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8 top considerations when creating a wet room

Author: Anna Preston
by Anna Preston
Posted: Oct 30, 2015

Wet rooms are a fast growing trend in bathroom design, and when created with care and attention they can add real value to your home as well as making it a much nicer place for you to spend your time.

It is a popular misconception that wet rooms only work well in sizeable bathrooms and rooms with a solid concrete floor. In reality, any size bathroom has the potential to be a fantastic wet room, no matter what the size or where it is located – on the ground floor or upstairs with traditional wooden floorboards. In very large bathrooms, the wet room area can be a feature of an otherwise more traditional bathroom, and in a smaller room, turning it into a wet room can create an illusion of extra space as well as ridding the room of the conventional space hogging shower cubicle and other features.

If you are considering a wet room project in your house, you should make sure you have paid attention to all the major considerations at the early design stages, to avoid costly mistakes or modifications later on in the project. Here are some of the main things to think about when designing your ideal wet room at home:

  1. Drainage – The drain should be located at a sufficient distance from the bathroom door in order to avoid water running out of the room.
  2. Safety – The tiles for wet room floors need to be safe to walk on when wet, so go for specially designed wet room tiles or non-slipfloor tiles.
  3. Ventilation – Adequate ventilation is an essential element, so go for an automatic extractor fan, ideally one which is fitted with a humidistat.
  4. Layout – A wet room does not need to be one big, wet box. Shower screens make nice features in the room, and can also serve to give the user some privacy as well as preventing other bathroom fittings from getting wet.
  5. Flooring – Usually the floor will need to be raised around 5 centimetres to allow for the installation of the waste pipe underneath the floor. It should also slope slightly towards the drain to help the water run in the right direction.
  6. Style – The benefits of a wet room are maximised if a minimalistic attitude is taken to the furnishing and layout. If you don’t want to sacrifice completely the traditional bathroom look, then you could consider a large walk in shower at one end of an otherwise regular bathroom.
  7. Leaks – It goes without saying that water tightness in a wet room is of paramount importance. If you don’t have the skills to ensure your tiling is fully waterproof, then get an expert in to do this part of the construction for you.

8. Strength – The room must be able to support the weight of the tiles and other materials. In some properties this may mean strengthening the floor before construction begins depending on the size of the room and the types of tiles chosen. Porcelain tiles are typically heavier than othertile flooring, although they have many other advantages.

About the Author

The author has written and published articles on a wide range of topics including Small Business Advice, Tax and Accounting, Interior Design, House Renovation and Project Management.

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Author: Anna Preston
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Anna Preston

Member since: Apr 29, 2015
Published articles: 180

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