Ok...love Ditra...but this cracking around the perimeter of the tile thing is starting to PMO. Anybody else getting a hairline crack around the tiles? First one was over plywood...now...I have one over concrete over heating cables. Grrrrh!

Are you saying the grout is cracking or the thinset between the tiles on the surface of the Ditra ?

Have you changed your installation materials IE: thinset type ?

Can you post any pics?

Hi Randall

This unfortunatly is happening years later. Every tile has a a hairline crack surrounded each tile. I will post pics if I can find my camera. No tile is loose. I will pull one up and take pics. Thanks

Bri, Yes I have seen this happen more so when installing porcelain tiles. I think its caused from foot traffic to soon on the floor. I like to give my floors installed on Ditra a full day to set before grouting. this is not allways the case in new home construction.

Hi Guys,

I just met with a guy I know that works for a very large remodeling company around here in the DC area. To put things in perspective, they gross something like $50 million a year, and all of it is for people that are spending stupid amounts of money on multi-million dollar remodels.

Anyway, virtually no expense is spared on these jobs and now he tells me that they are having some real problems with Ditra. They just tore out several very large floors (~1000 sq ft each) set over Ditra. They are starting to get worried and I think they haven't been getting good answers from the Schluter people. I'm going to try and get more info from him the next time we talk.

Hello Bri & RC,

Did either of you have any more on this issue?

Haven't heard anything more about this problem.

I personally have never had any issues with Ditra.

I've got an installation that I installed a couple of months ago that has hairline cracks. Since they're running generally in a straight line across the room, I suspect they're caused by a high wall in the basement. Just the grout is cracking, not the tile.

You're probably right Kevin ... the wall under the floor might be swelling and expanding different times of the year pushing up on the floor.
Seems like Ditra is over sold by some retailers as a Fix-All product when it is simply only an isolation membrane.

Like I said...I love the stuff...but it won't do miracles I guess. What is really PMO these days, is the amount of tile going down on single layer plywood and wire and scratch coat....and there are no failures. I mean really...it's like the Tilegods hate us.

I have had two instances of grout cracking in the past year, and both of them were with the same builder. One of them was on Hardibacker, and now this one on Ditra. Both of them are on a single layer of 3/4" Advantech. I'm not sure this guy is even going to be doing any more construction with the economy the way it is, but I'm thinking if he does, I'm going to strongly suggest he go with single layer plywood or a double layer of OSB.

Some of problem might also lie with the framers. If they didn't level that wall perfectly with the other walls, that could cause the problem. We've also had some pretty wide temperature swings over the past few weeks, and a crapload of rain. Don't know if those might be a factor.

Well today, I finally pulled up some of the tile that has cracks around the entire perimeter of each tile....AND......they are stuck down really well...nothing is loose...the Ditra is well bonded to the plywood subfloor...the tile is well bonded to the Ditra. I don't know what to say. It's as if the movement is sideways..and Ditra is supposed to address that issue. I may give up on the stuff in High Traffic areas. Lucky(or not) this is my brothers house. If it weren't I would be totally screwed right now.

Bri, have you mentioned this to anyone from Schluter? Maybe they could offer an opinion on the problem.

I haven't. I'm afraid my sister-in-law will find out the reps name...and..well......I don't want to be responsible for what might happen

Plus....I used modified thin set for everything..so, I just figure they'll tell me that was the problem. But now that I see the bond is fine...I think I will tell them.

Got another one.

This is one I did earlier this year. Three different areas of tile, and one travertine. Not one tile is cracked, but there are hairline cracks in different areas. Even the grout with the travertine is cracking. I figured if it was a deflection issue, the stone would crack too, but it hasn't, and it's on Ditra XL. They've installed cabinets, a stove, and a refrigerator on this travertine and it appears to be holding up okay, but the grout has hairline cracks. I'm about to my wit's end on this.

If I just knew what the problem was, I could address it, but I can't seem to figure out what's causing it.

Funny enough...I am doing a shower right now...the rest of the room is done already...many years ago...old ditra...with the ribs. I can take the whole floor out in one piece. Not one crack in the joints though. How weird is that?

This post has been moved to its own thread.

Any pics yet