Wet room design tips
Wet rooms are becoming an increasingly popular feature of many homes. If you have a small bathroom or ensuite, they can make effective use of the space available as baths take up a lot of room. They are also good for older people or those with limited mobility who may struggle to access a conventional shower or bath safely.
There’s the added benefit that showers use less water than baths http://www.montgomery-herald.com/community/are-showers-or-baths-more-environmentally-friendly/article_fb1a74a8-0ec5-11e8-b205-5f4e3c5b1c5f.html, so a wet room is an attractive option if you’re looking for a more eco-friendly lifestyle. A further plus is that wet rooms are easier to clean as there are fewer surfaces to worry about.
Is your home suitable?
A wet room is basically a room with a fully-tiled shower that is either completely open or only screened on one side. If you have an existing bathroom it’s probably going to be possible to convert it into a wet room. You can also add a wet room in a relatively small space.
Drainage is the main issue as there needs to be a slope to the floor to allow water to drain freely away. This often involves the installation of a sub-floor which is then tiled over. This is a job that’s best entrusted to professionals. It’s also possible to use a ready-made former – rather like an outsized shower tray – that has a built-in gradient for drainage. The net result of installing a wet room is usually to raise the floor height slightly.
Design considerations
In smaller rooms, a screen is a good idea to prevent everything else in the room from getting wet. This can be done using 12mm shower glass panels from a supplier like https://marvinandpinch.co.uk/products/12mm-clear-toughened-shower-screen-wetroom-panel-glass?variant=50220687892 as these allow you to keep an open feel but partially screen the shower from the rest of the room.
One of the key considerations when building a wet room is waterproofing. You want to ensure water cannot escape damaging the rest of the property. This usually involves applying a waterproof membrane to the floor and lower part of the walls before applying tiles on top.
It’s a good idea to raise the door threshold by five millimetres or so too. This means if the drain is temporarily blocked – by a towel being dropped over it for example – a rise in water level will be contained.
