Project Overview & Homeowner Objectives in Wexford’s Treesdale & Village at Pine

Homeowners across Treesdale, Laurel Grove, and the Village at Pine in Wexford and Pine Township, PA demand tile work with razor-sharp grout lines, zero lippage, and lifelong durability. In this first-floor masonry upgrade off Route 910, our clients needed to replace cracked 12×12 builder-grade ceramic foyer and mudroom tiles—which had fractured along a subfloor plywood seam—with 24×24-inch rectified Italian porcelain over electric radiant floor heat, alongside a full-height herringbone ceramic backsplash in the adjacent chef’s kitchen.

Property Profile & Pre-Renovation Challenges

The original builder had nailed 1/4-inch luan plywood over wide-span engineered I-joists and set ceramic tile directly on the wood without an uncoupling membrane. Seasonal humidity shifts between humid July afternoons and dry January heating cycles caused the wood subfloor to expand and contract, cracking the rigid grout and tiles right down the middle of the foyer.

Scope of Work & Turnkey Trade Coordination

• Demolition of failed tile and luan underlayment, followed by structural subfloor screw-down and laser self-leveling.
• Precision custom tile installation across the foyer, mudroom, powder room, and kitchen backsplash.
• In-house licensed electrical wiring for DITRA-HEAT floor warming and under-cabinet plugmold strips, plus plumbing powder-room toilet and pedestal sink resets.

Subfloor Deflection Engineering, Uncoupling Membranes & Radiant Heat

TCNA L/360 Compliance & Schluter-DITRA-HEAT Installation

Following strict Tile Council of North America (TCNA) engineering protocols, our crew screwed the existing 3/4-inch OSB subfloor directly into the I-joist flanges every 6 inches, poured self-leveling underlayment to correct a 3/16-inch dip near the front door, and embedded a Schluter-DITRA-HEAT uncoupling membrane across the foyer and mudroom. The geometric stud structure of the membrane absorbs lateral subfloor movement so seasonal Western PA temperature swings never transfer stress into the porcelain above, while waterproofing the mudroom floor against tracked-in road salt and snowmelt.

95% Mortar Coverage & Lippage-Free Large-Format Laying

Before tiling, our in-house electricians routed heating cables through the membrane studs at 3-stud spacing and connected a dedicated 20-amp GFCI circuit and floor-sensor probe to a smart thermostat. Our tile setters then back-buttered every 24×24-inch porcelain tile with a 1/2×1/2-inch square-notched trowel run in a single direction to collapse air ridges and achieve 95%+ mortar contact—eliminating hollow corners that crack under stiletto heels or dropped weights.

Herringbone Kitchen Backsplash & Seamless Mechanical Finishes

Concealed Plugmold Electrical & Precision Backsplash Layout

In the kitchen, rather than cutting unsightly plastic outlet plates into a hand-crafted 45-degree herringbone backsplash, our in-house electricians relocated the 20-amp small-appliance receptacles into concealed angled under-cabinet LED power strips. This allowed our tile masons to install an uninterrupted expanse of glazed 2×8 Cloe ceramic tile from the quartz countertop right up to the ceiling around the range hood, finished with satin nickel Schluter profiles and 100% silicone movement joints per TCNA EJ171 standards.

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