I'm finally towards the end of this second bathroom

Schluter has two sizes listed on there site for putting the Ditra Down.

1/4" x 3/16"

5/16" x 5/16"

What size do I buy???

http://www.schluter.com/5793.aspx

1/4" x 3/8" 1/4" is Normal for setting a 13x13 tile right

Thank you

Either one.
1st one is the square notch trowel. 2nd one is the v-notch trowel.

Depends on how flat the tile substrate is and how much of a lug pattern there is on the back of the tile.

You could start with that size and if you don't get 80% or better coverage then you need a bigger notch trowel.
Some people will jump right to a 1/2" sq notch trowel for anything over 12x12.

I could not find a "5/16" Trowel or even a "1/4-3/16-1/4"

Not from the $4.00 Bin or the $15.00 ones

I went to Home Depot & Rona,Millwork and home hardware

The only place I didn't try was Lowe's

I was lost so I thought I would come back home and get more info.

I did see some

1/2-1/2-1/2

1/4-1/4-1/4

The Notch size really did look like it would give a nice notch size in the thin-set for the Ditra to Grab.

But I really wasn't sure

The only thing I bought today was

1,1/4" x 3/8"
2,1/8" Spacers
3,Grout float

Mr Randall

What size do you use when doing Ditra installs yourself

The Subfloor is Plywood and area is 30sq

Tile 13x13 Porcelain tile

Thank you again

I think the Ditra trowel is 11/64 square, which is a little under 1/4". If you can't find a 3/16" v-notch somewhere, use a 1/4x1/4x1/4, and hold it a little closer to the floor while you comb out the thinset. This will get you pretty close to spec. I would rather have a little extra than not enough.

Thank you

I'm going to call and find out what a 11/64 Trowel will cost From schluter and just be done with it.

I might also now buy a 1/4x/1/4 like you listed my friend

I have looked everywhere for a 5/16 or 1/4x3/16/1/4 on the net and can't find a thing.

Is 5/16 really 5/32 and Ditra have the wrong info

I have a 3/16x5/32

Homedepot doesn't show anything either

http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/store...tial&s=true

I think what you have is a little light.

I'd rather use too much thinset than not enough.

The Ditra trowel will cost you around $30.00. It's a nice Rubi trowel that I use quite often. The notch is a great size for a lot of applications (mosaics on a shower base, Fiberock installs, etc.) I have both the Ditra and Kerdi trowels and love them both.

You may be able to find a Rubi dealer that could get you the same notch at a lower cost (without the Schluter name), but that just seemed like to much effort for me. I just paid the $30.00 per trowel for the peace of mind that if I ever have to call Schluter about a warranty issue and they ask what notch I used, I would be able to answer "your notch".

Would you have a website for Rubi,so I can look up Dealer locater.

All I seem to find is ebay auctions for trowels

I'm in Toronto so one shop carry them

I ordered a Ditra trowel from Home hardware for $29

My thinking is,if they made this trowel to work with there product to make sure you install it 100% correct

maybe it's wise to spend the money.

Marshmellow trowels want $26 for a 1/4-3/16 but I can't find anyone around me that carrys them.

I need to still find out if a 1/4"x3/8"x1/4" is the Correct size for 13x13 Unicom Starker Porcelain tile

Seeing as the company is Italian I can't ask them what trowel size I need.

That's the one I would use for 13x13 tiles.

KG14, as I said before, the trowel size depends on substrate and your tile back. Is the floor perfectly flat? Is the tile slightly cupped?

Trowel size is not solely determined by the size of the tile.

You may need to buy a couple of trowel sizes to finally get the one that gives you the proper coverage.

Like J&D I have the specific Schluter trowel sizes (Marshaltown)for installing Kerdi and Ditra. All my other trowels are choosen based on my first statement above.
Schluter trowels are mainly for installing their products only, not for actually installing tile.

Randall is right. The Ditra trowel is for putting the Ditra down - not for laying the tile. In some cases you may be able to use it, but I wouldn't for a 13"x 13". For a 13" tile I probably wouldn't look at anything smaller than a 1/4"x 3/8" and, depending on the shape of the floor and the tile, would have a 1/2" on the job just in case I needed it.

Those statements are true. Just trying to give a starting point. I certainly wouldn't go any smaller than 1/4x3/8", but you could always go bigger.

If you find that the 1/2' trowel won't give you enough coverage, you may need to stop and do some floor leveling. Too much thinset can cause problems, since a large buildup of thinset will shrink too much as it dries.

I wanted to comment since I've helped KG14, aka K.M.G. at another forum on this subject.

We all agree the 1/4x3/8x1/4" is our standard trowel for most 13x13" tiles. I also mentioned I often use a 1/4x1/2x1/4" if the tiles are thicker than normal or the backs more textured. While reading this thread again, I realized KG said he is using Unicom Starker which is thicker and more textured than most tiles. So try to find the 1/2" trowel too. Good luck.

Also back to the 1st post he mentioned the 1/4x3/16 and the 5/16 trowel to install Ditra. I know Randall knows they are both "V" trowels, although he responded that one was square and the other was a V. He mistakenly thought they were being used to install tiles and not Ditra. No big deal, just wanted to correct it for others who may refer to this thread.

Jaz

You found me Jaz

I went out and and bought a few toys and more trowels yesterday and the king of trowels HAHA,that started this big topic.

Thanks for all the replys





I Just need to find what Ditra Calls a Soupy mix but can hold a notch.

Jaz, thanks for catching the sq notch statement. Yes it should have read V notches.

The rest of my post was related to the question for trowel size to install tile. I was not implying that the Vs were for installing tile.

KG14, now that you have the tools, get busy.

Thinset mix for the Ditra is fairly runny. Should end up something like the consistency of yogurt. It's going to take some trial and error on your part to get it right.