Schlüter-BEKOTEC-THERM
Cosily warm in the winter and refreshingly cool in the summer, our Schlüter-BEKOTEC-THERM ceramic thermal comfort floor is energy efficient and reliable.
Floor areas
Underfloor heating, movement joints, uncoupling… there’s more than meets the eye for a lasting tile or stone covering. Learn more about the different products from Schlüter-Systems that are available to help you.
Preparation is the key to success
A tiled floor is practically indestructible and unlike carpet, vinyl, or laminate flooring which must be replaced periodically, properly installed tile can last a lifetime. To ensure the integrity of the investment, tiles need to be protected from multiple angles: from underneath, at edges and transitions, and there are additional considerations for larger areas.
Floor heating systems
Low-profile floor heating systems are becoming increasingly popular and add an extra level of comfort to your tiled or natural stone floors – and not just during the colder months of the year. In addition to their benefits in terms of efficiency and sustainability, our floor heating systems also prevent mould growth by helping to dry out residual moisture in the room. We offer both electric and water-based (hydronic) floor heating systems.
Water-based floor heating systems use hot water instead of electricity and are the best solution for heating larger floor areas. They heat both the room and the surfaces and can therefore replace conventional radiators as the primary heat source.
Electric floor heating systems are recommended for comfort heating in certain areas as a secondary heat source, as the heating cables can be individually routed to wherever heat is desired. They also serve as a protective membrane and have the added advantage of being waterproof. Thanks to the short warm-up times and precise timing, an electric floor heating system is more cost-effective to use than you might imagine.
The Peel & Stick versions of our systems are particularly practical and time-saving. With a pressure-sensitive adhesive laminated to the bottom surface and without the need to mix or spread tile adhesive in order to apply the membrane, these versions make electric floor heating systems quick, clean and easy to install.
Protective membranes
The key to preventing cracked tiles and stone lies in what is installed beneath the surface. Fixing the tile or stone directly to the underlying surface (known as a substrate) is a mistake. The substrate will have different material properties to the tile or stone, and they’ll expand and contract at different rates as the temperature of the room changes. The tension that is built up between these two layers is what leads to unsightly cracks.
With this in mind, it’s important to separate the movement of the substrate from the tile or stone and that’s where a protective membrane comes in. Known as an uncoupling membrane and sometimes called an anti-fracture mat, it’s installed between the two layers to let each one expand and contract on its own terms. For more than 30 years, Schlüter-DITRA has been widely used across the UK to provide reliable uncoupling for tiled floors.
Schlüter-DITRA-HEAT combines electric underfloor heating with the same functions and benefits of DITRA to provide tiled floors that are as warm and comfortable as they are durable.
Impact sound insulation
If you are looking for reliable impact sound insulation that meets high demands, our Schlüter-DITRA-SOUND is the ideal solution for ceramic and natural stone floor coverings. The innovative heavy foil with applied fleece not only ensures a secure bond between the tile covering and the subfloor, but also effectively reduces impact sound - generated by hard footwear or falling objects, for example - thanks to its special structure. This system solution can be installed to create a quiet living and working atmosphere by acoustically insulating rooms already during the preparation of floors to be tiled.
Due to its high load-bearing capacity, our composite impact sound insulation is also capable of handling greater loads without any problems. In addition, DITRA-SOUND can be used to reliably bridge cracks in the substrate so that your tile coverings remain protected in the long term. Thanks to its low installation height, the DITRA-SOUND mat is particularly versatile and enables flexible floor covering design.
Waterproofing membranes
Offering a stylish finish with a distinct air of quality, tiles and natural stone are the ideal pairing to a bathroom or wetroom. On their own, however, they do not constitute a waterproof finish. These materials, and the grout often used alongside them, are only water-resistant which means that moisture can pass through over time. Inadequate waterproofing in bathrooms and wetrooms can spell disaster, not only for the room in question, but also the building as a whole.
In order to achieve a waterproof result, tiles and natural stone require support behind the scenes. This comes in the form of waterproof membranes which, when properly installed, prevent water ingress for the lifetime of the installation. The Schlüter-KERDI and -DITRA families of products offer waterproof solutions that work together to alleviate the issue of moisture. DITRA is your go-to product for waterproofing floors. Also acting as an uncoupling membrane, DITRA is a fantastic all-rounder for protecting your tiled or natural stone floors. Components are available that help to waterproof tricky areas such as joints and floor/wall transitions (Schlüter-KERDI-KEBA) as well as corners (Schlüter-KERDI-KERECK).
For waterproofing walls, head over to our wall areas page for more info on KERDI.
Tile protection
Tiled floors are easy to maintain but do require adequate protection to ensure they last for the lifetime of the installation. Our Schlüter-SCHIENE floor trims (sometimes called profiles) are designed to prevent tile edges from chipping and cracking. They also ensure a smooth, attractive transition without any trip hazards between floor coverings of the same height. If the adjoining floor coverings are of different heights, then take a look at the Schlüter-RENO series.
All buildings and their materials expand and contract with temperature changes. This “movement” must be managed by installing movement joints to prevent tile and stone from cracking under stress. There are many factors to consider when deciding where movement joints should be located and we are happy to advise on your project. The Schlüter-DILEX collection includes various types of movement joints for different applications – connection, perimeter, structural and intermediate.
The edges of stairs are exposed to heavy mechanical stresses and reprsent a high risk for injuries if not finished properly. Offering slip-resistant design and excellent visibility, the Schlüter-TREP range of stair nosing trims improves safety on staircases and includes retrofit options if the tiling has already been completed.
Finally, if you’re using LVT instead of tile or stone, Schlüter-VINPRO can be used to protect the edges of the LVT covering.
