Before tile goes down, the slab needs prep. NXT self-leveling brings the concrete to tolerance. Drytek manages moisture from below. Crack-isolation membranes stop substrate movement from showing through the finished tile. Gatineau Concrete installs the matched Laticrete system your tile trade specifies. Free written estimate.
A tile project lives or dies on what happens before the tile installer arrives. The slab must be flat enough, dry enough, and stable enough to hold tile without cracking or delaminating. Laticrete makes three products for this: NXT self-leveling underlayment corrects slab flatness, Drytek moisture barrier stops water vapor from below, and Strata Mat crack-isolation membrane absorbs minor slab movement so it does not telegraph through the grout lines.
We assess the slab, pick the right Laticrete product or combination, and install it to spec. The tile installer then applies Laticrete thinset on top. This keeps the whole warranty path intact because every layer is Laticrete, and Laticrete warrants the system as one assembly.
How Laticrete Substrate Prep Gets Installed in Gatineau
Assess slab and tile spec
We measure flatness, check moisture, look for cracks, and confirm what the tile installer needs. This determines whether NXT, Drytek, Strata Mat, or a combination is the right choice.
Prepare the concrete surface
Slab is ground or cleaned to Laticrete profile, contaminants removed, moisture tested, and the appropriate Laticrete primer applied per product spec.
Install the underlayment
NXT is mixed and poured to target depth for flatness, or Strata Mat is laid and bonded for crack isolation, or Drytek moisture system is applied per the slab condition and Laticrete spec.
Cure and hand off
After cure time, the slab is ready for the tile installer to apply Laticrete thinset. The whole-system warranty stays intact because both layers are Laticrete.
System warranty discipline
Matched Laticrete Systems Protect the Tile Install
Tile projects fail when the substrate prep and tile install are different brands. Laticrete warrants the whole assembly only if every layer is Laticrete. We install Laticrete underlayments so the tile installer can apply Laticrete thinset and grout on top, and the warranty covers the entire stack.
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 Gatineau 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, Gatineau
★★★★★
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, Ottawa
★★★★★
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, Barrhaven
★★★★★
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, Nepean
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