Looking around the tile supply store and seeing people loading up cement board, pan liners, and a plethora of different cement products, I always wonder why they chose to build their projects in such a way when there is a better method. Ah...to be a mind reader! In this blog post I will state my case for why Schluter Systems is by far the best, from an installers perspective.

A factory 10 year warranty on all water proofing - Lifetime if you use Schluter thin set. What an advantage to work with a company that stands behind their products. This is a real selling point because with most installers your warranty ends when they pull out of your driveway. (It's called the tail-light warranty!)
All expenses paid training courses. - Schluter puts you up, serves you food and teaches you the proper installation steps. Their training courses are second to none and they realize that it is in their best interest to make sure their installers know what they're doing. Schluter understands the importance of STANDARDIZATION. Similarly to how the Tile Council of North America standardizes tile installation techniques, Schluter Systems standardizes waterproofing so, everyone who uses their line of products basically installs them the same way. Shower building techniques in the industry are as varied as the rainbow, everyone doing things their own way... but not when you use Schluter products... your customer can rest assured that they'll get a functional tile project that will last the lifetime of their home and they won't be just taking your word for it.
Lightweight products - anytime you can take weight off of your homes structure, it's a great thing! When you use cement products the amount of weight you have to wrestle around is extreme. Tile work is already hard enough! I cannot stress enough the huge amount of weight involved with building a shower in the traditional method. When we put down underlayment instead of dragging around 1000lbs of cement board, we have a roll of plastic Ditra that I can throw on my shoulder. Instead of wrestling with floating walls with cement, I can carry foam Kerdi board with one hand. It's a no brainer. Why tear up your body when you can extend your working career by relying on a strong company.
Dust free installation - When using cement board and concrete products you're inherently dealing with a bunch of dust. I cut my Kerdi board and Ditra with a razor knife. When working in someone's finished house, I'm not carrying gritty cement board around potentially dinging up walls....I'm carrying light weight and impact free foam boards and membranes. No reason to breath in more dust then absolutely necessary and with the new EPA silica rules, Schluter eliminates a bunch of the dust producers!
Ease of installation - When you build a shower in the traditional method there are a lot of steps and if you skip one your shower will inevitably fail. Once you know what your doing with a Schluter Systems shower, it is as close to a fool proof shower as you can get. You have to put a lot of effort into messing one up. Need to make a curb or bench a bit bigger or add to an inset box? Just thin set a 1/2" piece of Kerdi board to where ever you need it. Building curbs and benches with cinder block, bricks or dry pack? No thank you. I'll use dust free, grit free, light weight foam board.
A full line of products - Schluter has a line of superiorly designed and esthetically modern products. The drains look the best and are German engineered to last. Schluter profiles are better than bullnose because they are made consistently and will look modern 20 years from now. I have empirical evidence that Schluter has changed the tile game...every other company, Laticrete, Custom, etc. is emulating Schluter's line of products. You can see it for yourself on the open market...Plenty of Schluter knockoffs!
Second to none customer service - Oh, you have a problem or a question? Let me give Timmy, the Schluter rep a call....Maybe we'll have him stop by the job. Go ahead and try that with another building product company. Want more information? Visit SchluterSystems.com to see their full line and watch in depth installation videos. If you're using my site as an information resource, you will love the Schluter site...videos, pictures, specifications....anything you need to know! True strength in knowledge.

Building with Schluter Systems is less labor intensive, gives your customers a better finished product and has eliminated a lot of the problems that building with tile has historically faced... When I see failed showers I think of the wasted resources, the wasted time of the homeowner/ installer and the bad name the failure gives to my trade. Ultimately, failures are unnecessary.

This list isn't even half of the practical advantages to Schluter Systems, there are many. If you want your bathroom to be water proof the cost is comparable to competing methods. WATER PROOF is the name of the game with bathrooms! Expect a numbers breakdown Schluter systems vs. Traditional shower building methods. That one is research heavy and will be a real zinger for the doubters!

I hope that for your next bathroom, you chose to use a company that has proven its merit in the building trades. ----SCHLUTER SYSTEMS.com