I have done a lot of tiling projects however this is the first time I have had to tile over concrete. Does anyone have some advice on certain techniques or items that are special to this situation. I have read about that orange product that you roll out then tile over it. I cannot find this product in my local lowes. Does anyone have any advise.
Thanks
Replies
It is Ditra
HD handles, but it might be special order in someplaces.
But you should be able to get it at many tile suppliers and also online. Google it.
And there is a current thread on tiling on concrete.
http://forums.taunton.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=tp-breaktime&msg=91066.1&search=y
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
96% of my jobs have concrete floors, the only time I see the tile setters put anything on the concrete is if it's going to be subject to some kind of moisture.
<96%>
96?
Wow, that's pretty accurate accounting!
Forrest
LOL
When I run into a floor something other than concrete it usually sticks out in my mind.
The number is probably closer to 98%, or maybe even 98.6% ;-)
The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.
-- Albert Einstein
I've done five tile floors so far, and three have been over concrete. I all three cases, I laid them directly on the 'crete with thinset mortar. One was done about 1995, one about 2000, and the other last year. No problems with any of them so far.
That orange material is intended to allow the concrete to shrink and expand at a different rate than the tile. This might be a problem if you have radiant heat in the floor or if the room is quite large, but my experience is that they both expand at about the same rate, and there's no need for this stuff.
>>That orange material is intended to allow the concrete to shrink and expand at a different rate than the tileActually the primary application of Ditra is to uncouple the tile from the substrate, and in general, concrete slabs are some of the most stable of tile substrates (and thus have the least need for an uncoupling system--like Ditra)...What the OP needs to know is that a fully cured (and un-cracked) slab will generally need nothing under the tile, and tile is bonded exceptionally well to clean, cured, flat slabs with a decent modified thin-set.New slabs, cracking slabs, and un-flat slabs are problems for tile that DO need special attention (and Ditra might be the ticket here).Also, thermal expansion problems w/ tile are less of a concern for concrete substrates than others..But all tile floors need expansion joints at certain prescribed intervals, regardless.