Is Laticrete 125 Sound & Crack Adhesive right for me?

[CountryBumkin]

I want to put some tile down in my fater-in-law's condo. He has a ground floor (concrete slab) unit about 25 years old. The Condo Assoc requires a sound reducing product under the tile (but they don'r provide any performance specs or product lists). I was going to use Ditra but then I saw this product from Latricrete. The 125 says it provides Anti-Fracture performance up to 1/8 inch and "incredible sound control" (their words).

The Laticrete 125 comes in a 7 gallon bucket, so I guess it more of a mastic than a thinset. The pictures show the product spread on the slab with a notched trowel and the tiles laid directly on/in it.

I looks like this product will save a few steps (and possibly some money) over the Ditra. Is there any reason I should not use this?

Thanks.

[ceramictec]

you will need to send the Assoc. the specs or sell sheet of the Laticrete 125 to them for approval. once they give you the approval you can go with it. also reading the Literature & Spec's will help you know if this is for you or not in your application.

some condo Assoc's only allow cork, so you need to ask the Community Assoc mgr what specifics they want.

[Shaughnn]

Hi Mike,
125 is something completely different than either cementitious thinset or mastic. It is a dry powder (high recycled rubber content) and mixed with a proprietary milk (latex, acrylic, elf snot?). Both components are included in the bucket and pre-measured to the right ratios.
It's a messy product for a first-timer to jump into. It's bond is tenacious and I had a hard time washing it off of my hands less than 10 minutes from playing with it at my recent training seminar. As far as I could tell, harsh chemicals are going to be the only way to remove it from the surface of tile if it's allowed to set overnight. Being such a resilient product, I don't imagine that scraping out joints is going to be much fun either.
It does look to be a fascinating new addition to a professionals arsenal, but I seriously caution against a novice testing out their first trowel with this stuff. It's not going to be forgiving at all! Maybe Henry or someone else will come along and share an alternate opinion but that's my opinion so far, based on a very limited experience.
I think that, for a novice, a sheet membrane like Noble's SIS is probably going to be much easier and conform to any requirements the condo-owners group might come up with. SIS is actually specified by name in most of the condo agreements which I've read and getting any other product approved can be difficult.
Best of luck,
Shaughnn

[cx]

Mike, if your FIL is onna ground floor you may not need to comply with the sound isolation requirement. Might wanna check with the condo association about that before you spend your dinero.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[CountryBumkin]

Actually, my father-in-law did say that some person (maintenace man?) at the Condo mentioned using a product from Noble. I did not get the name but I expect is was the sheet membrane.

The Condo is a ground floor unit. I'll need to stop by the main office and see what they say about the sound isolation requirement. My father-in-law means well but doesn't always (usually) get the story right.

I thought the "one-step" application of the Laticrete 125 would be nice/easy. I don't know how much it costs. The Ditra or Nobel products may still be cheaper. Of course if the 125 is too hard for a DIYer to be successful with, then no amount of cost savings would make it worth while.

I'll check the link to the right for the NobleSeal and see how that gets applied.

[cx]

The Noble product would be their NobleSeal SIS. Schluter's Ditra will buy you nothing at all in the way of sound isolation as far as I know.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[Shaughnn]

And don't neglect a perimeter of acoustical caulking to isolate the tile from the structure!!
Shaughnn

[ceramictec]

The Condo is a ground floor unit. I'll need to stop by the main office and see what they say about the sound isolation requirement.

I would highly doubt you need it on the ground floor, but it's best to get it in writing from the office. units I have tiled here in Florida don't use them on first floor, but you might want a crack membrane.
they write it in the Association guidelines for all units in general.