WETROOMS
What is a wetroom?
Wetrooms are becoming more and more popular over the past few years. A wetroom is simply a bathroom where the walls and floors are tanked (sealed with a waterproof membrane) to prevent water from penetrating under the tiles, through floorings and walls, causing serious damage. A wetroom is designed with a sloping gradient floor taking all the water to a formed gully drain and preventing it from spreading throughout the bathroom.
Typically, a wet room will contain waterproof boarding, matting or sealant gum beneath a tiles, creating a barrier.
The most common installation to be found in a wet room is a shower. In many cases, a glass screen can be used to separate the shower area from the rest of the bathroom.
With a free flowing floor this can open up your bathroom area and give the illusion of a larger bathroom space.
In effect, we are adding waterproofing to one of the major areas of your home that is particularly susceptible to leaks and issues with water, so this can only be a good thing in terms of the overall structure of your property and peace of mind that that if water was ever to penetrate the 1st line of defence (grout and silicone) water is not damaging the structure of your home. In a normal bathroom, water can run into areas it shouldn’t and a build-up of moisture can create damp in walls.
A wet room is a great option for smaller bathrooms. If you don’t particularly need or want a bath, you can simply remove it and install a shower, opening up the room. There is no need for a bulkier shower enclosure with doors that may intrude upon what little space you already have.
Wet rooms can look incredibly stylish and will certainly add a “wow” factor to your home. Due to the minimalist nature of its design, a wet room can feature different materials such as wood, stone and concrete, allowing your creativity to run wild!
Materials used:
Wetrooms can be done in a variety of different tiles and other materials. From small mosiac tiles drawing your eyes to the area creating a feature on your bathroom floor. Or large format tiles blending in with the rest of the bathroom, almost hiding in plain sight. We can also do this in micro cement, allowing that total seamless finish throughout and giving the wetroom another layer of waterproof protection with zero grout lines
Easy to keep clean :
One of the biggest advantages of installing a wet room is the ease at which it can be cleaned. As the environment is wet, normal household bathroom cleaners can be used right around the room to disinfect and keep mould and mildew at bay. We can also assist the drying of the full floor, including the shower area by adding in an underfloor heating system when applying the subfloor, assisting in the drying process and keeping your feet cosy on those cold days.
Although not always designed with this in mind, wet rooms are particularly good for those whose movement is restricted, such as the elderly or disabled. There is no need for a shower tray, making access to the shower much easier.
Why not check out our latest ASSISTED LIVING BATHROOMS section
to see how it can aid those with restricted mobility.