What is a Wet Room

So you’re watching all these renovation shows and wondering just what is a wet room?

In this article, we’ll discuss the difference between a wet room and your run of the mill bathroom, things you need to be aware of when designing a wet room for your home, and where to go for professional assistance with your bathroom renovation.

What is a Wet Room?

A wet room is essentially a bathroom where the floor plan is entirely open, with no barriers and minimal walls separating the shower and bathtub from the rest of your room.

The main thing that differentiates a bathroom from a wet room is waterproofing. In your average bathroom, you only need to waterproof around the vanity and the shower area. However, because a wet room is usually more open and prone to overflow or excess spray, the entire space is waterproofed.

Things to Consider When Designing a Wet Room

Just as when you design a bathroom, there are several factors you need to take into account when designing your wet room.

Here, we’ll go through some of the most common things you should be aware of, which may or may not influence your decision to incorporate this in your own home.

Planning

Planning is always important when designing a bathroom, but it’s especially important if you want that bathroom to be a wet room. The layout, design and even choices of fixtures and fittings matter even more in a space that is completely open to really pull off that luxurious oasis you’re trying to create.

Drainage

If you’re going to have a proper wet room, drainage is crucial. There can’t be drainage only in the shower if you have a wet room. You may find you need to have sloping in your floor or extra drains to ensure maximum run-off, or even consider underfloor heating to promote quicker drying for when the water does seep beyond the shower and bathroom space.

Trades

Trades are where many would-be renovators come unstuck when designing their bathroom as a wet room.

Because of the additional waterproofing and planning involved in creating your wet room, you need to be prepared to employ your tradies for longer and work with them a lot more closely than in your average bathroom design.

This may also result in additional costs but let’s face it, bad planning in a wet room will also spell financial and emotional disasters so it’s really a catch 22 situation.

Design

Design becomes even more important than usual when turning your bathroom into a wet room. As you make the space more open (and potentially bigger) so too comes the opportunity to make features of your design choices.

Things like your choice of tap ware, and piping, even your towel rails and soap dishes all have the potential to become focal points. This means you can finally splash out and invest in that special tub you’ve been dreaming of, or get those slightly pricier tap handles you love.

Where to Go for Professional Assistance

At Builders Discount Warehouse, we’re the experts in everything related to bathroom renovation.

Not only do we have access to the latest materials, fixtures and fittings to make your bathroom sing, we’ll also help your dreams come to life with our professional design team.

If you’re ready to create the ultimate wet room, contact our experienced team today.