Tile-Ready Substrate Prep with Laticrete Underlayments
Before tile goes down, the slab needs tolerance correction, moisture control, and crack isolation. Laticrete NXT self-leveling brings the substrate to spec. Drytek manages moisture from below. Strata Mat crack-isolation prevents substrate movement from showing through the tile. Laval Concrete installs the matched Laticrete system so the tile installer's warranty path stays intact.
A slab that looks flat to the eye may have 1/4-inch variance over 10 feet. Tile thinset can bridge small gaps, but beyond tolerance, the tile will crack or the grout will fail. Laticrete NXT self-leveling underlayment corrects the slab to the tolerance the tile installer needs.
Moisture rising from below is invisible until the tile delaminates. Drytek moisture barriers stop capillary rise before it reaches the tile adhesive. On slabs with a history of moisture issues, Drytek is the engineering fix that prevents callbacks.
Hairline cracks in the slab will move with seasonal temperature and humidity swings. Strata Mat crack-isolation membrane absorbs that movement so the crack does not telegraph through the tile finish. We assess the substrate and specify the matched Laticrete product. Compare with Mapei waterproofing systems, Ardex repair products, and Sika waterproofing when other brands are in the spec.
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Installation sequence
How Laticrete Underlayment Installation Flows in Laval
Assess substrate and tile spec
We measure the slab for flatness, check for moisture, look for cracks, and confirm the tile installer's tolerance and system requirements to pick the right Laticrete product.
Prepare the slab surface
Concrete is ground or cleaned to Laticrete profile, contaminants removed, moisture tested, and the specified Laticrete primer applied per product data.
Install the underlayment
NXT SLU is mixed and poured to target depth for tolerance correction, or Strata Mat is laid and bonded for crack isolation, or Drytek moisture system is installed per the substrate condition.
Cure and hand off
After cure per Laticrete spec, the substrate is handed to the tile installer with documentation so the whole-Laticrete warranty path stays intact through the tile install.
System warranty
Keeping the Laticrete Warranty Path Intact
When the tile installer specifies Laticrete thinset and Laticrete waterproofing, the underlayment layer also needs to be Laticrete. Mixing brands at the substrate level breaks the system warranty even if the tile install is whole-Laticrete on top. We deliver Laticrete underlayments so the warranty path covers the whole assembly from slab to grout.
NXT vs Drytek vs Strata Mat, tile-system warranty, substrate match.
NXT SLU for tolerance correction. Drytek for moisture management on suspect slab substrates. Strata Mat crack-isolation for substrates with existing cracks that might telegraph. We pick based on the actual substrate condition.
Yes, the Strata Mat product is engineered to absorb minor substrate movement so cracks in the slab below do not telegraph through to the tile finish. It is essential on certain substrates.
To keep the whole-system warranty path intact. Mixing brands at the underlayment layer breaks the Laticrete system warranty even when the tile install is whole-Laticrete on top.
No, NXT is designed as substrate for tile or other finish. For polished-as-finish projects, a different product is required.
Per Laticrete spec, typically within a day or two depending on the underlayment product and conditions. The tile installer's spec also factors in; we coordinate cure handoff.
Client reviews
What Laval Tile Trades Say About Laticrete Underlayments
Laticrete NXT under my Laticrete thinset. Same brand through whole assembly, my warranty path stayed intact. Substrate was tile-ready when handed off.
Z. K6
Tile Contractor, Laval
★★★★★
They installed Strata Mat crack-isolation on a slab with hairline movement. Two years of seasonal cycle, no telegraph through to the tile. The right tool prevented the problem.
Y. K6
GC, Montreal
★★★★★
Drytek moisture system on a basement slab that had unmanaged moisture history. The Laticrete spec saved the tile install from delaminating later. Real engineering match.
Q. K6
Renovation Specialist, Terrebonne
★★★★★
Whole-Laticrete project from substrate through grout. The customer's tile-trade-aware contractor specifically asked for Laticrete; install matched the spec. System discipline paid off.
X. K6
Custom Builder, Longueuil
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