When Was Ditra Made? And Was It The First Uncoupling Matting?

[Dan]

Perhaps one for @SchlüterSystems themselves to answer.

1. When was ditra first made and used?
2. Is that tiling job still down?
3. Was it the first of its kind?
4. And just one for the hell of it - what was your first pets name and the name of your first street? (we get your 'acting' name then don't we? lololol)

We seem to be super uncoupling matting heavy these days and I can't remember it being the case years ago (and I'm not that old! I promise!!). The lads who used to work for Johnsons Fixing Division back in t'day, when they owned BAL, certainly didn't. Or I can't remember my old boss / business partner Paul Riley waffling about it (I didn't work for the division but he sure did). And he sure did waffle a lot about those days (used to like hearing it to be honest).

So we now use it on screeds new and old but especially new, on UFH, on old floors because they're old, on new floors because they're new. Now with mosaics we're skimming them to create a flat surface again when there was a flat surface under it already.

Are we becoming a bit too reliant on uncoupling and not trusting adhesive firms? Surely SOME of their specifications these days don't involve uncoupling matting?

 

[White Room]

Ditra was different a large number of years ago with the flutes in one straight line.

 

[andy8758]

Interesting thread Dan.

Surely Werner Schluter can provide answers to Q's 1,2,and 3? It is a relatively recent product, only commercially introduced in 1987, so most of the old men tilers (sorry guys) on here must have some stories relating to using it in the early days.

I like a product that is well thought out, and (frankly) works reliably. I have great confidence in it, and tend to encourage its use as much as possible under natural stone (especially limestone) and always with ufh under natural stone. But, it is expensive. Which means many customers take the risk when offered a choice. Because it works mechanically, I use it in preference to the "undovetailed" products.

Its not about not trusting the adhesive firms claims on flexibility - it's often about the choice between direct contact between tile and sub-strata (via adhesive) and indirect contact when using Ditra. It makes sense to uncouple to prevent the cracking I have seen on so many floors I am asked to repair.

Finally - a cat called Peter given to my sister in compensation for my birth, in Weymouth (lived in Fraser Avenue, 1958-1961).

 

[Dan]

Interesting thread Dan.

Surely Werner Schluter can provide answers to Q's 1,2,and 3? It is a relatively recent product, only commercially introduced in 1987, so most of the old men tilers (sorry guys) on here must have some stories relating to using it in the early days.

I like a product that is well thought out, and (frankly) works reliably. I have great confidence in it, and tend to encourage its use as much as possible under natural stone (especially limestone) and always with ufh under natural stone. But, it is expensive. Which means many customers take the risk when offered a choice. Because it works mechanically, I use it in preference to the "undovetailed" products.

Its not about not trusting the adhesive firms claims on flexibility - it's often about the choice between direct contact between tile and sub-strata (via adhesive) and indirect contact when using Ditra. It makes sense to uncouple to prevent the cracking I have seen on so many floors I am asked to repair.

Finally - a cat called Peter given to my sister in compensation for my birth, in Weymouth (lived in Fraser Avenue, 1958-1961).

How the hell did you know that?!

Stick around I have some more for you

 

[widler]

Never even heard of it until recently ,only used it a couple of times.
Can't say I've ever had a problem.
1st dog was sherry, and mine head ave ,which I was born on

 

[Old Mod]

I'm sure on the Schluter wet room course last year they said that the company was 27yrs old and Ditra 25yrs.
I've been using it for the last 9-10yrs

And I don't know
And I don't know!

 

[Simons70]

I do the courses in '96.First job was 7000 sqm,Olympic swimming pools and surrounding area.Warranty 10 years,any problems.After that we do balcony,new building(120 balcony).Have to come back after 3 years to fix the board of all balcony.Big external area after(around 1000 sqm)failed. Nowadays you can't find ditra in Italy(maybe some builders shops,but not professional tiling shop) .IMO is just a plastic,same like fit rubbish bags in the floor and after tiled.Try to take out after couple of years,is easy job,not like the tiles fitted directly in the screed,or fitted with strong adhesive directly in the screed.

 

[Dan]

I do the courses in '96.First job was 7000 sqm,Olympic swimming pools and surrounding area.Warranty 10 years,any problems.After that we do balcony,new building(120 balcony).Have to come back after 3 years to fix the board of all balcony.Big external area after(around 1000 sqm)failed. Nowadays you can't find ditra in Italy(maybe some builders shops,but not professional tiling shop) .IMO is just a plastic,same like fit rubbish bags in the floor and after tiled.Try to take out after couple of years,is easy job,not like the tiles fitted directly in the screed,or fitted with strong adhesive directly in the screed.

What adhesive makes are popular in Italy?

 

[Simons70]

Tehno-cola! This is my favorite.But in the shop for tilers is Mapei,Kerakool,Weber.

 

[Dan]

Do the adhesive companies not specify the use of uncoupling membranes over there at all then?

 

[Simons70]

The adhesive companies make the adhesive for fit tiles,stone,marble,etc.,not membranes.

 

[Dan]

The adhesive companies make the adhesive for fit tiles,stone,marble,etc.,not membranes.

It seems over here the uncoupling membrane is being specified quite a bit for pretty much any floor.

We seem to have lost trust in the adhesive!

 

[dean.diy]

maybe the floors in Italy are solid concrete, not the flexing floorboard/ joist substrates we have here.

 

[Dan]

maybe the floors in Italy are solid concrete, not the flexing floorboard/ joist substrates we have here.

I'm sure our adhesives work just fine on our floors.

 

[dean.diy]

Don't disagree with the thread.Cant see the Germans inventing something that didn't involve profit AND was really needed.