How To Lay Out A Wet Room

When it comes to designing a new wet room, architects and designers alike are nearly always confronted with a different shaped room to convert. Whilst this is a great opportunity to showcase your creativity and problem-solving skills, it can also create some headaches. With an almost infinite number of shapes and dimensions used to create a bathroom space, there are endless possibilities for a wet room layout. Whilst there is never going to be a definitive ‘best way to layout a wet room’ to follow, there are some popular layouts that work well and look great.

Square

One of the biggest problems with many bathrooms is that they aren’t allocated space as a priority area, meaning that space is never as big as it could have been. Which is why one of the most common shapes for a bathroom is that of equal dimensions. But just because you have a boring shaped room, doesn’t mean you can’t turn it into a spectacular wetroom. Squares are all about symmetry, so designing a wetroom to feel balanced is almost guaranteed to create an amazing wetroom. The key to creating a space that feels well balanced is to design around different focal points, which is very handy for wetrooms as there are so many elements that lend themselves to design. From beautiful tile designs to feature cabinets, even the drain you choose can become a focal point in a square wet room.

When it comes to functionality in a wet room, square ones can be difficult. With limited space, it can very quickly become difficult to squeeze everything in that’s necessary. If space allows, installing a glass separator in a corner can create an area within the space that acts as the shower area. This partition can add a new dynamic to the wet room, as well as prevent the rest of the space getting too wet when used. Alternatively, if your client doesn’t mind getting the rest of the room wet when showering, you can create a central shower using a ceiling mounted rainfall showerhead directly over a drain to create a wet room that really makes a statement.

Rectangle

Similar to a square wet room, rectangles can also be quite limiting to your creativity. However, the extra length can open your options a little bit more. One of the more popular options in rectangular wet rooms is to reserve the end area for the shower area.  This layout helps to keep the rest of the wetroom dry, even when the shower is being used. It also has more options for things like drains, as they can be placed in the corner, along a wall or even the middle of the floor! As for where everything else fits in, there are endless opportunities, you could have everything along one wall and out of the way or on different walls to create a slightly different environment. Whilst they can still be challenging, rectangular rooms have a bit more potential for different layouts.

L-Shaped

As bathrooms are often just fit into wherever there is space left, they can sometimes end up being a bit more unusual in their geometry. It’s these interesting shapes that can present a real challenge when it comes to both designing and installing a new wetroom. One of the most common solutions that designers & architects come up with is to utilise the pre-existing wall separation to create a more enclosed feeling in the shower area. Not only does this require fewer materials to create a screen from you, but it then leaves the rest of the bathroom as workable space to include other essentials like the sink, toilet or even a heated towel rack! Using the extra space for the shower area can also give you more options when it comes to choosing the more technical details like the drain, which will impact on what kind of wet room slope you will need.

Whilst all bathrooms aren’t necessarily created in these 3 shapes, this is just a guide you can use to maximise space and provide your client with an amazing wet room once it’s installed. We’re here to provide you with the professional training required to design your wetroom.

Important update to the NHBS Specifications 2018

Backing surfaces for tiling should;

• Be moisture resistant, where frequent wetting occurs 

When Tiling; 

• Proprietary water-resistant grouting should be used in accordance with the manufacturer 

Grouting should be: 

• As specified in the design including mix and colour 
• Cement-based, epoxy resin or a proprietary product 
• ‘Waterproof in and around shower enclosures and where tiling can be saturated’. 

Gypsum plaster should not be used where; 

• ‘Repeated or persistent wetting may occur’