Schluter®-DITRA Still Delivering For The Flooring Industry

Originally launched by Schlüter^®-Systems nearly 40 years ago, the DITRA uncoupling membrane revolutionised the flooring industry by offering functions such as load distribution, vapour management and reliable waterproofing.  Over time, these practical benefits have been developed further, creating a key family of products within the Schlüter-Systems portfolio, which today comprises around 12,000 established product lines.

The low-profile membrane features a distinctive dovetail-shaped structure that enhances the adhesion of tiles and natural stone coverings. A fleece backing allows DITRA to be securely bonded to a wide variety of substrates, ensuring it lays flat and helping to speed up installation. Building on this proven design, more recent innovations have seen the DITRA concept embrace more diverse situations, including adhesive-free installation for greater ease of use by general builders and bathroom installers, as well as integration into installer-friendly underfloor heating systems.

Drawing on Schlüter^®-Systems’ Peel & Stick technology, DITRA-PS presents a pressure sensitive release film on the back of the membrane, which permits it to be repositioned as often as required provided no pressure has been applied, to ensure the membrane is perfectly placed. Once pressure has been applied, the mat is adhered to the substrate and is immediately ready for tiling.

The Schluter^®-DITRA-PS membrane is therefore the ideal answer to dealing with troublesome substrates such as P5 green chipboard, which is not suitable for use with traditional tile adhesive and does not offer the same level of protection against tiles cracking, debonding or moisture damage. DITRA Peel & Stick allows installers to easily stick down the membrane onto even the trickiest of substrates, with no tile adhesive required and no mess involved.

Then, where building owners or bathroom specialists want to deliver warmth independent of the main heating system, the Schluter^®-DITRA  range also includes  DITRA-HEAT and DITRA-HEAT-DUO.  DITRA-HEAT is not just an ideal substrate for ceramic tiles and natural stone, vinyl and other substrates, but also an innovative system for warming wall areas, while heat output can be controlled via smart home devices, as well as the manufacturer’s app, or conventional controls.  The membrane is available in mat or roll format.

One of Schlüter^®-Systems strategic strengths is that it has always listened to its customers’ needs which is why DITRA-SOUND was introduced to the range in 2017, very much suiting the trends towards multi-generational living and the popularity of apartment developments. 

Retaining the original fleece-backed polyethylene membrane construction and low height, the heavy-duty version of the original DITRA has been independently tested to ISO 140-8 to prove it offers an impact sound reduction of 13 dB; though the perceived performance in terms of how footsteps and falling objects are heard in the room below, will vary depending on the overall floor/ceiling construction.

Ultimately, the market-leading Schluter^®-DITRA family of products offers game-changing benefits for domestic and commercial properties in terms of their uncoupling characteristics, ease of installation and allied benefits, demonstrated across the multiple variants. 

For further information, call 01530 813396 or visit https://www.schluter.co.uk/

Rossi Bathrooms And Schlüter Systems Deliver High‑Performance Residential Steam Room

In today’s fast-paced world, homeowners are increasingly looking to create at home wellness spaces. Ross Guerin of Rossi Bathrooms Ltd certainly provided a calm, relaxing residential steam room installation recently with products from Schlüter-Systems. As a Schlüter Registered Installer, Ross chose Schlüter-KERDI-DS and Schlüter-DITRA waterproofing and uncoupling solutions to prepare for the intense moisture and heat a steam room would generate.

Designed for areas exposed to high humidity levels – such as swimming pools, steam rooms, and spa environments – Schlüter-KERDI-DS is a waterproofing membrane with additional vapour barrier properties. It provides reliable protection even on moisture-sensitive substrates like wood, helping to preserve the entire structure beneath the surface.

In addition to its enhanced vapour resistance, KERDI-DS offers all the trusted benefits of the original KERDI membrane, including:

• Fleece lamination on both sides for optimal anchoring in the adhesive

• Imprinted gridlines

• Easy to cut using a cutter knife

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As Ross explained, “The Schlüter products are by far the best on the market. Using the vapour barrier KERDI-DS is great – the trust is there right from the word go! With the corner connections and KERDI-COLL, you don’t have to worry about watertightness and steam proofing. But once it’s all on and the banding is complete, it’s great to see the finished tanking.”

