A wet room shower is a type of bathroom designed so that the showering area cannot be separated from the rest of an individual’s living space. The water is contained in the walls and ceiling, which means no need for a separate shower tray or trays. Usually, specially designed wet rooms have a tiled overtop floor with a drain hole.
A wet room is a trendy way to transform your bathroom into an extravagant spa-like atmosphere.
While all of this may sound good, you might be thinking I’m just a dreamer, and it’s not something you could do in your own bathroom. Here, I will answer some of the most commonly asked questions about wet rooms and show you how to achieve this in a limited space.
Table of Contents
Advantages of Wet Rooms
- Wet rooms are a very modern, stylish design that offers an interesting visual.
- When done correctly, the floor in a wet room is better protected than a standard bathroom.
- In general, wet rooms are easier to keep clean than traditional bathrooms. There is no shower screen or tray for you to worry about, and it’s even simpler if you choose a sink and toilet that are set into the wall.
- If the bath is your only place to bathe, consider removing it. This gives you more space in the bathroom.
- More people want to buy homes with wet rooms because they add value.
Disadvantages of Wet Rooms
- If professionals do not do waterproofing, water can infiltrate and cause damage.
- Be aware of wet towels and soggy toilet paper resulting from soap residue caused by spraying water from the shower.
- Tiles are an essential part of wet rooms. They should cover the floor to ceiling, and while this may seem like a costly task, there’s actually another option! If you use porous stones for tiles they will reseal every few months if necessary- but that means much less work on your end.
- Swap the main bathroom for a wet room? This could make your home less saleable. Buyers want at least one bath.
Tips And Advice Create A Wet Room
Layout
One of the first considerations to bear in mind when planning a wet room is where the drain should be positioned. The ideal placement would be as far away from the bathroom door as possible to minimize any risk of water escaping the space. Deciding where to place a bathroom drain can be difficult for people with wood sub-floors. To ensure that water flows away easily, slope or gradient your main shower area.
Wet rooms are advantageous as the shower area of a wet room is flush with the floor level. Originally, wet rooms didn’t include any glass and were completely open, but a fixed glass partition that creates a walk-in shower has become more popular in recent years.
Surfaces
You can create a wet area by tanking (waterproofing) both the floor and walls of the room to protect it from any leaks. Once you have determined it is leak-free, you should use tiles on the floor and shower head for water distribution.
When choosing a wet room type, you’ll first need to consider your flooring. There are two major systems available: those for solid floors and those for wooden floors. If your subfloor is made of concrete, you should take extra steps to ensure proper drainage as channeling in a waste can damage the surface.
Shower trays are a popular choice in wet rooms (a room containing floor tiles connected to the bathroom) because they offer more space for the water to run down to the shower. Not all surfaces are safe, though, which is what you need to know before installing them. Rebecca Milnes recommends using materials with a structured, textured finish in wet areas to give extra grip. Mosaics are also great options for wet areas because the grout lines between the tiles allow for appropriate traction.
Tanking
Tanking is critically important in a wet room. A tanking job consists of multiple layers to ensure an excellent seal, much like a swimming pool. When installing a wet room, the two main approaches are using a self-adhesive bitumen or liquid membrane. It is best to consult the retailer about which type of membrane will be best for your project, particularly if it includes an integrated waterproofing system.
Sanitaryware
If you’re going for a pure wet room look and not providing any partition or screen, it’s important to think about your choice of sanitaryware. It’ll likely get wet from the water in the shower or condensation. Install a wall-hung toilet to avoid water pooling and increase convenience. In wet rooms, flush ceramics mounted on the walls are an outstanding choice that will keep your bathroom looking attractive for years to come.
Commonly Asked Questions About Wet Rooms
Where Does The Water Go?
Rather than water from the shower being contained in a shower tray under your feet, it may spread to the floor and exit through an outlet.
To keep water from any leak or flood, you should slope the floor towards a drain. This is done by re-flooring an area of your room with tiles or using a prefab shower tray to form one end of the slope toward the drain.
What Other Considerations Should I Be Thinking About In A Small Wet Room?
A small wet room means less protection from splashes. Think about storage for items such as towels and toilet rolls carefully, and be creative with storage solutions because wooden units might not work well.
