Get a luxury wet room in your house

A lot of wet rooms are installed after people use them on holiday as they are so easy and simple to maintain. However there may be problems with wet rooms in the United Kingdom because of the damp climate.

In a warmer climate a wet room has more chance of drying out, in the UK this is more limited; so the flooring, drainage, heating and ventilation must be designed and installed properly or problems such as mould can occur. A wet room is basically a shower room with no screen or shower tray; however, if you have a small bathroom it could be advisable to have a shower screen fitted to stop the rest of the room being sprayed.

Water Drainage in a wet room

Installing a wet room is a difficult job as a gradient needs to be created along the floor to create a passage for the water to follow into a drain and the whole room will need to be tanked or waterproofed. The most popular method of creating the gradient is to use plywood, which is then tiled over. Another way to do this is to use a ready made sloping shower tray, which is then tiled over. Another option is to use a giant preformed tray that slopes towards a drain, this is fitted over the entire floor and there is then no need to tile over it. A wet room can be built on any type of floor but may need to be raised to ensure that the water runs towards the drainage system. If the floor is timber then it will probably need more waterproofing then, for instance, a concrete floor would. It is extremely important that this is not rushed because this could eventually lead to mould or even rot forming in the structure of the house. Once all the drainage has been completed then a non-slip or tiled floor can be laid to finish the floor.

Waterproofing a wet room

Waterproofing or tanking the bathroom involves priming the floor, the lower section of the walls and the whole section of wall around the shower and covering in a waterproofing substance. Once it’s set, the room can be tiled. It is also a good idea to raise the bottom of the bathroom door incase anything goes wrong with the drainage, this will keep the water contained.

What will it cost to install a wet room?

You can expect to pay around £1000 for the waterproofing or tanking of the wet room and for the gradient to ensure the water flows to the drain. If professional fitters are installing the wet room, including all the tiling, shower and suite, you can expect to pay around £6500 and up.

What type of tiles should I use in a modern wet room?

The most popular way to cover a floor and walls are tiles, but there is also the option of sheet vinyl for the floor, or even Corian, which is a durable and hygienic acrylic-based material that can be shaped for a seamless fit between the floor and the wall and is also low-maintenance. If you are going to use tiles in your wet room, choose non-porous bathroom tiles like ceramic or porcelain. Porous tiles, such as slate, marble and limestone, these tiles need sealing every few months to prevent water damage. Therefore, these tiles are more expensive and quite high maintenance. Although any tiles used should be non-slip for safety.

Can I install under floor heating in a wet room?

Under floor heating is generally highly recommended as it fills the bathroom with low level heat, as well as drying out the wet room after use. In most bathrooms under floor heating is not the primary source of heat; therefore you will only need under floor heating as a luxury. As it is only 1mm thick it does not make a difference to the over all height of the floor.