing on walls.
Haudy baka
Doesn't the mortar you apply under and above membrane get hard after installation, making the uncoupling membrane absolite? Seems like the only benefits of this membrane is the ease of carrying, and cutting into the area your installing tile.. I did hear him say something about indentations in the membrane but we go back to both sides of the membrane being completely solid after applying mortar? Thoughts?
Sal, how do you deal with 12x12 ceramic tiles, and mosaic tile (floor application) that are different thicknesses? Help?!?!
I have a subfloor that is needs some kind of board (like cement backer or plywood) because it’s a series of 2x8 planks. There are half inch gaps between these planks and some height differences. Can i put down a 1/4” cement board and then apply Ditra on top of it? This would level my floorboard and then provide the decoupling. I guess I’m really trying to avoid floating.
Thank you for explaining mechanics of this. So informative.
Glad it was helpful!
Could have been a 2 minute vidio
Could have also been a 40 minute video. I suggest you look at the video length and only watch those that match your attention span.
🙏🏻❤️🙏🏿 Always uncle Sal. Aloha🤙🏼 Hawaii Tile Renovations LLC
No one should be using cement board anymore. It's really outdated.
what if ur floor is the old planks my house was built in 1890???
With the hardy backer (spelling unknown) even if it was countertop backsplash? Or is there just better ways to go about it?
Hi Sal, can I Instal the Ditra over linoleum whic is on top of a plywood subfloor? Does the Vynil need to be removed ? or can I lay mapei eco prim grip over tbe vynil and then install the Ditra....?
All this makes total sense - but - if your subfloor is strong - doesn’t 1/2 screwed (but not glued) hardi accomplish the same goal of uncoupling ? Especially if you use quality porcelain tiles?
Now I understand decoupling membranes; thanks. would you recommend using this decoupling membrane for plaster?
But there IS a savings in thinset when using Ditra!! With Ditra you use un modified thinset, where with Hadibacker you MUST use modified. I find that when you take that into consideration you will see it actually costs the same to use Ditra as it does to use Hadibacker 👍
Did anyone use MAPEI Mapelastic CI Membrane? It is ANSI A118.12 that is approved for crack isolation.
Your talk in circles.
I never get lost
could an uncoupling membrane be used over cement slab relief joints in order to avoid relief joints in tile? for example 17x17 slab dived in 4 sections by relief joints. want to do a versailles pattern but won'r really be possible with the reliefs.
All of my tiled floors were done in 2003. Tar paper, mesh, mortar and then tile. I have demolished my bathroom down to the studs and bare plywood floors.
A floated floor then becomes one rigid assembly and will transfer movement through. An uncoupling membrane can be tarpaper which was used for years and years before all of these hi-tech products came out.
Great videos and information but the same message can be passed in 5 min or less.
No you don't have to apply a leveling bed, I've applied this backer and still good after a lifetime, its all about what you prefer to use and material cost
I will taking some items back to the box store and taking up your recommendation. Thank you.
Hi Sal I use mapei uncoupling membrane all the time and I put it down with a 1/4 square notch trowel. The issue I have with it is it seems to curl up in places along the walls or where you cut it. It's kinda a pain in the butt
I'm a year late. I just used this product for the first time. I wonder what Sals' kids will say 30 years from now.
I guess I missed the instructions on out putting down the membrane? Is there adhesive or does it float?
Sal, do you ever use cork underlayment instead of the mentioned decoupling products?