Bathroom Renovation Edmonton in Spruce Grove: Kerdi Shower

Cut-In Kerdi Shower With 12×24 Brick Lay, Mosaic Insert, and Glass Shelves in Spruce Grove

Spruce Grove sits 30 kilometres west of Edmonton along Highway 16, with a housing stock that runs from established 1980s and 1990s homes through new suburban infill. Many of the original ensuites in this stock arrive at renovation time with a fibreglass shower insert that was sized for the room as built, and the homeowner’s design goal on a rebuild is often to convert that insert into a tiled walk-in shower that lives within the same footprint but reads as fully custom. On this Spruce Grove project The Tile Experts ran exactly that conversion: a cut-in to the existing floor to set the new shower base, a Kerdi-waterproofed base and walls, a 12 by 24 porcelain in a 50/50 brick lay, a 6 inch mosaic accent insert, and two integrated glass shelves, all finished with Prism Grout.

Cutting In the Existing Floor for a New Shower Base

The renovation started with a cut into the existing bathroom floor to bring the new shower base to the right elevation and the right footprint. The problem: the original shower insert sat on top of the existing subfloor with a recessed pan that handled drainage internally. Replacing it with a tiled shower means the new base has to slope to the new drain, which usually requires recessing the base below the surrounding bathroom floor elevation so the curb height stays reasonable. The cut: the existing floor was cut to the precise footprint of the new shower base, the subfloor was prepared for the drain rough-in, and the elevation was verified against the rest of the bathroom floor so the finished shower curb landed at the homeowner’s preferred height. Result: a shower base that sits in the same room footprint as the original insert but with the elevations engineered for a tiled walk-in rather than for a drop-in pan. This is the substrate discipline that lets a tiled shower live cleanly in a footprint that was originally built for a different product.

The Kerdi Base and Walls: A Continuous Waterproof Envelope

Once the base was framed and the curb was set, the entire shower (the base, the curb, and all wet-zone walls) was wrapped in a Schluter Kerdi Membrane, bonded with Premium Plus Mortar. Purpose: Kerdi is a bonded waterproofing membrane that creates a continuous watertight envelope between the tile assembly and the substrate. Every seam is sealed with Kerdi-Band, every internal corner is reinforced with a preformed Kerdi-Kereck, and the membrane wraps the curb so water that hits the curb top is contained inside the shower rather than wicking into the framing below. Property: the bonded sheet membrane is the same chemistry on a custom-built shower base as it is on the surrounding walls, so the entire wet zone lives behind one engineered waterproofing assembly rather than as separate base and wall systems. Relationship: setting the membrane with Premium Plus is the manufacturer’s specified bond coat for the Kerdi-to-substrate assembly, which is what makes the waterproofing perform as one engineered system rather than as a stack of separately specified components.

The 12×24 in a 50/50 Brick Lay

The shower walls and the curb were tiled with a 12 by 24 porcelain in a 50/50 brick lay (every course offset by exactly half a tile from the course below), set with the same Premium Plus Mortar that bonded the Kerdi. Purpose: the 50/50 brick lay scales the classic subway pattern up to the 12 by 24 format, producing a strong horizontal rhythm that reads as both contemporary and rooted in classic tile traditions. Property: a 50/50 lay on a 12 by 24 requires tight tile bow tolerances because the offset puts the maximum bow of one tile directly against the minimum bow of the next. The installer pre-sorted the tile lot by edge profile before the install so adjacent tiles came up as matched pairs, and every joint was verified against a laser reference. Relationship: using one bond coat (Premium Plus) for the membrane below and the tile above keeps the chemistry consistent through the assembly, which is the engineering discipline the Kerdi manufacturer specifies for the system to perform as designed.

The 6-Inch Mosaic Insert and Twin Glass Shelves

Two design features distinguish this Spruce Grove shower from a generic tiled rebuild. The 6-inch mosaic insert: a horizontal band of decorative mosaic was inserted across the back wall of the shower at eye level, breaking the otherwise uniform 12 by 24 brick-lay field with a single line of detail. The mosaic course was set with Premium Plus alongside the field, and the surrounding 12 by 24 courses were cut so the mosaic landed clean on a full course above and below. The twin glass shelves: two glass shelves were integrated into the shower wall at coordinated heights, providing storage that does not interrupt the tile field with a recessed niche. The shelves were installed after the tile was set so the field could be planned around the shelf mounting positions, with the result that every shelf bracket lands on a full tile rather than on a cut. Result: a shower that combines a clean 12 by 24 field, a focal accent band, and integrated storage in one coordinated composition.

Planning a Kerdi shower conversion with a 12×24 brick lay and integrated features in Spruce Grove or anywhere west of Edmonton? Call The Tile Experts at 587-333-9800 or request a quote.

Why Pair a Kerdi Build With a 12×24 Brick Lay

The pairing is intentional. The waterproofing layer: a Kerdi base and surround moves the wet-zone waterproofing off the tile and onto a bonded sheet membrane, which means the tile field above the membrane is freed to be any pattern the homeowner specifies without compromising the watertight envelope. The design layer: the 50/50 brick lay on a 12 by 24 is the most design-forward pattern in the contemporary tile palette, but it requires confidence in the substrate because any wall flex would crack the joint. Kerdi provides exactly that substrate confidence: a continuous waterproof envelope bonded to a stable wall assembly, with no movement to translate into the tile above. The result: the design move (the brick lay) and the engineering move (the membrane) work together rather than against each other.

Spruce Grove Ensuite Shower FAQ

How much does a Kerdi shower conversion with a 12×24 brick lay, mosaic insert, and glass shelves cost in Spruce Grove?
For a project of this scope (cut-in to the existing floor for a new shower base, full Kerdi waterproofing across the base, curb, and walls, 12 by 24 porcelain in a 50/50 brick lay, 6 inch mosaic accent insert, and two integrated glass shelves), plan on 8,500 to 14,500 dollars in tile-scope labour and material, depending on tile selection.

Why cut into the existing bathroom floor for a new shower base?
A tiled shower base has to slope to its drain, and the slope plus the bond-coat thickness plus the tile thickness usually requires recessing the base below the surrounding floor elevation so the curb height stays reasonable for stepping over. Cutting into the existing floor is the substrate discipline that lets a tiled walk-in shower live cleanly in a footprint originally built for a drop-in insert.

How do glass shelves integrate with a tiled shower wall?
The shelves are installed after the tile is set, with the tile field planned around the shelf mounting positions so every bracket lands on a full tile rather than on a cut. The result is integrated storage that does not require a recessed niche cut into the wall. See our bathroom tile installation service.

Tile Installation in Spruce Grove and the West Capital Region

Spruce Grove sits 30 kilometres west of Edmonton along Highway 16, with neighbours in Stony Plain, Parkland County, and the western Edmonton suburbs of Lewis Estates and The Hamptons. Kerdi shower conversions, 12 by 24 brick-lay installations, custom mosaic accents, and integrated glass-shelf builds are some of the most common projects in this established and infill housing stock. The Tile Experts install bathrooms, kitchens, floors, custom showers, fireplaces, and feature walls across Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County, and the rest of the west capital region, plus all of Edmonton. Contact us or call 587-333-9800 for a free in-home walkthrough.