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How Ninemile (aka "The Tile Saw Goddess") Got Schluterized
By Colleen Staton
Geometric Tile
St. Paul, Minnesota
13 October 2003
I wish I had taken the motorcycle. It's so nice out, and the leaves in St. Paul are the beautiful colors of orange, red and yellow. The orange maples along Summit Ave. look the color of Schluter "Ditra."
14 October
Truth, justice and the American Way -- I went through Metropolis, Illinois, the home of Superman, and I paid homage to his likeness. He was right next to the police department and two blocks away from Harrah's Casino along the Ohio River. What a setting.
On my way back to the interstate I also saw another statue that looked a lot like John Bridge, only he was carrying two bags of groceries instead of a mud float or tile. Well, I suppose even the great JB has to carry groceries sometimes.
I finally drove into South Carolina and reached the town of Schluterville (actually Anderson, SC) My temporary home would be the Fairfield Inn, compliments of Schluter Systems. A very nice place they put us up in.
15 October
First day at Schluter U, and it started out with a discussion of the history and function of the Tile Council of America (TCA) and the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF). We discussed the history of tile installations and the introduction of new materials over the last 40 years. Coming from the fast paced technical industry of machine building, I've been amazed at the slow adoption of new methods and materials in the flooring industry. I'm eager to see what Schluter has to offer.
Peter Nielsen, Schluter's top tech rep, gave an excellent presentation on the benefits of Ditra, Kerdi and many of the trim products that Schluter offers to dress up just about any tile installation. We discussed at length the uncoupling qualities of Ditra and how other industry practices compare. Most important to me was the heated debate on the use of porcelain or impervious tile with Ditra and the proper thin set used. I came away with a more complete understanding of what to use and why when it comes to matching porcelain tiles to Schluter products.
We ended the day with a tour of the TCA facilities and an explanation of the different ASTM testing methods and equipment used to test manufacturer's products, ranging from tile to thin set.
16 October
Oh boy, I get to get dirty and play in the mud today! A big pile of deck mud awaits us in the middle of the CTEF shop floor. After a demonstration by Schluter people of mud pan basics, we're turned loose to make our own versions of shower pans, with all the necessary tools provided by CTEF. It's not nearly as traumatic as I had thought, and I get to use a nifty German spirit level to set up the outside edges of the shower floor. The guys on the JB Forums would be so proud of me as I check for level, giving a tap here and there. Gosh, I'm really looking professional, but I'll keep this to myself. I complete two walls and then let the other two team members set up the other sides.
Crew from Schluter Systems
Next we set the Kerdi-drain, using a looser mortar, adjust out 1/4 in. per foot slope, and then the fun part of packing the mud in to fill the pan out. After finessing the mud into the most perfect floor, we stand back and admire our shower pan. This is until an expert mud man from Alabama shows how to make it really pretty. What an art.
Colleen, Dennis and Jordan
After another incredible catered lunch, it's back to the shop for a demo on Ditra and some ways to use the Schluter products for expansion joints and to dress up the top of cove base tile. Next, each group goes to their own bathroom area to dry fit Ditra and then install it with thin set. What a breeze. It's fast, easy to cut, and we've got our bathroom floor covered in no time. We add Kerdi-band over the butt joints of the Ditra and around the perimeter to form a waterproof floor. A Schluter rep comes along to check our work, peeling up an area of Ditra to check for coverage and to answer any questions. Our coverage is excellent, and we break for the day. After all, we need time to wind down and have a few adult beverages.
Wes, the Alabama Mud Man
17 October
Today we start with the venerable Dave Gobis of CTEF giving us the low-down on the importance of expansion joint, how to do them and why they're very necessary. We also have some time for questions and are able to tap into Dave's vast experience in the trade. His application background is great and lends itself to the hands-on approach of the seminar. He wouldn't let me ride his Harley, though -- probably afraid I'd ride it in the mountains too fast and get thrown in jail.
Next, the Schluter group takes us through the completion of the Kerdi shower system up to the point where it's ready to set tile. We break off into our teams and start cutting Kerdi for our shower stall, although it's a shame to cover up our beautiful shower pan with orange wallpaper. Like the Ditra, Kerdi mat and band goes on faster than I thought, but you have to work to get out the air bubbles. I like the fact that as long as you consistently overlap all seams 2 in. you can waterproof the shower in your own way. This means I can do the walls first, the floor, then the vertical and horizontal seams, then finally the curb and corner. But someone else could do it in a different order, and as long as there's a consistent overlap of 2 in. you're good to go.
After another catered lunch, (sheesh, this is getting ridiculous), it's time to take pictures and pack up and head back to St. Paul.
In conclusion, the Schluter seminar has been well worth the long drive, offering a mix of theory, hands-on use of their products, and enough technical discussion to satisfy me, a recovering engineer.
In my opinion, Schluter offers some excellent solutions for tile installation and prep, procedures that are well worth considering over other more traditional products such as backer boards. There was plenty of hands-on product use for me to gain enough confidence to start quoting shower assemblies that I once shied away from. In the end, I'm now prepared to get going on two Kerdi showers coming up, and I know I'll be able to give my customers a long-lasting waterproof shower in which to display my very cool geometric designs.
Besides providing all the Schluter products for hands-on work, there were more than enough sales and technical representatives on hand who have experience in our field, and this was a real plus. Every one of my questions was handled competently, and as some of you know, I can be real picky.
So if you're a pro and want to learn what's behind the Schluter products, install them , and get your questions answered, this is the seminar for you. It will not only add more solutions to your tile installation business by increasing your knowledge base, but you may find yourself thinking that some of the things you've set up as hard and fast installation rules my not be worth holding onto anymore.
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