Ross installed DITRA on the floor to protect the tiles from substrate movement, providing waterproofing, vapour pressure equalisation, load transfer, and even heat distribution.

For Ross, attention to detail and using the right products were key to delivering a space that felt both indulgent and built to last. “The reason why we chose Schlüter is because it is the best,” he said. “For myself as a company, I only want to use the best product to give me peace of mind.”

Projects like this highlight how the right preparation and trusted materials can elevate even the most functional spaces into something special. For further information, call 01530 813396 or visit https://www.schluter.co.uk

Schlüter Stars In Stunning Bathroom

Schlüter Systems offers more than 10,000 products designed for the long-lasting installation of tiles and natural stone. The portfolios include trims, waterproofing, underfloor heating and shower drainage systems.  Worldwide, the products and  systems have created the very best in bathroom design in both style and durability.

 One example is a renovation and extension project which included the refurbishment of the residence’s 4.8m x 2.7m master en-suite. Enlisting the services of Quell Bathrooms, the client set out the fundamentals of what he wanted – bath, shower and double basin with storage. He then gave free rein to Vincent Pope, Quell’s MD, to come up with a few ideas from which the final design was selected.  The resulting wetroom featured a number of different Schlüter-Systems products in order to ensure a sound finish for the client’s considerable investment.

An integrated linear drain wetroom kit, Schlüter-KERDI-LINE-WRKL, was used to provide guaranteed waterproofing and drainage for the bathroom; it comprised a waterproofing and sealing kit, shower boards, drainage channel and support with a tile support grate.

The waterproofing and sealing kit contained Schlüter-KERDI waterproofing membrane, plus Schlüter-KERDI-KEBA sealing band, Schlüter-KERDI-KERECK pre-formed corner pieces and Schlüter-KERDI-COLL sealing adhesive. The KERDI membrane from the kit was used to waterproof the back wall and around the shower wall. The rest of the room utilised Schlüter-KERDI-BOARD waterproof backerboard in 10mm thickness. All joints and junctions were sealed with the aforementioned set of sealing products. The 800mm linear drainage channel was installed in an intermediate location, sloped to from both sides using the Schlüter-KERDI-SHOWER-L and Schlüter-KERDI-SHOWER-LS pre-sloped shower boards. The drain was designed to be tiled to in-line with the rest of the floor - in this case with wood-effect tiles - resulting in a discreet solution.

‘Since we started using Schlüter’s wetroom kits three years’ ago, we’ve had none of the problems we would get previously”, says Vincent, “We wouldn’t deviate from Schlüter as the company offers a comprehensive and trustworthy solution to prepping a wetroom”. The timber floors of the project had already been insulated, so Vincent installed the original Schlüter-DITRA-HEAT-E electric underfloor heating system. “It’s great that you can use this system throughout the whole of a room, including the shower area. Often this isn’t an option,” adds Vincent who continues, “In refurbishment work, it’s always a struggle to keep floor build-ups low; with the Schlüter-DITRA-HEAT-E system, all build-up is contained within the height of the membrane so there are no unexpected surprises”.

Vincent used chrome-plated brass finishing profiles, Schlüter-QUADEC-MC, to provide finishing against the wood-effect wall tiles. He also used the matching Schlüter-QUADEC-MC/EV corner pieces to finish the corners of the one-metre high shower wall. “Schlüter trims give a great finish for tile edges and neatly cover the edge of tile. In addition, the corner pieces provide a good-looking finish that avoids sharp edges which is important as we were finishing a low wall that could be a source of injury if finished with mitring” concludes Vincent.

Schlüter-JOLLY-AC in a Matte Brilliant White (MBW) finish was used to finish edges in wall areas where 1000mm x 330mm ceramic tiles were installed, including around window reveals. Three quarters of the edges of Quell’s custom-built niches for the project were also edged with the MBW trims, with QUADEC-MC to the inside edge of each as part of a wood-effect feature shower wall. For further information, call 01530 813396 or visit https://www.schluter.co.uk