# First time ditra



## SSC (Feb 8, 2011)

How does it compare on time to install compared to cement board? it has to be faster.

Its too early here to start calling - what the average price for a roll of this stuff


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

SSC said:


> How does it compare on time to install compared to cement board? it has to be faster.
> 
> Its too early here to start calling - what the average price for a roll of this stuff


Ditra? For me, easily 2x faster if not more.

You cannot compare the price of Ditra directly to the price of CBU. Yes, Ditra costs a lot more. But consider that you can carry 323 sq ft of Ditra in the back seat of any vehicle, haul it up 3 flights of stairs by yourself in 1 trip and like I said, put it down at least twice as fast as CBU. Then there are the benefits of the material itself.


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## SSC (Feb 8, 2011)

angus242 said:


> Ditra? For me, easily 2x faster if not more.
> 
> You cannot compare the price of Ditra directly to the price of CBU. Yes, Ditra costs a lot more. But consider that you can carry 323 sq ft of Ditra in the back seat of any vehicle, haul it up 3 flights of stairs by yourself in 1 trip and like I said, put it down at least twice as fast as CBU. Then there are the benefits of the material itself.


thanks angus 

i just called a supplier and its $350 for 323sqft sounds good to me.


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## PrecisionFloors (Jan 24, 2006)

Id damned near rather install Ditra for free than get top dollar to install cbu. It's that much easier, lighter, less dusty, less aggravating, and faster than ANY cbu. It "costs" more on the purchase end that's it. Once you factor in time and pita cbu costs a helluva lot more. A busy tile guy could easily get to a handful more jobs over a years time due to the time savings alone. Not to mention less tool requirements and upkeep as well. I can't think of one single benifit cbu offers on a floor really.


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## opiethetileman (Apr 7, 2005)

will you install my tile for free too...............I have it ready for ya so ya dont have to carry it:w00t:


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## PrecisionFloors (Jan 24, 2006)

opiethetileman said:


> will you install my tile for free too...............I have it ready for ya so ya dont have to carry it:w00t:


Sure. Tell ya what - the fields free....cuts are 100 bucks a piece and grouting is 5 bucks a foot :laughing:


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## opiethetileman (Apr 7, 2005)

Now ya know I will just reframe the walls to get whole tile to whole tile. Or you install tile before walls go up. How easy is that. Hahahaaa. I try and make it easy for you JOSE.


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## bluebird5 (Dec 13, 2010)

I'd like to see all you tile guys race and see who's the best. give you like 2 hrs to tile a bathroom and see who can get the most done. Will anyone admit who they think is the best tileman?


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

bluebird5 said:


> I'd like to see all you tile guys race and see who's the best. give you like 2 hrs to tile a bathroom and see who can get the most done. Will anyone admit who they think is the best tileman?


_Timed_? Not me :no:


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## bluebird5 (Dec 13, 2010)

what if I allow you to use the ditra and everyone else has to use cbu?


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## opiethetileman (Apr 7, 2005)

years ago i worked for a company in town during the housing boom. The new guys had to tile two tub hops and two bathfloors per day for 4 days or ya didnt make the cut. My first day I just did my tub and layed out the floor. No i wasnt fired got to stay because of my brain. So about a month later I got to work with the owner. 2 tub hops in the same house he said race. I said ok......he goes and beats me by far he comes in my stall I have a level out drawing wings and such. that jerk took my level snapped it in half and said we dont use theesse here.

All tile is SQUARE and ya start whole tile off the tub and one line in the middle and run it. I didnt work for that jerk long


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

bluebird5 said:


> what if I allow you to use the ditra and everyone else has to use cbu?


Still no. :no: :laughing:


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## bluebird5 (Dec 13, 2010)

Angus do you ever do any work in Naperville?


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

bluebird5 said:


> Angus do you ever do any work in Naperville?


Often.


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## PrecisionFloors (Jan 24, 2006)

angus242 said:


> _Timed_? Not me :no:


Same here. I know without a shadow of a doubt I ain't the fastest....then again that has never been a goal :whistling


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## PrecisionFloors (Jan 24, 2006)

bluebird5 said:


> Will anyone admit who they think is the best tileman?


