If you’re planning to lay down some tile in a kitchen, bathroom, shower, tub, or anything in between, you do need to have the right type of underlayment. You can’t just stick those tiles right to plywood. Luckily, there are a variety of materials that you have at your disposal in terms of tile underlayment.
Two extremely popular ones include Schluter-Ditra and cement board. Today, we want to figure out what both of these are, what makes them different, and which one is ideal for specific circumstances.
Schluter-Ditra and Cement Board: The Basics
Before we start talking about similarities and differences, let’s first figure out what both Schluter-Ditra and cement board are.
What Is Schluter-Ditra?
Schluter-Ditra is a special type of underlayment system used when laying tile. Keep in mind that Schluter is actually a brand name, and Ditra is the specific product. This tile underlayment system is designed specifically for stone and ceramic tile installation for kitchens, bathrooms, and more.
Schluter-Ditra consists of relatively thin, very soft, and flexible panels, that are made out of polyethylene, or in other words, a special type of plastic. These act as both an underlayment and as a waterproofing layer between tile and the substrate below, such as plywood or OSB.
Due to its construction, this product is very lightweight, and therefore easy to work with. Moreover, it also features free space under the matting that helps to route excess vapor and moisture away from the tiles.
It also utilizes a grid structure of square cutback cavities, combined with an anchoring fleece that is laminated to the underside. This is then bonded to the substrate, which then helps prevent thinset mortar from filling those cavities.
What Is Cement Board?
We then have cement board, which is also generally used as a tile underlayment system. Now, there are also cement fiber boards used for housing exteriors, however, here we are talking about thin cement board panels that are used to underlay tile, protect the substrate underneath from damage, and help support the tiles on top.
As the name implies, this material is made out of cement. Cement is poured into a mold, which has a fibrous mesh in the middle. This mesh helps to stabilize the cement board and adds extra durability. Those reinforcing fibers make cement board extremely durable.
This system is commonly used as tile underlayment for kitchens, bathrooms, countertops, and more, although it is not actually 100% waterproof, which is an issue that it suffers from. However, it is otherwise quite tough, has good weight-bearing capabilities, and is more or less fireproof.
Similarities of Schluter-Ditra and Cement Board
Now that we know what both Schluter-Ditra and cement board are, let’s talk about what makes them similar. Ok, so there is only one thing that makes these two products similar, so it really doesn’t qualify as a list.
The one thing that Schluter-Ditra and cement board have in common is that they can be used for the same purposes, and often are. These are two different types of tile underlayment systems. They are both often used in bathrooms, kitchens, tubs, showers, under countertops, and more.
They are both designed, in their own ways, to act as a backer for tile that is installed over top. Along with mortar, they help to keep the tile in place, hold it to the substrate below, and also help to protect both the tile and the substrate from damage.
Differences Between Schluter-Ditra and Cement Board
Now that we know what makes these two things similar, let’s find out what makes Schluter-Ditra and cement board different.
1. Composition
One of the main differences between these two products is, of course, what they are made out of. Cement board, as we covered in the opening section, is made out of a combination of water, Portland cement, and some sort of reinforcing fiber or mesh throughout the middle of it.
On the other hand, Schluter-Ditra is made out of polyethylene. Polyethylene is a special type of soft plastic, somewhat similar to rubber. This is combined with an anchoring fleece that allows it to easily adhere to thinset mortar, without allowing the mortar to touch the actual polyethylene mat itself.
2. Hardness, Durability, and Weight Bearing Capabilities
Additionally, cement board is rock hard, not flexible at all, but is quite tough and can bear a whole lot of weight. This is why cement board is often a good choice to go with for high-traffic areas that don’t see a whole lot of moisture. You can easily walk on it without causing it to bend or break. Due to its lack of flexibility, it is a good option to go with if you don’t want your floor sinking or sagging with each step.
On the other hand, Schluter-Ditra is much softer, like soft plastic or rubber. It is quite flexible and you can easily bend it by hand. Now, if you use it for tile underlayment, it’s not the best for super high traffic areas, as it will bend and flex under the tile. With that being said, because it is soft and durable, it’s not like it’s going to break under a lot of weight. Moreover, unlike cement board, you can’t really break Schluter-Ditra with a heavy impact.
3. Sizes and Format
Another thing to consider here is that cement board generally comes in panels of various sizes that can be cut to size. There are around three or four different sizes to choose from, depending on your needs.
Schluter-Ditra, on the other hand, usually comes in large rolls. This means that you can just unroll it as needed and cut it where desired. Unlike most other tile underlayment systems, Schluter-Ditra does not take the form of square panels.
4. Ease of Installation
What also needs to be considered here is that cement board can actually be quite difficult to install, and this has to do with its weight. This material is extremely heavy, which means that you generally need two people to install it, particularly if you are doing walls.
It’s not like it’s impossible to install, because you just need some thinset mortar, as is also the case with Schluter-Ditra. However, because Schluter-Ditra is much lighter, it’s just easier to work with, especially when tiling walls.
5. Waterproofing and Moisture Features
Perhaps one of the biggest differences here is that Schluter-Ditra is 100% waterproof. Moreover, it also has a special grid system to allow water and moisture to flow away from the tiles. Cement board has no such thing and is also not waterproof. Yes, cement board can handle some water, but only very limited amounts.
6. Most Common Applications
Cement board is often used in kitchens and bathrooms, even bathtubs and showers, but also often for high traffic areas that don’t see a lot of moisture, as well as for kitchen countertop underlayment. Schluter-Ditra is actually used for all of those things as well, although it’s much more commonly used now in tubs and showers due to its ability to easily deal with moisture.
7. Cost
It’s really hard to compare the cost of these two things because they’re not at all the same, but you can rest assured that cement board is much more affordable.
Schluter-Ditra vs. Cement Board: Which of the Two Should You Use?
In reality, you’re probably better off using Schluter-Ditra in most circumstances, especially when water is involved. That said, cement board is the more cost-effective option to consider, and will work just fine for most areas, especially if there isn’t too much moisture involved.
You might also want to learn about other cement board alternatives to have more options to choose from.
Summary
Now that you know what both cement board and Schluter-Ditra are, you can make an informed decision between the two.
How Does Cement Board Compare with Other Materials?
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