Ditra
Ceramic tile is probably not the first project for a homeowner do-it-yourselfer to attempt. I’ve spent the last two weeks investigating the feasibility of such a project. I had to figure out:
- How to remove our old, beat up vinyl flooring (oscillating multi-tool)
- How to calculate subfloor deflection based on truss span and composition, and subfloor thickness
- The best (cut off and replace the closet flange) and second best (use stacked wax rings, the bottom one of normal thickness and the top of greater thickness, with a horn) way to reconnect the toilet once the floor is raised in height
- Underlayments: Schluter Ditra is a decoupling underlayment and a great alternative to the weight of cement board
- How to attach Ditra to the floor (with a modified thinset, preferably spread with the 11/64 (~4.5mm) square notch Ditra trowel — using their alternate recommendation results in poor coverage and using a larger trowel gives you ridges in the underlayment
- How to attach tile to Ditra (with an unmodified thinset)
- The thinsets to use (VersaBond for modified, TEC Uncoupling Membrane Mortar for unmodified)
- How to plan your tile setting so you don’t get slivers at the wall
- Trowel size for larger tiles (1/2”)
- What trowel sizes even mean
- How to snap a grid to set your tile
- How to cut tile
- How to measure tile cuts (hint, you don’t use a tape measure)
- Expansion joints
- Rectified versus unrectified tile
- The challenges of large format, unrectified tile and the recommended grout lines for the latter (3/16”)
- How to avoid lippage (Tuscan Leveling System or LASH system)
- Whether to cut all your tiles at once or cut them as you set
- Carpet to tile transitions
- Grout technique
- Grout maintenance (non-epoxy grout requires sealing)
And all that was just to try to figure out what it would cost to do the tile ourselves. The 56 item spreadsheet I’ve assembled calls for material from Home Depot, Lowes, Hejny Rental, Amazon, Minnesota Tile and Stone, and Contractors Direct. I’m close to actually having a number for the cost. So now I have a ton of respect for tile and stone wranglers. This requires an immense amount of attention to detail. I still don’t know if we’re going to do it.