Thank you. It’s been years and the stairs are just as new looking as the first day of completion. No cracks, dents, scratches or wear or tear. This will be here long after I pass away.
Thank you so much the detailed how-to. My husband & I followed your instructions & our stairs turned out great. We were not familiar with ditra prior to this project but it was easy to use even for amateurs. Thanks for sharing specifics on the products you used, e.g., Mapei matching grout & caulk. It took a the guesswork out of the project.
Hello there. We are embarking on this exact project in the coming months, wondering how your tiles have held up with the Ditra and whether this is something we should consider. Thanks for the video
Still in perfect shape. So far held up great :). Good luck with your project. Someone else did this project and said the outcome was great. Read her response when you get a chance.
Very thorough videos Rob, I'm working on a similar project and its no small feat. I have 18 stairs and it has taken me several days of Sanding to take back the treads to be stained a better color, I should of used stripper. You mention using a caulk that is the same color as the grout, what brand and where did you get it? Did you mask off the mahogany treads to protect them while you were installing the tiles and grout? It looks fantastic, exactly how I was imanging our staircase to look in the coming months...
Andy, I used MAPEI Flexcolor CQ for grouting which you can find here: www.mapei.com/US-EN/Tile-&-Stone-Installation-Systems/Ready-to-Use-Products/MAPEI-Flexcolor-CQ. I used MAPEI Mapesil T caulking with the same color picked for the MAPEI Flexcoloor CQ grout. The colors were designed to match: www.mapei.com/US-EN/product-detail.asp?IDTipo=11638&IDLinea=102&IDMacroLinea=0&IDProdotto=2028301489 I picked the caulk because of the color match and it ability and design to be used on high traffic areas where there is also a huge amount of flexing going on. Like window seals or stairs in our case. Yes, I masked off the top of the tread using old cardboard and blue painters tape 3M. I reused the cardboard until it has to be replaced.
Hi! And thanks for the video!! I have one question - can the dritra/ tile be applied before the wood?! Or you think of would break with time?! I was thinking of doing the tile first to avoid the mess on the wood and less cut but not sure now- what would you suggest and why? Thanks again !
If you are talking about the stair tread, The answer is no. You must install the stair treads first before applying the Detra followed by the tiles. If you following the process I showed in my video, you should be able to avoid messing up the treads. You should butter the ditra like I showed before applying it to the risers. Once the ditra dries, you can tape using blue painters tape to protect the tread before applying thinset to the ditra to fill in the waffle holes. Once the thinset dries in the waffle holes, you butter the tiles and apply them to the ditra like I showed. Make sure you follow my process using the spacers.
Sam S I did not use liquid nails. I used a manufacturer’s recommended adhesive. Liquid nails would have voided the tread warranty. Good question. I did not use liquid nails on the ditra either. I used recommended thinset and mortar. Unfortunately it was not exactly what ditra recommended. I had to deviate a bit to enable me to use ditra for this situation. Did you watch? I provided extreme details for what, why, when, where. Thanks for watching
Can you think of any reason why I couldn't do this project over vinyl stairs? The Ditra website indicates that it can go over vinyl, but curious what your thoughts are there. Thanks!