Additionally, if you’re considering converting your master bath to a wet room, it may mean your property becomes less desirable when the time comes to sell, as many home buyers want their bathrooms with sinks.
Is A Wet Room Right For My Home?
When a wet room isn’t an option, the average bathroom is. Protection from spray needs to be added, such as a screen or frosted glass panels; small bathrooms need more protection if space is limited.
Why Should I Fit A Wet Room?
In this blog post, we will explore the advantages of installing a wet room and mention some of them briefly.
How Do I Waterproof My Bathroom?
Rooms with space should only require waterproofing and splash protection below the area where a shower is being created. If you’re not creating a wet room, there are many benefits to having at least some of your bathroom waterproof.
Can Anyone Have A Wet Room?
Yes, but the process differs depending on your needs. If your bathroom is small, a shower screen will help to keep the water contained. Wet rooms are showers that get rid of the tray and screen in order to leave an open tiled area for you to shower in.
How Small Can A Wet Room Be?
More commonly found in two-person individual wet room showers, designers will recommend a minimum size of 800 x 800mm.
Many different factors determine the type and amount of space required. These include whether pipes will be exposed or hidden. Whether a glass panel is needed to make sure other parts of the room remain dry.
It is important to remember that mold and damp spots can form if good ventilation isn’t available, so you should consider that when building.
Is A Wet Room Expensive?
A wet room is a substantial investment. The tanking process ensures the room will be waterproof and can mitigate leaks while also taking time to ensure that drainage is properly installed for it to stay dry. Pipework hiding can also be an investment, though it often allows for recessed shelving and storage to be created as a secondary benefit.
List of Wet Room Ideas
When designing a wet room, there are many ways to get creative and personalize the space with your own touches. These are just a few of our favorite ideas.
Find The Right Tile For Wet Room Ideas
The options for tile in wet rooms seem endless, and it’s a great place to really show off your personality. You’ll want an anti-slip surface so make sure you get one with a raised matt finish because wet rooms can be slippery!
It’s worth choosing smaller tiles like mosaics if you need to slope them away from the drain. A mix of metro and patterned tiles creates a contemporary look.
The Big Screen Wet Room Ideas
A wet room suite can feature a showering enclosure that is open or enclosed. Open enclosures typically contain water, whereas closed space often requires an additional barrier to keep the water inside. If you have a large bathroom and want to maximize your space with one of these suites, opt for the larger glass screen - but if not this may be too much investment in terms of size considering most people won’t use all four walls anyways (especially when there’s more than enough floor-space).
The best thing about glass screens is that they are clear and easy to maintain, meaning your small wet room will still look pristine even after it’s been used.
A second advantage for shower screen panel owners is the variety of supports, also known as support bars. These allow your shower screen to be safe and sturdy, but they can also add a unique look with various styles.
Herringbone tiling Wet Room Ideas
I love how the herringbone grey and white tiles seamlessly transition from your shower floor into the wall, making you feel like you are in a much bigger space. A large round mirror on the back wall draws my attention. It has a herringbone pattern that’s a different color and in a different style than what most people are used to seeing.
Monochrome Finishes Wet Room Ideas
For wet rooms that seamlessly connect the various areas of a home, black floor tiling will do the trick! Black flooring matches the black cabinetry and light fixtures. Plus, it looks great against crisp white walls and a white porcelain bathtub.
Shower With A View Wet Room Ideas
A wet room’s open nature allows you to enjoy a fantastic view from your shower. If you live in a house with beautiful views of a secluded setting, install your new wet room facing the view for relaxation and escape.
Create a natural partition without glass Wet Room Ideas
There are plenty of different ways to section off the shower part of your wet room. One way is with tiles that create one side of the divider, while another more space-saving option for those who want to conserve flooring is decals or paint on the wall.
Wet Room in Loft Space Area
One major benefit of a wet room is that it can turn an average-sized bathroom into a shower space. This would be especially helpful if the loft has been turned into storage and you need to find somewhere else for your morning showers - which we all know are so important!
Elegantly Divine Wet Room Ideas
This elegant wet room looks like two rooms in one. I love the bold marble tiling on the walls of this wet room area, which makes it seem so much bigger. Furthermore, the gold features of the showerhead, faucets, and handles add a level of opulence and elegance to this bathroom.
