Conflicting instructions - tile laying

Hi folks! So I`m planning on tiling my kitchen. I have experience in renovations but never actually installed tiles. Youtube and Reddit and etc. instruct to add a thin layer of plywood or cement board on top of floor underlayment. My uncle who`s done it 1000 times and my best friend who`s a contractor agree. Youtube and Reddit talk about modified thinset, Ditra systems / uncoupling membrane. My uncle and friend say nope right on the new plywood layer its fine. Some youtubers and Redditors agree that it was done this way for a hundred years and works fine. So I bought the Ditra rolls and trowel and their All-Set mortar for more $$ than my tiles and took a class on floor tiling just to be safe and well informed. Lo and behold the trainer also says to lay tiles right on the new plywood with no additional preparations. He says to run away from Ditra, that the plywood method has been in place forever and the amount of work going into applying modified thinset, applying ditra rolls, removing all bubbles from under the mats, applying a different viscosity of All-Set mortar on the Ditra rolls, and finally back buttering all tiles (even the big ones that don`t usually need it) before installing them, is ridiculous. So what`s the deal guys? I`m going to be tiling a kitchen floor (65-86 degree F) that`s above a heated garage (41 degree F minimum) so low expansion I think. Is this uncoupling membrane thing for real? Why do many contractors not want to use them in that case? I`ve ripped out my fair share of tiles and they were always laying in a bed of thinset right on the plywood boards. argh...! submitted by /u/Mailloche [link] [comments]

Mar 15, 2025 - 12:59

Hi folks!

So I`m planning on tiling my kitchen. I have experience in renovations but never actually installed tiles.

Youtube and Reddit and etc. instruct to add a thin layer of plywood or cement board on top of floor underlayment. My uncle who`s done it 1000 times and my best friend who`s a contractor agree.
Youtube and Reddit talk about modified thinset, Ditra systems / uncoupling membrane. My uncle and friend say nope right on the new plywood layer its fine. Some youtubers and Redditors agree that it was done this way for a hundred years and works fine.

So I bought the Ditra rolls and trowel and their All-Set mortar for more $$ than my tiles and took a class on floor tiling just to be safe and well informed. Lo and behold the trainer also says to lay tiles right on the new plywood with no additional preparations. He says to run away from Ditra, that the plywood method has been in place forever and the amount of work going into applying modified thinset, applying ditra rolls, removing all bubbles from under the mats, applying a different viscosity of All-Set mortar on the Ditra rolls, and finally back buttering all tiles (even the big ones that don`t usually need it) before installing them, is ridiculous.

So what`s the deal guys? I`m going to be tiling a kitchen floor (65-86 degree F) that`s above a heated garage (41 degree F minimum) so low expansion I think. Is this uncoupling membrane thing for real? Why do many contractors not want to use them in that case?

I`ve ripped out my fair share of tiles and they were always laying in a bed of thinset right on the plywood boards. argh...!

submitted by /u/Mailloche
[link] [comments]