Wet Rooms

What is a Wet Room?

A wet room is the same as a bathroom, however, there is often no shower screen and tray and instead utilises an open layout with fully tiled or waterproofed walls. Within a large wet room there is often no requirement for a shower screen or enclosure, however, small wet rooms may still require one to reduce any splash from the shower.

When a wet room is built the whole room is waterproofed, or tanked, to ensure the floor and walls are completely watertight and a drain is installed within the floor to allow water to easily flow away.

Wet rooms are a great option for many; however, they can be especially useful to people with mobility issues or disabilities as there are less obstacles to negotiate.

The Benefits of a Wet Room

As previously mentioned, wet rooms offer great benefits to users and homeowners. Firstly, because they are relatively new, they tend to offer a modern and contemporary look; great for updating your home. They also create the illusion of a larger space by opening up the room and reconfiguring the layout to create a well-designed and stylish area. Additionally, similar to the above, as wet rooms are a relatively new addition to homes they can be seen as a desirable feature within a property and therefore installing a wet room within your home can help to increase the value of your property. Wet rooms also work exceptionally well for smaller bathrooms as it removes the requirement for additional items which can limit the available space in the room, for example, shower trays and doors. Additionally, wet rooms are often easier to clean because the additional items previously mentioned have been removed.

Things to Consider When Installing a Wet Room

As with everything, there are some elements that you may need to consider before installing a wet room into your home. Firstly, wet rooms in smaller bathrooms may cause unwanted spray from the shower to land on items such as towels and the toilet roll, therefore a shower screen may still be required to help prevent this. Secondly, a wet room must be completely waterproof to prevent leaking water and any additional damage to other areas of the property. Therefore, the chances are a professional fitter will need to be employed to install the wet room and this can add quite a large cost to the project. Additionally, the most popular wall covering for a wet room is tiles, these are also one of the most expensive and therefore this will also add an extra cost to the project. However, like many say, you have to speculate to accumulate and therefore, after taking into account these considerations a wet room will likely present a great return on investment for you and your family for years to come.

How Much Does a Wet Room Cost?

When it comes to installing a wet room, the cost is likely to be between the £5000 and £10,000 price range. However, the cost of the complete project will heavily depend on the level of luxury and opulence when it comes to the choice of fittings and furniture used. That being said, the main cost associated with installing a wet room will be the installation cost.

Installing a Wet Room

Wet rooms can be installed just about anywhere, from expansive bathrooms to small converted loft spaces. They are suitable for both refurbishment projects in existing properties and are an especially good choice for new-build projects.

However, a wet room should always be installed by a professional, as a slope in the floor is required to ensure efficient drainage of shower water. When it comes to creating a sloped floor in the wet room there are a few options available. The most popular choice is to install a sub-floor which is then tiled over. Another method is to install a wet room shower tray, also known as a wet room former, which is then also tiled, the same as a sub-floor. The final option is to install a bespoke floor and use a non-porous material, creating a slope towards the drain, which can be installed across the whole wet room floor, also meaning that tiling isn’t required.

When installing a wet room, it’s important to consider some key layout elements. For example, one of the most important layout considerations is where to fit the drain. As a tip, the drain should ideally be installed as far away from the wet room door as possible to reduce the risk of water escaping.

Installing Underfloor Heating in Your Wet Room

It is actually recommended by many installers to fit underfloor heating as part of your wet room project as the heat will help to dry out the room after use, as well as keep often cold tiles warm underfoot. Here at Tap ‘n Shower we offer a range of electric underfloor heating as well as underfloor heating controls; ensuring you have everything you need to install your underfloor heating without a fuss.