Sure. Not me lol. I'd give a vote for Bill Vincent or Bud Cline just on time in grade alone....those guys were setting when 8x8 was large format :laughing:


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## bazemk1979 (May 20, 2009)

PrecisionFloors said:


> Sure. Not me lol. I'd give a vote for Bill Vincent or Bud Cline just on time in grade alone....those guys were setting when 8x8 was large format :laughing:


I use to to tile 5 tubs per day in matter of 10 hrs of work per day,the builder didn't payed much so i had to run more than usual...I got the hang of it after a week and was 4x4 with bullnose. 

Since the tile was 4x4 all the gapping between the tile and the tub I would of fix it by opening 3-4 rows by a 1/16 and voila after grouting you couldnt notice anything.

Now if the builder wasnt a cheap *** and actually paid us better,well then I would of taken my time and rip all the first row that sits on the tub,you get what you paid for and they got a lot for what they paid since the tile ended up looking maculate.


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## JohnFRWhipple (Oct 20, 2009)

*Crack Isolation*

I'm working with way more setters, builders and tile guys than ever before and this product from Mapei keeps popping up everywhere.

I imagine you could carry this and your roller Angus in one step and not have to even mix up thinset. So you would save on carrying water, a sponge, bags and bags of thinset and after working on it for a few jobs it is much nicer to kneel on than Ditra.

I wonder why so many people are using it?

I'll talk to the Mapei Boys and find out why everyone I see and work with is using this Mapei Sound and Crack Product.


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## srwcontracting (Dec 11, 2009)

JohnFRWhipple said:


> I'm working with way more setters, builders and tile guys than ever before and this product from Mapei keeps popping up everywhere.
> 
> I imagine you could carry this and your roller Angus in one step and not have to even mix up thinset. So you would save on carrying water, a sponge, bags and bags of thinset and after working on it for a few jobs it is much nicer to kneel on than Ditra.
> 
> ...


You mean its like a peel and stick? No thin set......I think carrying the 100lb roller kind of ruins the deal


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

Sorry, no peel N stick for me. 








Bondera tile mat. Mapeguard 2


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## HS345 (Jan 20, 2008)

angus242 said:


> Sorry, no peel N stick for me.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It looks like the limitations on the Mapei stuff are pretty confining, prolly not for me. 

I have used Custom's Easy Mat peel and stick (it requires primer, as does the Mapei stuff) with great results. 

That's Easy Mat on the outside of this barrier free shower in a second floor condo unit (might even be third floor, I don't remember). It was spec'd by the architect for sound dampening purposes. I extended the Kerdi out onto the Easy Mat about 18". No call backs. 

I haven't used Easy Mat since then, but I enjoyed working with it, and wouldn't hesitate to use it again if the need arose. I probably put down 1000' or so.


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## srwcontracting (Dec 11, 2009)

HS345 said:


> It looks like the limitations on the Mapei stuff are pretty confining, prolly not for me.
> 
> I have used Custom's Easy Mat peel and stick (it requires primer, as does the Mapei stuff) with great results.
> 
> ...


I've used the easy mat a couple of times last year.....and I'm not sure whether it's worth the $11 per sqft plus the $150 thermostat. Also it was nice using larger tile, but with smaller 1" hexagon tile, the humps in the mat for where the wires connect to and the thermostat wire that is required to be run on floor makes it very difficult to lay tile over. Next time I would level floor over those parts, but that kind of defeats the purpose of this product! It does give you the thinnest heated floor though.


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## HS345 (Jan 20, 2008)

srwcontracting said:


> I've used the easy mat a couple of times last year.....and I'm not sure whether it's worth the $11 per sqft plus the $150 thermostat. Also it was nice using larger tile, but with smaller 1" hexagon tile, the humps in the mat for where the wires connect to and the thermostat wire that is required to be run on floor makes it very difficult to lay tile over. Next time I would level floor over those parts, but that kind of defeats the purpose of this product! It does give you the thinnest heated floor though.


The Easy Mat I'm talking about is an underlayment, not a heating system.


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## srwcontracting (Dec 11, 2009)

Looks exactly like it....Just looked it up, guess I was using "protecto peel and heat"


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## bluebird5 (Dec 13, 2010)

I can't find one of those 11/64 ditra trowels what sizes do you guys use to install your ditra?


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## Tech Dawg (Dec 13, 2010)

bluebird5 said:


> I can't find one of those 11/64 ditra trowels what sizes do you guys use to install your ditra?


3/16" v notch..... Opie is a V notch :laughing:


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## angus242 (Oct 20, 2007)

11/64 x 11/64 square notch


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