Jadnashua
Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
Some complain they don't like Ditra because it won't take conventional layout lines and as a result, spend time to prefill the holes one day, and come back the other, wasting a bunch of time. FWIW, there are ways that work, and are only a slight variation on those conventional ways. While prefilling the holes may make it easier on the knees, a good pair of kneepads or a kneeling pad work if you find the mat so uncomfortable (it's far less obnoxious than kneeling on say cbu to me, though, not counting the fact that that stuff will wear out the knees of a pair of jeans very quickly!).
If snapping a chalk-line, you need an extra (quick, cheap) step - get yourself a $0.99 special drug-store brand hair spray and hit the line with it...it will stay there and, if you've followed any of my other threads, you'd realize it will make NO difference in the performance of the uncoupling membrane since thinset does not stick to the mat in the first place on top!
If the needed line is short enough where something like a straight-edge and a Sharpie(TM) would work, use one of those.
Or, join the modern world and use a laser.
Some people do not like change, but modern materials usually come around because they have some advantages, and often, require change to implement. If you desire those advantages, trying to apply old techniques may not always be the best way.
If snapping a chalk-line, you need an extra (quick, cheap) step - get yourself a $0.99 special drug-store brand hair spray and hit the line with it...it will stay there and, if you've followed any of my other threads, you'd realize it will make NO difference in the performance of the uncoupling membrane since thinset does not stick to the mat in the first place on top!
If the needed line is short enough where something like a straight-edge and a Sharpie(TM) would work, use one of those.
Or, join the modern world and use a laser.
Some people do not like change, but modern materials usually come around because they have some advantages, and often, require change to implement. If you desire those advantages, trying to apply old techniques may not always be the best way.