What Makes a Wet Room Great and Trouble Free?

There are two factors that interplay to achieve the effect of a great wet room – aesthetics and functionality. A great wet room can take the breath away for a split second while the brain assimilates all it has to offer. Space, light, clean lines and colour are the factors that generate an immediate subliminal impression. That will be overlaid as one consciously takes in the fittings, tile patterns and details of sanitary ware and so on.

If you are considering building or renovating a hotel, for example, you know that a wet room that makes a bold statement, that leaves an instant impression of luxury and quality, imparts a quiet glow of satisfaction in the mind and heart of even the most hardened traveller.

Let’s Take The Functional Aspect First – Trouble Free

Quality wet rooms simply don’t leak and the wet room drains don’t cause problems. This is what we at Wet Room Materials provide – trouble free wet rooms that deliver an above average superior appearance, and performance that enhances the reputation of the home or establishment where they are installed.

Whilst the drains are not the first thing one thinks about when considering a wet room, they are one of the most critical of the functional aspects. Not only must all of the water drain away efficiently, but they should not intrude underfoot in such a manner as to lessen the sensual experience. That’s why the Unidrain range scores so highly. Some designs within the wall-mounted range are almost invisible and mean there is no ugly hole in the floor right beneath your feet.

Creativity In Design And Flexibility In Layout

Even when using our professional wet room system kits, there is a huge deal of scope for originality. Wet rooms can be adapted to almost any room shape and size, even small bathrooms where they can create a surprising sense of space that other formats fail to match. Use of light coloured tiling materials, glass and mirrors go a long way to enhancing a sense of light and space.

Choice of sanitary ware may be a matter of personal choice and budget. Baths have grown out of use recently but should always be included if conditions permit. Many cultures consider the use of a shower for hygiene purposes, and then follow this with a soak and recharge in a bath.

Sensory Additions

While the immediate appearance delivers the most lasting impression of a wet room, the experience when using it should match that and solidify the memory. It’s the sum of each component that add up to the overall holistic view of the wet room.

Underfloor heating is a marvellous plus, and often an unexpected bonus. Even with central heating, a tiled bathroom floor can be a chilly shock underfoot. Compare that with the sensory uplift of a warm floor. The positive and uplifting difference for a lifetime’s shower is worth more than the financial cost of laying it down.

Obviously a power shower that delivers a substantial water flow is a must. The best looking wet room in the world would be totally betrayed by a wimpish dribble from a gravity feed. On the other hand, a powerful spray must be properly contained within the appropriate areas. Poor design can lead to soaked towels and other sanitary items – a bad experience that can totally negate an otherwise fantastic wet room.

Find Out More

Download our free eBook The Architect’s Wet Room Design Guide for a whole lot more information on the marvelous benefits of our wet room systems.

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’