Post by Wetroom Materials
There is a growing demand in the UK for wetrooms: they offer a luxury feel, create spaciousness and give you that hotel experience in your own home! But a question people often ask when installing a wet room is how to ensure the room is properly waterproofed to prevent leakages. We understand that you may have these concerns when installing your wetroom, which is why we have put together our tips to achieve a waterproof wetroom design.
An early consideration of installing a wetroom on a timber floor should be the subfloor. This is the foundation floor that rests on the joists and is what the waterproofing and wetroom tiles are placed on. A plywood support should be installed between the joists to create a strong and sturdy subfloor that the wetroom is fitted on. The additional support will reduce movement and prevent cracking in the tiles and grout that could leak through.
Tanking is the layer between the wetroom drainage and the floor tiles. When executed correctly it provides a lasting and robust defence against leakage. Ensuring you invest in quality tanking and installation is worthwhile at preventing damage from leaking. If you are looking for professional training to install your wetroom tank correctly then look no further.
When designing a wetroom it is crucial that the wet room drainage has been well thought out. Making sure your drains are fit for purpose is very important as they need to be located in the correct position, fitted according to the manufacturer’s instructions and that they use a compatible waterproof membrane. Checking the certifications of any wet room drains you are wanting to install is also a good idea.
A common cause of leaks in wet room designs is poor tiling. A poor tiling adhesive or grout will increase the chance of your tiles coming away from the tanking membrane, which can in turn increase the chances of a leak. When applying adhesive the 100% methods should be used instead of the dot and dab method. It prevents the water from tracking through the gaps in the ties and leading to leaks.
Finding the right installer with the correct experience of wet room installation is key. A botched job can be done by inexperienced builders and can cause problems for you down the line. A wet room requires a specialised installation and finding the right person to install your wet room will make all the difference in keeping your wetroom leak free.
Installing a wetroom in the right way can make all the difference in creating a wet room that lasts. The benefits of a wetroom to your property include improved safety, ease of cleaning and they can even add value to the price of your home so ensuring it is installed correctly to prevent leakage is really important. Contact us today to get your wet room questions answered or find out more about the products we offer.
What is a Wet Room?
3rd November 2020
My client bought a range of Wet Room Unislope Systems from our local retailer, Bathworks. We struggled to find anyone to come to site and take responsibility for the waterproofing until we came across WM | Wetroom Materials. They were willing to stand over their tanking system and more than helpful throughout all stages of the installation from site survey and room preparation to installation. A 10 Year no leak fully insured warranty gave me the confidence that we were dealing with a professional organisation. I would highly recommend these guys and will certainly be using them going forward.
Steven Quinlan | Director | Citius Limited
I have honestly found, WM | Wetroom Materials to be an easy and reliable company to work with. Whether it be a one wet room residential project, apartment block or a gym; they ensure there are no installation problems and we don’t have to worry about leaks. They take care of the specification and advising us on correct build ups and preparation. On a recent project we were able to buy their Unislope System from our bathroom show room retailer and they subsequently came to site to tank out the bathrooms. It was a time sensitive job and The Wet Room lads worked through the evening and into the weekend to ensure we completed the project on time. I have no hesitation in recommending WM, they are a pleasure to deal with.
Noel Geraghty | Director/Founder | NGS Mechanical Services
In Bright Designs, we understand the importance of specifying a reliable waterproofing system for bathrooms. We have worked on a number of projects with WM | Wetroom Materials over the years and I can honestly say that their waterproofing installation service offers complete peace of mind for us and our clients. The WM Team are there throughout all stages of the project from site survey and specification to installation. More importantly they also give us a 10 year no leak guarantee. I also like the fact that they will handle communication with the client and contractors in terms of delivering a high-quality installation which allows me the head space to focus on other aspects of the build."
Alan Burns | Director/Co-founder | Bright Designs. B Arch, B Sc Arch, MRIAI.