Erin I would not do it. Here's why, the vinyl is usually applied using some sort of adhesive. Most of these adhesive do not hold the vinyl well meaning its not secured well to the surface it was applied too. Vinyl is easy to remove in most cases. So I recommend that you test one entire area to see how easily it comes off. It it comes off easy like I believe it will, remove the rest of it to get to the wood riser and use that as the underlayment. Then use a putty knife or something similar and scrap as much of the adhesive off the wood riser to prep properly for the thinset needed to apply the ditra uncoupling membrane. The only thing you will lose by doing is is your time if you do it yourself. The key here is to ensure you have a solid and clean underlayment for the ditra to adhere too. If the vinyl proves to be sticking well, then YES, you should be able to apply the ditra on top of it. Make perfectly sure the vinyl is sticking well around the entire perimeter of the area. Otherwise buy vinyl adhesive and apply to those areas to secure them before applying the ditra. You should know our stairs is as beautiful as the first day I finished it. No cracks and the Santos Mahogany treads performing well. Again, I'm the first to use ditra in this manner. However, I'm an engineer and know how to read material specifications. That is how and why I decided on the construction materials I used. The material expansion and contraction at different temperature ranges was VERY important in addition the maximum expansion rating before cracks occur. Stairs expand and contract distances depending on the range of temperature and humidity. Remember, stairs move a lot every time you step on them. You know this by the noise they make. The goal is to purchase materials that can stretch more than the distance the stairs expand when stepping on it plus the amount of expansion and contraction as aforementioned. Otherwise, you get cracks. Good luck on your project.
@@erincopland2720 no. I have two videos that show you in detail what I used in materials, the tools used, and the approach in actual construction. Its more detailed than anything else that I could find. BTW, the finishing nailer was used ONLY on the stair treads and all molding. I know that you did not watch my videos because of your question. If you watch my 2 videos you will know why I know you did not :) No worries. Just watch. I recommend that you follow everything I recommended for the tile part because if you don't, I truly believe the project will fail. The technique I implemented was designed to ensure that the tiles never touch the treads above and below it to ensure the movement of the stairs don't touch the tiles. Basically, I isolated the tiles as much as possible which is explained in detail in my 2 videos, part 1 and 2. Good luck with your project.
@@pianovox everyone's taste is different especially when we live in a huge melting pot called America. If you have been to the Columbia House in Tampa, Florida or look online for Spanish decor especially stairways, you will see what we did matches the Spanish theme which is what we were going for. In the event we decide to sell, we just place standard white risers over the tile which is very easy. Next time, try to be nicer.
Ana:We used 6x6 hand painted tiles. Here is more information. Talavera Tiles from La Fuente. Search La Fuente on the web. We found that they have the largest selection of hand painted tiles. The only problem we had was their shipping. Sometimes their packers do not wrap the tiles well. Many arrived cracked. So we call them and complained. The second time, they ensured the tiles were wrapped well and none cracked during shipping. 8x8 will not fit most stair risers because its too large however your situation may be different. Follow the steps I outlined and you can't go wrong. I recommend that you order one tile per design and hold them in place at one of your stair riser to ensure you have the right size. Lean one tile against one riser per step and stand back to look at them. Trust me, you will be surprised which ones you decide you want versus not. Its all in the lighting, wall paint color, railing color, stair color, etc...that will help determine what color and style tile you want and/or end up with. You have to view Part one and two of my videos to get the full picture of what I did and why. I hope this helped. Let me know if you have further questions. BTW our stairs are going strong. No cracks and I don't think they will occur.
With all of the information I provided, that’s all you had to say? I don’t provide content for a living nor do I do work like this for a living. So I don’t care if you like it or not. Why not just say, thank you for once?
![FNAF Into the Pit has A LOT of Unused Graphics | LOST BITS [TetraBitGaming]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/6YhZCRdipl4/mqdefault.jpg)
Excellent choice of tiles and your workmanship on this job turned out very beautiful.
Thank you. It’s been years and the stairs are just as new looking as the first day of completion. No cracks, dents, scratches or wear or tear. This will be here long after I pass away.
It looks gorgeous!! You did a great job.
Thank you. Still in perfect condition after all these years. No cracks, scratches, …
Thank you so much the detailed how-to. My husband & I followed your instructions & our stairs turned out great. We were not familiar with ditra prior to this project but it was easy to use even for amateurs. Thanks for sharing specifics on the products you used, e.g., Mapei matching grout & caulk. It took a the guesswork out of the project.
