Basement – Should I put a moisture barrier under tile on a basement floor

basementflooring

I bought porcelain tile for my basement.. Should I put Ditra down in order to prevent any moisture? Is there a cheaper way? I had tile put in the other room and there is white powder that comes up through the grout. I don't want this happening in the other rooms.

Best Answer

There are waterproofing/isolation membranes that can be painted on such as RedGuard and Mapelastic. They're coatings you paint on.

Much cheaper and easier to use than sheet style barriers. The sheet membranes like ditra provide better waterproofing and isolation to prevent cracks which are important in areas with a lot of moisture like showers or slabs with cracks.

Years ago when I tiled my basement with porcelain tile I used a penetrating concrete sealer that you just spray on. Haven't had any problems.