What's Included in a Parkside Tile Install
Tile is the most-installed and most-failed finish surface in Calgary homes. The reason most failures happen is not bad tile; it is bad substrate, bad waterproofing, or bad layout planning. Our tile process addresses each of those in order.
Substrate first. We check the framing for deflection (the floor or wall must not flex more than L/360, or L/720 for natural stone), confirm the cement board or backing material is properly fastened, and self-level the floor where needed to get within tile-tolerance flatness. For shower walls and floors, we apply a continuous waterproof membrane (usually Schluter-Kerdi) that overlaps every joint, every penetration, and every transition. The membrane is what keeps water out of the wall cavity. Tile and grout do not, contrary to common assumption.
Then layout. We dry-lay the first row of tile on every floor and every wall to find the visual centerline, the cut sizes, and the tile patterns that will look intentional rather than accidental. A bathroom where the tile pattern lines up at the niche, the bench, and the door jamb is a bathroom that took 30 minutes of layout planning. A bathroom where the tiles fight every transition is one that didn't.
Then install. Mortar mixed to the manufacturer's spec, back-buttered on large-format tile, set with the proper trowel size, leveled with a Tuscan or similar lippage system on big-format work. Grout, allowed to cure, then sealed where required. Silicone, never grout, at every plane change, every transition to a different material, and every soft joint.
Common Tile Projects We Handle
- Walk-in shower with floor-to-ceiling tile. Most-requested bathroom tile project. Includes niches, benches, linear or center drain, full waterproofing, and frameless glass coordination.
- Tub-shower surround replacement. Tearing out a fiberglass insert and replacing it with a tiled surround is one of the highest-impact bathroom updates available, often done as part of a same-footprint refresh.
- Heated tile floor in bathroom or entryway. Calgary winters make heated floors genuinely worth it. We install electric mat or cable systems with dedicated thermostats and timers.
- Kitchen backsplash. Subway, herringbone, slab marble, large-format porcelain. Backsplashes are 1 to 3 day projects with very visible results.
- Fireplace surround re-tile. Replacing a 1990s tile surround with stacked stone, slab marble, or large-format porcelain is a popular living-room update we deliver as a standalone or as part of a larger project.
- Mudroom or laundry floor. Durable porcelain in mudrooms and laundries holds up to wet boots, dog paws, and dropped detergent in ways that vinyl plank does not.
Materials We Recommend
For most bathroom and kitchen applications, we recommend porcelain. It is harder, less porous, and more dimensionally stable than ceramic, particularly for floor and wet-area work. Natural stone (marble, travertine, limestone) looks beautiful but requires sealing, careful product selection, and acid-aware homeowners. Glass and metal accent tiles are great as accents but rarely as primary surfaces. We are happy to talk you out of a tile choice that we know will frustrate you in five years; we are also happy to install whatever you want once you understand the trade-offs.
Service Area
Calgary (all quadrants), Okotoks, Airdrie, Cochrane, Chestermere, High River, Heritage Pointe, De Winton, Priddis, Bragg Creek, Strathmore, Black Diamond, and Turner Valley.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a tile job take?
A standard tub-shower surround takes 3 to 4 days for prep and tile setting, plus another day for grout and silicone. A full bathroom floor and walk-in shower runs 8 to 12 days on site. Large-format porcelain (24x48 and bigger) takes longer because each piece requires more handling, more lippage control, and a slower set time.
Do you waterproof before you tile?
Yes. Every wet area we tile is built on a continuous waterproof membrane. We use Schluter-Kerdi sheet membrane on most projects (walls, shower floor, niches, benches), or Mapei AquaDefense / Custom RedGard liquid membrane on simpler installs. Cement board alone is not waterproof. Tile is not waterproof. Grout is not waterproof. The membrane behind everything is what keeps your shower from rotting in 8 to 12 years.
What's the largest tile you'll install?
We routinely install 24x48 and 32x32 porcelain. Larger panels (48x96 or 60x120 slab tile) are possible but require specialized handling, suction lifters, and a slower install pace, which is reflected in the price. For most Calgary bathrooms and kitchens, 12x24 to 24x48 hits the sweet spot of modern aesthetic and reasonable install cost.
Heated floors under tile?
Yes. We install electric in-floor heating (typically Schluter Ditra-Heat or Nuheat) under tile in most bathroom renovations. The mat goes between the membrane and the thinset bed; the thermostat is wired to its own circuit and a GFCI breaker. Heated tile floors are particularly worth it on Calgary winters where the difference between 14°C tile and 24°C tile is the difference between dreading and enjoying the morning.
Can you match an existing tile pattern or grout?
Sometimes. Tile manufacturers change product lines frequently, and even within a current line the dye lots vary slightly. If you have leftover tile from the original install, we can usually blend a small repair seamlessly. If not, we will be honest with you about the visible blend line and offer alternatives. Sometimes the cleanest answer is to retile a defined zone (a feature wall, the shower floor) rather than try to match.
What does tile work cost?
A standard tub-shower surround in 12x24 porcelain typically runs $4-7k installed (labour and materials). A walk-in shower with niche and bench in mid-range tile is $8-12k. A full bathroom floor + shower in larger format porcelain with heated floor is $12-18k. Backsplashes are usually $2-4k. Stone tile (marble, travertine, slate) costs more in materials and time than porcelain.
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Complete kitchen remodels including cabinetry, countertops, backsplashes, and layout redesign.
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