Once upon a time, the most important choice to make when it came to bathrooms was whether to opt for a shower, bath, or both.
These days, there are so many more options. Wet room designs, where you have an open shower or one set behind a singular wall, have recently become a lot more popular.
However, before rushing into installing a wet room, there are lots of different factors to consider.
Space
A lot of people dismiss the idea of a wet room because they don’t believe that they have enough space to include one in their bathroom. The amount of space needed isn’t actually a lot; your old bath or shower would probably take up more room. Baths and shower cubicles restrict movement in a room, whereas a wet room will actually give you more freedom. The whole room can become a shower, which allows you to optimise the room as you wish.
They are also good for bathrooms with an awkward layout. This is because it can be positioned in spaces that definitely wouldn’t house a traditional bath or shower cubicle.
Flooring
If you’ve decided to install a wet room into your bathroom, there are certain things about your flooring that you’ll need to consider. A good quality wet room will either include tiled or stone flooring.
Tiles are usually the first choice when it comes to wet rooms, due to their water resistant nature. Ceramic tiles require little maintenance and weigh a lot less than any other type of tile.
You also need to make sure that the tiles selected are slip resistant – mosaic style flooring makes a perfect and natural non-slip floor. We suggest choosing the same tile design for both your floor and walls for a chic and modern finish.
Other flooring considerations include whether to invest in under floor heating, which is frequently linked to wet rooms. It warms up the room and means the floor will dry a lot quicker.
Waterproofing & Drainage
Making your wet room waterproof is essential so that it functions correctly, including having the appropriate drainage methods installed.
There are two different ways this can be achieved. Firstly, you can choose to install a pre-formed tray that is covered with a waterproof membrane. This is laid on the floor throughout the room and acts as a waterproof barrier.
Secondly, you can choose to install a low level oversized tray, which can be teamed with an effective glass screen to minimise the amount of spray from the shower. They are specially designed to give a gradient to your floor – preventing the water from going all over the place.
Remember to pay attention to other items in your bathroom. Whilst waterproofing will protect your bathroom from flooring, it won’t protect items like towels, light fixtures and dressing gowns from getting soaked. This needs to be considered during the design process, making sure this are protected. Light fixtures definitely need to be made waterproof.
If you’re looking to install a wet room into your home, we have you covered. Wet Room Design specialise in both wet room designs and drainage solutions and will be more than happy to help you find the perfect one for you.
For further information, please don’t hesitate to contact us. You can give us a call on 020 7193 0953 and we will be more than happy to help you out.