I’m so happy to hear about your project success! Now enjoy and brag a little when your guests admire your work of art :)
Hello there. We are embarking on this exact project in the coming months, wondering how your tiles have held up with the Ditra and whether this is something we should consider. Thanks for the video
Still in perfect shape. So far held up great :). Good luck with your project. Someone else did this project and said the outcome was great. Read her response when you get a chance.
So great, love them
Thank you! BTW, it’s been over 2 years and no problems. No cracks or flaws.
Very thorough videos Rob, I'm working on a similar project and its no small feat. I have 18 stairs and it has taken me several days of Sanding to take back the treads to be stained a better color, I should of used stripper. You mention using a caulk that is the same color as the grout, what brand and where did you get it? Did you mask off the mahogany treads to protect them while you were installing the tiles and grout? It looks fantastic, exactly how I was imanging our staircase to look in the coming months...
Andy, I used MAPEI Flexcolor CQ for grouting which you can find here: www.mapei.com/US-EN/Tile-&-Stone-Installation-Systems/Ready-to-Use-Products/MAPEI-Flexcolor-CQ.
I used MAPEI Mapesil T caulking with the same color picked for the MAPEI Flexcoloor CQ grout. The colors were designed to match: www.mapei.com/US-EN/product-detail.asp?IDTipo=11638&IDLinea=102&IDMacroLinea=0&IDProdotto=2028301489
I picked the caulk because of the color match and it ability and design to be used on high traffic areas where there is also a huge amount of flexing going on. Like window seals or stairs in our case.
Yes, I masked off the top of the tread using old cardboard and blue painters tape 3M. I reused the cardboard until it has to be replaced.
This looks great. I'm about to tile my risers using ceramic tiles. Are these tiles ceramic? How are they holding up 2 years later our of interest?
Yes it’s held up great so far. --Mexican Talavera Tiles 6x6
--Mexican Talavera Tiles 6x6
Hi! And thanks for the video!! I have one question - can the dritra/ tile be applied before the wood?! Or you think of would break with time?! I was thinking of doing the tile first to avoid the mess on the wood and less cut but not sure now- what would you suggest and why? Thanks again !
If you are talking about the stair tread, The answer is no. You must install the stair treads first before applying the Detra followed by the tiles. If you following the process I showed in my video, you should be able to avoid messing up the treads. You should butter the ditra like I showed before applying it to the risers. Once the ditra dries, you can tape using blue painters tape to protect the tread before applying thinset to the ditra to fill in the waffle holes. Once the thinset dries in the waffle holes, you butter the tiles and apply them to the ditra like I showed. Make sure you follow my process using the spacers.
Good luck!
Rob
Thanks so much for your prompt response and help! Really appreciated!!
Do you think it’s a good idea to use liquid nail on the back of ditra considering it might be more flexible with movement?
Sam S I did not use liquid nails. I used a manufacturer’s recommended adhesive. Liquid nails would have voided the tread warranty. Good question. I did not use liquid nails on the ditra either. I used recommended thinset and mortar. Unfortunately it was not exactly what ditra recommended. I had to deviate a bit to enable me to use ditra for this situation. Did you watch? I provided extreme details for what, why, when, where. Thanks for watching
Can you think of any reason why I couldn't do this project over vinyl stairs? The Ditra website indicates that it can go over vinyl, but curious what your thoughts are there. Thanks!
Erin I would not do it. Here's why, the vinyl is usually applied using some sort of adhesive. Most of these adhesive do not hold the vinyl well meaning its not secured well to the surface it was applied too. Vinyl is easy to remove in most cases. So I recommend that you test one entire area to see how easily it comes off. It it comes off easy like I believe it will, remove the rest of it to get to the wood riser and use that as the underlayment. Then use a putty knife or something similar and scrap as much of the adhesive off the wood riser to prep properly for the thinset needed to apply the ditra uncoupling membrane. The only thing you will lose by doing is is your time if you do it yourself. The key here is to ensure you have a solid and clean underlayment for the ditra to adhere too. If the vinyl proves to be sticking well, then YES, you should be able to apply the ditra on top of it. Make perfectly sure the vinyl is sticking well around the entire perimeter of the area. Otherwise buy vinyl adhesive and apply to those areas to secure them before applying the ditra.
