Wet rooms are popular as they add the “wow factor” to a bathroom as well as contemporary style, and transforming your bathroom into one could be easier than you might imagine.
In essence, a wet room is a “shower room”, a place where the shower becomes the main part of the room rather than being enclosed behind a door and within a tray. As there is often no step into the shower, wet rooms need excellent drainage through the flooring to stop leaks and ensure the room is dry when not in use. If you’re comfortable with advanced DIY projects then you might want to make the changes yourself, otherwise it’s recommended to hire a professional – if you don’t know anyone, a good place to start is on a site like RatedPeople.
Understand what you want
Before you begin to make changes to your existing bathroom, consider carefully what it is you want and the impact the new look could have on your property’s value. Will future buyers like the wet room? Do you have another bathroom with a traditional tub in it, to appeal to every buyer type?
Ultimately the decision is yours and if you know you’ll get enjoyment from having a wet room, it’s probably time to start planning! Think about the layout you want and overall design, but keep in mind your budget. Do you want the new shower to be in the middle of the room as a focal point or will it work better in a corner? If your bathroom is small then you may need to have a screen in place to prevent the rest of the room getting soaked, and in bathrooms of every size you should consider shielding the towel rail and keeping any shelves high enough and away from the water’s reach.
Understand the disadvantages
As great as wet rooms are, there are a few factors you need to plan around to prevent costly issues arising in the future. Leakage is naturally a big concern for a wet room, and you need to decide on flooring wisely – it’s a good idea to install wet room decking with a gradient to help with drainage, to seal the whole area and then tile it, including the walls and ceiling.
Wet rooms can feel chilly too because of the extra space, so if you can afford it then installing underfloor heating works really well and provides cosiness in the winter.
Understand the advantages
As a rule, wet rooms are easy to clean and look impressive – especially to fans of showering! If your bathroom is big enough you may want to include a contemporary bath tub too. Tiling the room will be costly but choosing the tiles could be so much fun, and adding the layers of waterproofing will add greater protection to your bathroom.