Replies

1. 
   notagain | Feb 02, 2007 03:27am | #1

   Looking to do the same as you, although I haven't looked into the Schluter stuff yet, so can't help you there.

   But..........I understand that Suntouch has a 10 year warranty, Nuheat has a 25 year warranty, for what it's worth.
   Rod

2. 
   Lansdown | Feb 02, 2007 03:31am | #2

   Do a search, this topic is discussed weekly here.

3. 
   seajai | Feb 02, 2007 07:05am | #3

   JonL,

   Suntouch makes an electric heat mat as well as warmwire, which is just the wire without the mat. If you are getting the mat, I would install the ditra first and then embed the mat in a layer of thinset and then tile. I think the ditra would inhibit heat flow if installed OVER the heat mat.  If you are using the wire, I would use a self-leveling cement such as c-cure or custom, extended set from custom gives you 30 minutes of working time. Prime the plywood, install PLASTIC reinforcing lath, lay out the wires, and cover with the leveler....no ditra needed. The wire kit will come with lenghts of track to hold down the wire, plastic romex wire staples can be used on the loops to keep the wire from floating up in the leveler. 

   Saftey glasses?......Nah!, I'm wearing saftey contacts
4. 
   Billy | Feb 02, 2007 07:36am | #4

   The heat mat people say it's fine to put the heat mat under the Ditra.  I've done it and it works fine.  If you put the heat mat above the Ditra, good luck not butchering the mat if you ever have to remove and replace a tile.

   Billy

1. 
   JonL | Feb 02, 2007 07:44am | #5

   Thanks all,Billy, how are you securing the electric mat? do you use a latex modified thinset? and spread it smooth? and then let it dry before applying the membrane? thanks

1. 
   Billy | Feb 02, 2007 08:11am | #6

   The heat mat manufacturers have detailed installation instructions for their mats. 

   Use latex modified thinset, mixed kind of soupy, and burn it into the substrate with a 3/16" or maybe a 1/4" notched trowel.  Unfold or unroll the mat on top of the thinset and smooth the mat down with a rubber grout float.  The thinset oozes up through the mesh in a Nuheat mat.  Be careful using metal tools on top of the mat.

   Let the latex modified thinset dry for several days if you are putting Ditra on top (latex modified requires air to cure, unlike unmodified thinset which cures chemically). 

   The substrate in the photos was leveled using mud pack, which is porous, so a layer of thinset was troweled flat over the mud and allowed to dry before troweling down the thinset for the mat.  With most substrates you would skip this step (and it is not absolutely necessary, but it allowed us to put the mat down more quickly without having to worry about the thinset drying out during the process).

   Billy

   Edited 2/2/2007 12:12 am ET by Billy

2. 
   Notchman | Feb 02, 2007 10:04am | #9

   I've only installed Warmly Yours, which is a wire-on-mat, and secure it to substrate with a hot glue gun (per Mfr's recommendation).

   Works very well.  I usually skim over the mat with thinset, just to bed and cover the wire, then thinset and tile as per usual.

5. 
   caseyr | Feb 02, 2007 08:13am | #7

   If you haven't already looked at it, view the installation handbook on Ditra at:

   http://www.schluter.com/english/products/2002/pdf/ditra_handbook.pdf

   (It may take a while to load)

   They give specific examples for a variety of floors and gives specific recommendations for installing Ditra.

   As for the heating mat, the directions that came with mine specified that it be imbedded in self leveling compound before the thinset is applied.

6. 
   Sbds | Feb 02, 2007 09:39am | #8

   I downloaded this from JLC.