TCAA Tile Talk Monthly

March 2024

Understanding Peel and Stick Uncoupling Membranes for Heated Floors

Ask the Expert: Kali Pharand, Product Standards and Sustainability Coordinator

Peel and stick (PS) uncoupling membranes have hit the market and are gaining popularity.  This is the new mess-free way to install an uncoupling membrane under tile, since there is no thin-set mortar required to install these membranes to plywood, OSB, gypsum, or concrete substrates – no mess, no stress. 

Peel and stick membranes feature a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) backing much like carpet tiles, which is a type of adhesive that allows the membranes to be repositioned during installation but gains strength each time pressure is applied during and after installation. 

Main Functions

The core functions include uncoupling, waterproofing, vapor management, and support/load distribution.  As with the thin-set versions, heating cables can also be inserted into the PS membranes to add floor warming properties. This can reduce costs during the cold, winter months.  Like their traditional counterparts, peel and stick membranes are typically composed of polypropylene, which will waterproof the substrate from above.  The free space underneath each of the PS membranes provides an access route for excess moisture and vapor to escape from the substrate, instead of penetrating the floor covering above

Quiet Please!

Sound control is highly sought after in condos and other dwellings where there are multiple families. Schluter®-DITRA-HEAT-DUO-PS contains a thicker fleece layer to reduce sound transmission and increase the delta impact insulation class (IIC) rating, which is a number rating of how well the floor of a building reduces impact sounds, such as footsteps. 

Easy Installation

Ease of installation is the selling point of these membranes. To install, peel off the release film from the fleece side of the membrane and adhere to the substrate.  When it is positioned correctly, roll it into place.  Until then it can be moved and replaced as necessary.  The adhesion provided by the pressure-sensitive adhesives used for the PS membranes increases over time, and traffic on the surface of the tile installation further improves the bond. 

One important note is that the substrate must be clean, even, and load bearing, according to the DITRA-HEAT Handbook. An appropriate primer can also be used with these membranes over any difficult-to-bond-to substrate or for increased adhesion, when required.  A list of approved substrates can be found in the DITRA-HEAT Technical Data Sheet or Installation Handbook.

Although not designed for exterior applications, PS membranes can bring the functionality of uncoupling, sound control, and heated floors to shower pans when used in conjunction with a primary waterproofing membrane like Schluter’s KERDI.

To find out if peel and stick membranes would benefit your installation, refer to Schluter’s DITRA-HEAT Technical Data Sheet or reach out to your local Schluter representative.

ARDEX DG 1^TM One-Component Grout

ARDEX DG 1^TM One-Component Grout is ready-to-use right out of the pail with no additional water needed. DG 1 is suitable for porcelain, glass, quarry, ceramic and most natural stone, moisture insensitive tiles. The thicker formula is ideal for wall applications, and due to its stain resistance and water-repellant formula, this grout will make shower installations a breeze.

ARDEX DG 1 is currently available in 15+ colors and comes with a SystemOne^TM warranty!

For more information, visit https://www.ardexamericas.com/product/ardex-dg1/.  

Reducing our carbon footprint with tile: Part 2 – Introduction to material transparency

by Scott Conwell, FAIA, FCSI, LEED AP, Director of Industry Development International Masonry Institute

One way building product manufacturers demonstrate the environmental impacts of their products is to report what goes into their materials and how toxic those ingredients are. This reporting must be transparent, it must be accurate, and it should follow a standardized format so specifiers can make well-informed decisions on material selection. Because the ingredients that go into ceramic tiles are natural and environmentally friendly, material ingredient reports typically favor tile over other materials.

TCAA tile contractors should have a basic understanding of material ingredient reporting and the importance of transparency so they can communicate the sustainable benefits of tile to their customers, clients, and stakeholders. This article is the second in a 6-part series about the many ways ceramic tile contributes to sustainable project goals by… just being tile.

Click here for a short video clip about building material transparency: https://youtu.be/NmvrCapMfmQ

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has a good definition of building material transparency on their website: “Manufacturers disclosing the environmental, health, and social impacts of their products.” When design professionals really understand what goes into a particular building material, they can make educated decisions about what materials to specify.

Material transparency is the foundation of a new document published by the Tile Council of North America (TCNA), the Material Ingredient Guide. The Material Ingredient Guide lists four steps to transparency: inventory, screening & assessing, disclosing, and optimizing.

In producing this guide, TCNA collaborated with 17 manufacturers of tile, setting materials, and grouts, gathering detailed information about the makeup of their products. The guide can be downloaded at https://whytile.com/library/material-ingredient-guide/

Transparency in disclosing building ingredients keeps manufacturers accountable. Tools like the Material Ingredient Guide help unify and standardize the reporting process required in sustainable rating systems like LEED. LEED v4’s Building Product Disclosure and Optimization (BPDO) credits provide incentives for material ingredient reporting, acknowledging that such reporting can ultimately lead to carbon reduction.

Click here for a short video clip introducing the Material Ingredient Guide and showing an example of how material ingredient reporting contributes to LEED credits, and ultimately to the carbon reduction that goes along with using natural materials like tile and stone: https://youtu.be/nlO9mKc1XYE

My next column will examine the four parts to building material transparency: Inventory, screen & assess, disclose, and optimize, and how a greater level of transparency gives tile a competitive edge.