Let The Light In Wet Room Ideas
If you’re designing a new wet room, you’ll need to consider the sources of light while planning. This huge skylight in this bathroom creates the illusion that one is showering outdoors when it’s raining or when there isn’t much sunshine outside-a practical way to imitate tropical climes such as Bali and Thailand.
It is a good idea to install at least two lighting circuits, enough for overhead and mood/task lighting. The natural light in your space will determine where these are located.
Floating Skylight Shower Wet Room Ideas
The ceiling in this wet room is very cool. I love how natural light spills in and how the design gives the illusion that water is pouring down from it after a shower. A shower head with an overhead faucet can create an even more tranquil feeling during your shower time.
Marble And Mirror Wet Room Ideas
There’s a huge mirror installed in the space, and its reflection creates the sensation of an endless marble floor. I love how this taps into our visually dominant culture with such lucidity.
Installing a large mirror in your wet room will not only help you get ready in the morning, but it will also make the small room seem bigger.
Concrete Cave Wet Room Ideas
This bathroom’s concrete wet room design is reminiscent of a small cave with its rounded ceiling and mood lighting. Taking advantage of the height by making your shower higher will make the space more interesting. It can also serve as the dividing point between different zones, such as one toilet and another area with some clever placement.
Wet Room Alcove Ideas
No matter how clean, most people want their showers to feel calm and relaxing. Clutter can be stressful for the senses, so organizers like shower alcoves must keep showers neat and away from triggering bodily functions. While shelving and storage in the wall may have their advantages, it is possible to brighten up these spaces by installing LED lights.
Two-Tone Theme Wet Room Ideas
This room is remarkably transformed with just two colors and some glass. You don’t need to add flowers - the emphasis on bold colors and open design makes a huge impact in this modern space.
A variety of colors are great, but opposite colors work the best. Look at the towel color in contrast to this wall or that stool. The mixture of different shades creates a calm atmosphere. You might want to consider not having floor-to-ceiling windows if you want privacy.
Tiger Eye Wet Room Ideas
This design is quite interesting, drawing on a low-light, high contrast design to make the shine atop that tile really pop. The room is not even that dark-it is just our instinct to crave light pouring in from big windows and fixtures. The flooring made out of woodgrain adds an organic touch: it feels very natural. I also like the slate walls with vines etched into them; it provides a nice contrast for the rest of the space. A mounted toilet is typical for this bathroom style, but it’s a lot easier to clean. The curved bathtub is great if you feel like you have enough space, but be careful not to drop it!
Teal Dream Wet Room Ideas
A high percentage of the space in this design is inside the glass. This can be a bold move because it’s rarely considered that showers take up so much room. However, I think it works here due to contrasting color schemes and continuity throughout the shower set-up. The first two points on this list illustrate different approaches to designing.
The decision to place the mirror might be suspect because it will likely fog up quickly, but the skylight is perfect. The window opening the room to outside and bringing in a natural touch really accents that teal.
Yellow Color Theme Wet Room Ideas
Go big or go home. Or, in this room, go big at home! A bright color is a simple way to maintain continuity across the room when there are minimal breaks and interruptions. Notice how the paint moves seamlessly across the floors and walls. Too many surfaces with the same bright color can make a room feel dense and overbearing. Fill in some space with walls or other obstructions. Another great way to incorporate a wet room in a small space is with this design. It would also be cost-effective since it doesn’t have high costs related to paint and materials.
Black Honeycomb Wet Room Design
Themes of simplicity are seen throughout this bathroom. Minimalistic fixtures like toilets, sinks, showers, and baths provide a clean, modern look. The wall pattern gives it a distinctive theme, while the floor has a tiled design that is versatile in its appearance. There’s a clever transition that separates the uses of each room without having to use inconvenient walls. I love how easy it would be to go with traditional black tiles or marble for your sink, but this gives the room a contrasting and whimsical vibe, so you can still have some fun.
Open Space Wet Room Idea
This wet room design is an excellent example of how wet rooms are designed to work. The glass wall in its place would be a regular wall with a door, but it lets the entire area have more space. This painting is striking with minimal use of color, texture, and marbling. There’s a huge glass wall that catches your attention immediately and plants as a natural element for the room, along with its large and small light fixtures.