You should know our stairs is as beautiful as the first day I finished it. No cracks and the Santos Mahogany treads performing well. Again, I'm the first to use ditra in this manner. However, I'm an engineer and know how to read material specifications. That is how and why I decided on the construction materials I used. The material expansion and contraction at different temperature ranges was VERY important in addition the maximum expansion rating before cracks occur. Stairs expand and contract distances depending on the range of temperature and humidity. Remember, stairs move a lot every time you step on them. You know this by the noise they make. The goal is to purchase materials that can stretch more than the distance the stairs expand when stepping on it plus the amount of expansion and contraction as aforementioned. Otherwise, you get cracks. Good luck on your project.
@@shannon3228 Thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to respond.
Did you say that you used a finishing nailer with a compression nail gun ON the tiles? I am a very novice DIY-er so please excuse the questions.
@@erincopland2720 no. I have two videos that show you in detail what I used in materials, the tools used, and the approach in actual construction. Its more detailed than anything else that I could find. BTW, the finishing nailer was used ONLY on the stair treads and all molding. I know that you did not watch my videos because of your question. If you watch my 2 videos you will know why I know you did not :) No worries. Just watch. I recommend that you follow everything I recommended for the tile part because if you don't, I truly believe the project will fail. The technique I implemented was designed to ensure that the tiles never touch the treads above and below it to ensure the movement of the stairs don't touch the tiles. Basically, I isolated the tiles as much as possible which is explained in detail in my 2 videos, part 1 and 2. Good luck with your project.
@@shannon3228 Hi Rob, thanks!
Looks so good!!
Bless your heart, You liar... its looks horrible... the workman ship is good. The tiles clash and its way too busy... Thanks for the video.
@@pianovox everyone's taste is different especially when we live in a huge melting pot called America. If you have been to the Columbia House in Tampa, Florida or look online for Spanish decor especially stairways, you will see what we did matches the Spanish theme which is what we were going for. In the event we decide to sell, we just place standard white risers over the tile which is very easy. Next time, try to be nicer.
How did you prepare the risers before applying the ditra?
Everything you want to know about the project is in video 1 and 2.
Thin set motar is used on a wood substrate,go onto schiuter Ditra sites
Where did you buy the tiles from?
Julie Whitehouse-ortega I thought I put that in the vid. I will check and get back with you. Sorry for delayed response.
Thanks
Hi, can you please tell me what are the dimensions of the tiles? I bought 8''X8'' and I think I have to cut them.
Ana:We used 6x6 hand painted tiles. Here is more information. Talavera Tiles from La Fuente. Search La Fuente on the web. We found that they have the largest selection of hand painted tiles. The only problem we had was their shipping. Sometimes their packers do not wrap the tiles well. Many arrived cracked. So we call them and complained. The second time, they ensured the tiles were wrapped well and none cracked during shipping. 8x8 will not fit most stair risers because its too large however your situation may be different. Follow the steps I outlined and you can't go wrong. I recommend that you order one tile per design and hold them in place at one of your stair riser to ensure you have the right size. Lean one tile against one riser per step and stand back to look at them. Trust me, you will be surprised which ones you decide you want versus not. Its all in the lighting, wall paint color, railing color, stair color, etc...that will help determine what color and style tile you want and/or end up with. You have to view Part one and two of my videos to get the full picture of what I did and why. I hope this helped. Let me know if you have further questions. BTW our stairs are going strong. No cracks and I don't think they will occur.
Thank you very much for you're response and information. I will take to the consideration of what you suggested.
Have a nice day :)
The music is very off putting 😕
With all of the information I provided, that’s all you had to say? I don’t provide content for a living nor do I do work like this for a living. So I don’t care if you like it or not. Why not just say, thank you for once?