Project Overview & Homeowner Objectives in Cranberry Heights & Ehrman Farms

Homeowners throughout Cranberry Heights, Ehrman Farms, and BelleVue Park in Cranberry Township, PA frequently look to replace aging builder-grade acrylic shower inserts and unused corner soaking tubs with expansive, spa-caliber walk-in showers. In this primary suite transformation off Freedom Road, our clients wanted to demolish a cramped 36×48-inch fiberglass stall and adjacent platform tub to build a 60×72-inch barrier-free custom porcelain slab shower with dual shower zones, a floating quartz bench, and concealed linear drainage.

Property Profile & Pre-Renovation Challenges

The original 1998 builder-grade shower was plumbed with an undersized 1.5-inch PVC drain trap, lacked thermal insulation inside the north-facing exterior wall cavity, and vented moist bathroom air into the cold attic soffit—creating seasonal condensation and mildew risks.

Scope of Work & Turnkey Trade Coordination

• Demolition of the legacy tub deck and fiberglass stall down to the structural studs and subfloor joists.
• Turnkey custom tile shower remodeling using continuous Schluter-KERDI waterproofing and large-format porcelain masonry.
• In-house licensed plumbing drain/valve upgrades, electrical wet-rated LED lighting, and HVAC insulated exterior exhaust ducting.

Waterproofing Engineering, Subfloor Deflection & In-House Mechanical Rough-Ins

Zero-Threshold Joist Recessing & Continuous Schluter-KERDI Envelope

A luxury tile shower is only as durable as the waterproofing hidden beneath the stone. Our carpenters recessed the 3/4-inch OSB subfloor flush between the floor joists and added solid 2×10 blocking to exceed L/720 deflection tolerances. We framed the shower walls with 1/2-inch Schluter-KERDI-BOARD waterproof panels, sealing every fastener penetration, corner, and the custom 48-inch recessed niche with KERDI-BAND and KERDI-FIX. The floor was built on a pre-sloped single-plane pan pitched at exactly 1/4-inch per foot toward a brushed stainless steel Schluter-KERDI-LINE trench drain.

In-House Plumbing, Electrical & Attic Moisture Control

Because Dependable Home Solutions executes all mechanical trades in-house, we completed the rough-ins without a single day of subcontractor downtime. Our plumbers replaced the old 1.5-inch drain with a code-compliant 2-inch Schedule 40 PVC trap and routed insulated 3/4-inch PEX-A supply lines to a Kohler Anthem thermostatic valve—insulating the exterior wall cavity with closed-cell spray foam so Western PA sub-zero winds never threaten the water lines. Our electricians installed wet-rated IC-airtight 3000K recessed LED gimbal fixtures and a dedicated GFCI circuit, while our HVAC crew replaced the noisy builder fan with a whisper-quiet 110-CFM Panasonic exhaust fan piped through R-8 insulated rigid metal ducting directly out the roof.

Master Porcelain Slab Masonry & Cranberry Township Code Compliance

Rectified 24×48 Porcelain Slabs & Epoxy Grout

Our tile setters laser-aligned 24×48-inch rectified Calacatta porcelain wall slabs using a lippage-free clip system and polymer-modified large-and-heavy-tile mortar, finishing the 1/16-inch joints with non-porous Laticrete SPECTRALOCK epoxy grout that never requires sealing. Every plumbing trap, anti-scald valve, and electrical circuit passed Cranberry Township PA UCC inspections on the first walkthrough.

Dependable Home Solutions | PO Box 23, Worthington, PA 16262 | (724) 243-2553 | https://www.dependablehomesolutions.net | PA HIC #PA212478 | EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm | Hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM