Wet room buying guide
Wet room buying guide
Introduction
If you’re considering installing a wet room, but you’re not exactly sure what it is, whether it’s right for the house, or how to make a wet room, we can help.
This wet room buying guide will give you a clear understanding of what a wet room is and the pros and cons of installing one. It explains the different products and options available to create a wet room and gives advice on installation and maintenance. Finally, it covers some key things to consider when building a wet room and answers some frequently asked questions.
What is a Wet Room?
A wet room is a fully waterproofed bathroom with a shower, toilet, and basin. Waterproofing (also called 'tanking') involves applying a waterproof membrane to the floor and walls and then covering the membrane with tiles or wall panels to create a completely watertight seal. The shower's drainage is incorporated into the floor, meaning there's no shower tray to step over, and the floor is all on one level. A shower screen can separate the showering area from the toilet and basin if the room is small, but it's not necessary for a large wet room.
A wet room is a shower enclosure you can walk into. But it's different from a walk-in shower: a separate area within a bathroom just for showering. The walls within the enclosure are sealed and tiled, but a shower tray is needed to contain the water. And the toilet and basin would be in a separate area of the bathroom that isn't waterproofed.
Wet Room Pros and Cons
There are many great reasons to install a wet room, but they're not suitable for every home and have a few drawbacks. This section looks at the pros and cons of installing a wet room.
Wet room pros:
Wet rooms are a contemporary and stylish option for a bathroom, adding a touch of luxury to any home. This luxurious feel is a feature buyers often look for, so a wet room can add value to a property.
Wet rooms are perfect for small bathrooms, as the reduction in fixtures and lack of a bath creates a spacious feel. And they're easier to clean for several reasons: wet room glass screens often have an easy-to-clean coating, and the lack of a shower tray and enclosure means there are no nooks and crannies where mould and bacteria can hide. Plus, the floor is easy to mop because it's all on one level.
Wet rooms are also a practical solution for people with mobility problems. There’s no shower tray or bath to step into, and there’s more floor space available for wheelchair access.
Wet room cons:
While a wet room can increase the value of a property, if it's the only bathroom in a family-sized home, the lack of a bath could put potential buyers with children off. For this reason, wet rooms are best suited to small homes or houses where the wet room is a second bathroom or ensuite.
Installing a wet room may also be more costly than installing a standard bathroom due to the added cost of waterproofing the entire room. But this will depend on the room size – the larger it is, the more expensive it will be.
One other potential disadvantage could be ongoing maintenance if non-porous tiles are installed. This is because they must be regularly re-sealed to ensure they remain waterproof.
Wet Room Products and Options
Many products and options are available to create a wet room. In this section, we look at all the types of products available to help you understand how to create a wet room that works for you.
Wet room drainage explained
Getting the drainage right in a wet room is key to its success. The floor must be sloped towards a waste in the showering area so the water can drain effectively. There are several ways in which this can be achieved:
- Create a sloped sub-floor: this is built and installed over the existing floor using WBP ply, then tiled over.
- Install a ready-made sloping shower tray: these very large trays are installed over the existing floor and tiled over.
- Install a giant pre-formed tray: this tray covers the entire floor area and doesn’t need to be tiled over.
Whichever option is chosen, a wet room waste, such as a round trapped gully or a channel drain, must be installed at the floor's lowest point.
Waterproofing kits explained
When building a wet room, the entire space must be stripped back to the bare walls and floor so it can be 'tanked' (or waterproofed). This is an essential part of the process as it creates a seal between the walls and floor and the tiles or wall panels, protecting the plaster, brick, or timber from dampness, mould, and rotting.
Tanking can be achieved through several methods. The easiest option is using a paint-on waterproof membrane which provides a tough and durable seal while remaining flexible. The membrane can be bought separately, or wet room kits are available, which include a primer, the membrane coating, and waterproof jointing tape.
Alternative tanking options are using a membrane that comes on a roll or waterproof boards. Both can be cut to size and taped together using waterproof jointing tape.
Shower glass options
Many people ask, can you install a shower enclosure in a wet room? The answer is that you don't need to because the whole room is one big shower enclosure, even though it also includes a toilet and basin. However, if the bathroom is small, you may wish to install a shower glass panel to prevent water from splashing onto the toilet, basin, towels, and toilet roll.
There are many different shower glass options available. For example, some are framed in finishes such as chrome, black and silver effect, while others are frameless. And some have one large piece of glass, while others have many small pieces in a framed grid. In addition, the panels can be fixed (so they can't be moved) or hinged (so they swivel back and forth like a door). And some options have one large, fixed panel and a smaller swivel panel.
Underfloor heating explained
Underfloor heating is a popular option for wet rooms. It makes the room warm and comfortable while showering, but the heat, spread over a large surface area, helps to quickly evaporate any water left on the tiles to eliminate mould growth. And there's also no need to install a radiator which saves space.
One disadvantage to underfloor heating is that it works at lower temperatures than radiators and therefore takes longer to heat a room. There are two underfloor heating options: electric (which can run independently to the home’s heating system) and warm water (which is connected to the gas central heating system). Electric underfloor heating can be expensive in large rooms but is more cost-effective for bathrooms because it can be switched on without heating the whole house.
Read our guide, Underfloor heating systems: everything you need to know, for more information.
Wet room tiles explained
One option for finishing a wet room after it has been tanked is installing tiles.
Floor tiles are always needed if the wet room has a WBP ply subfloor or ready-made sloping shower tray. But tiles aren't required if a giant pre-formed tray is installed. When picking floor tiles, ensure they are non-slip tiles designed specifically for bathroom floors. Otherwise, they will be slippery and dangerous when wet.
To finish the walls, choose tiles or wet room wall panels (see the next section for more details on wall panels). Ideally, for both the walls and floors, select non-porous tiles, as porous materials, such as slate and marble, must be sealed every few months to prevent water damage.
Wet room wall panels explained
Wet room or bathroom wall panels are the perfect alternative to tiles for wet room walls. They are rectangular panels that can be cut to size and fitted over the tanking membrane, creating a neat finish. The panels are manufactured to be durable and robust, and they are resistant to discolouration. Installation and maintenance are simple, and unlike tiles, there’s no grout that will discolour over time and needs replacing.
Bathroom wall panels are available in composite, MDF, veneer, or laminate materials and come in various colours and designs.
Wet room parts and accessories explained
Some other accessories and essential parts are needed to finish a wet room, which are not mentioned above.
For the installation, you’ll need corners and pipe collars that provide waterproof protection for internal and external corners and around water pipes.
And then, you’ll need the other bathroom items, such as the toilet, basin, bathroom taps, and shower. You can buy any type for a wet room, but wall-hung toilets and basins are an excellent choice as they leave the floor clear and easy to clean.
Check out our buying guides for more help:
- Toilet buying guide
- Bathroom sink buying guide
- Guide to buying bathroom taps
- Shower buying guide
Installation and Maintenance of Wet Rooms
Installing a wet room is a complex project that’s best left to a professional fitter. It involves completely removing and stripping back the old bathroom to bare walls and floor, waterproofing the room, adjusting the floor to include a slope and drainage, and then plumbing in all the fixtures and fittings before finishing it off with tiles or bathroom wall panels. Ideally, the threshold should also be raised by 5mm to ensure water can’t escape from the room.
A professional fitter could take up to two weeks to install a wet room, depending on the size of the room and the products used. For example, installing a giant pre-formed tray is quicker than building a new sub-floor from WBP ply, and bathroom panels take less time to install than tiles. Extra time may also be needed to move plumbing pipes if the basin or toilet is in a different position from where they were originally. And adding underfloor heating will increase the fitting time too.
Once the wet room is in use, cleaning and maintenance are easy. Here are some top tips to keep it looking its best:
- Rinse the floor, walls, and shower glass around the showering area with clean water to remove soap scum after every use.
- Use a squeegee to direct excess water from the walls and floor into the drain after every use.
- Open the window and turn on an extractor fan after showering to help steam evaporate quickly.
- Clean the floor, walls, and shower glass weekly with soapy water and a mop and sponge to remove limescale, mould, and mildew.
- Regularly clean out the waste to remove hair and scum that could clog it and prevent water from flowing quickly into the drain.
- If non-porous tiles have been used, seal them every few months.
Key Considerations When Building a Wet Room
Hopefully, you now know how to build a wet room regarding the products needed and the options available to you. But, before you buy, here are some things to consider.
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Tanking and drainage options
Getting the tanking and drainage right in a wet room is essential, as water ingress can cause extensive and costly damage. Tanking options include applying a liquid membrane using a brush or roller or attaching sheet membrane or membrane boards to the walls and floors. All methods are effective, but waterproof jointing tape, corners, and pipe collars must be used at all joins and vulnerable points to ensure the room is completely sealed.
For drainage, a sloped sub-floor can be constructed using WBP ply but installing a ready-made shower tray or giant pre-formed tray are quicker and easier options. -
What size is the bathroom?
Any bathroom at least 1.5m x 1m should be suitable for converting into a wet room. However, at that size, a shower glass panel must be installed to separate the showering area from the rest of the room. If the bathroom is too small to fit a shower glass panel, it may not be suitable for a wet room as the toilet basin, toilet roll, and towels could get drenched. -
What type of tile will you need?
When choosing tiles for a wet room, don't forget to consider how practical they need to be as well as the aesthetics. For example, the floor tiles should be slip resistant to prevent accidents, and ideally, choose non-porous tiles throughout. Natural stone and mosaic tiles work well in wet rooms, but porous materials such as slate and marble must be re-sealed every few months to prevent damage. -
What type of toilet and basin will you need?
There are many types of toilets and basins to choose from, and any kind will work, but the best choice for a wet room is the wall-hung options. This is because they enhance a wet room's minimalist, space-saving aspects. And they don't touch the floor, making cleaning easier. -
What about ventilation?
Wet rooms will get very steamy and wet, so incorporating ventilation so the steam and water can escape is essential. A window in the room should be opened while showering, and it's also best to fit an extractor fan. These measures will help the room dry out quickly after use and prevent mould and mildew. -
Will you need underfloor heating?
Underfloor heating isn't essential in a wet room, but it's worth considering. The lovely warm feel on the feet adds to the feeling of luxury, and there's no need to fit a bulky radiator. It also helps to dry the room quickly after showering. And, as the floor is being waterproofed and tiled anyway, it doesn't take much extra work to add underfloor heating as part of the process.