Basement Renovation Edmonton: Kerdi Shower in Holyrood

Basement Bathroom Renovation in Holyrood, Edmonton

This Holyrood project turned an unfinished basement footprint into a full second bathroom with a 38 by 60 Schluter Kerdi shower, a recessed wall niche, and a tile selection that mixes mosaic on the shower base with 12 by 24 porcelain on the walls. The plumbing rough-in and slab pour were already complete when we arrived, so the scope began with surface leveling and tile demolition and surface preparation for the affected wall openings. Tile was supplied by TierraSol, and the Oswald family kept the crew well caffeinated through the install.

What does a complete basement bathroom build include?

A finished basement bathroom in Edmonton wraps four trades into one assembly: plumbing rough-in, framing and niche cavity prep, waterproofing membrane, and tile finish. The waterproofing step is the make or break detail. Basement humidity, slab moisture, and shower spray all push water toward the substrate, so a properly sealed Kerdi assembly is what separates a 20 year bathroom from one that fails in 3 years. Done right, the result is a code compliant wet area that adds a full bathroom to the home’s resale value.

Subfloor Leveling With CustomTech TechLevel 150

The slab needed a small amount of leveling before tile could be set. We used CustomTech TechLevel 150, a polymer modified, self leveling underlayment. Purpose: it brings the floor to a true, flat plane that meets tile deflection limits. Property: rapid cure (about 4 hours to walk on), low shrinkage, and suitable for both interior and basement use. Relationship: the leveler is the foundation layer that prevents hollow spots and cracked tile down the road. We poured at the end of the workday so it could cure overnight.

38 by 60 Schluter Kerdi Shower Kit and Niche Build

Day two started with the shower assembly. We opened the back wall where the recessed niche would sit, framed in the necessary support, and installed a 38 by 60 Schluter Kerdi Shower Kit. Purpose: the kit ships with a sloped foam tray, a linear or center drain, curb, and the Kerdi waterproofing membrane that wraps the entire wet area. Property: the Kerdi sheet is a polyethylene bonded fleece that blocks water at the surface, behind the tile, before it ever reaches the substrate. Relationship: it integrates with the niche, the curb, and the drain as one continuous waterproof envelope. Skipping any seam is how shower pans fail.

Mosaic Shower Base and Niche, 12 by 24 Walls

The tile selection mixed two formats. The shower base and the back of the niche got a mosaic tile, which gives the slope drainage hundreds of small grout lines for grip and lets the mosaic conform to the curve of the tray. The shower walls and bathroom walls got a 12 by 24 porcelain in two complementary shades from the same series, laid up to 43 inches high around the bathroom perimeter. Purpose of mixing formats: small mosaic where slope and traction matter, large format where you want a clean grout line count and a contemporary read. Property: large format porcelain is dense, low porosity, and stable enough for a steam-prone wet wall. See more bathroom work on our bathroom tile installation page.

Curbed vs Curbless vs Kerdi: Why We Use Kerdi Here

Shower bases in Edmonton bathrooms come in three forms. A traditional mud pan with a tar liner can be done well but every layer is a failure point and very little of it is field-inspectable. Curbless schluter and prefab acrylic bases are fast but limit the tile size and slope flexibility. The Schluter Kerdi kit used here gives us a factory sloped foam tray, a fully waterproof sheet on every wet surface, and the freedom to tile any base we choose. For a basement renovation where access is limited and tear-out is expensive if something leaks, the Kerdi assembly is the safe bet.

Planning a basement bathroom? Call The Tile Experts at 587-333-9800 or request a quote online.

Custom Glass Enclosure

The shower glass was a custom panel fabricated to fit the 38 by 60 footprint and the height of the surround. Property: tempered glass with low iron content reads clearer than standard glass and shows off the tile selection rather than tinting it. Relationship: the glass terminates against the porcelain wall and sits on top of the Kerdi waterproofed curb, which is what keeps water inside the shower and away from the bathroom floor. The glass took the room from a clean install to a finished look.

Grouting With Prism Ultimate Performance

Every joint, including the tight mosaic grid, was filled with Custom Prism Ultimate Performance Grout. Property: efflorescence free with a tight, dense cure that resists shading and pitting across both wall and floor exposures. Relationship: this is the visible thread tying the mosaic base, the niche, and the 12 by 24 walls into a single finished surface.

Basement Bathroom FAQ

How long does a basement bathroom tile install take in Edmonton?
A bathroom this size with a full Kerdi assembly, leveling, mosaic shower base, 12 by 24 walls, and glass typically runs 7 to 10 working days. Substrate cure times and grout cure are the bottleneck.

What does a basement bathroom renovation cost in Edmonton?
Tile and waterproofing alone usually land between 8,000 and 18,000 dollars depending on tile selection, size, and accent work like niches or benches. Plumbing, glass, and finish trades are billed separately.

Will moisture from the basement slab cause tile failure?
Not with the right assembly. The Kerdi membrane and a polymer modified leveler isolate the tile from slab moisture vapor. Failures we see in older basement bathrooms almost always trace back to a missing or torn waterproofing layer.

Bathroom Tile Installation in Holyrood and Edmonton

Holyrood is a mature southeast Edmonton neighbourhood with a strong stock of post-war bungalows and 1.5 storey homes, many of which are getting basement build-outs as families add a second bathroom for adult kids and home offices. The Tile Experts install basement bathrooms, ensuites, and main bath renos across Holyrood, Strathearn, Bonnie Doon, and the rest of southeast Edmonton, plus Sherwood Park, St Albert, and Beaumont. Contact us or call 587-333-9800 for a free walkthrough and quote.