Wet room, shower room, or walk-in shower, this contemporary styled shower area goes by many names. Unlike back in the days when your entire bathroom would get dripping wet after a shower session.
The quick morning shower would turn into a nightmare right in front of your eyes, the warm and dry towels getting soggy and the vanity mirror getting spots with the splashes.
However, as innovation and style made way into bathrooms in drainage, ventilation, and heating, bathrooms have become more like spas and places of relaxation. Wet rooms are a perfect combination of convenience and luxury.
Instead of parting your bathrooms into different closed segments, wet rooms make the best use of the room while preserving its sense of space.
In case you are still confused about investing in a wet room, we have assembled an all-around guide to help you make the right decision.
What is a Wet Room?
Exhibiting an open shower layout tiled from floor to ceiling, wet rooms are dedicated showering spaces often partitioned with a glass panel from the rest of the bathroom.
Although it has its own drainage system to prevent waterlogging, wet rooms integrate with the bathroom seamlessly, unlike shower cubicles.
Since there are no dedicated barriers to a wet room, they offer ample showering space without making the rest of the bathroom appear stuffy.
What Makes Wet Rooms so Popular?
It is not just the style and elegance of wet rooms which has improved their popularity; there are a surprising number of practical benefits associated with wet rooms as well.
1. Maximises Space
While many believe wet rooms are particularly designed to fit in spacious bathroom spaces, these specialised showers make congested bathroom spaces appear open and airy.
Wet rooms eliminate the need for specified shower trays and glass doors that separate these wet areas.
Wet rooms amplify the spaciousness of a bathroom by consuming a lesser floor area of a bathroom.
2. Improves Accessibility
With no boundaries, bumps, or edges, wet rooms are easier to access for children as well as seniors suffering from mobility issues. With open access to everyone, they embed a modern-style character to the bathroom that catches the attention of anyone who walks into the room.
If the space allows, you can install a shower seat beside the wall, improving the room's comfort level entirely.
3. Easier to Clean
Wet rooms are seamless, unlike shower enclosures with a higher chance of forming grime and mildew into edgy corners, rolling tracks, and joints. With no sharp corners or edges, wet rooms have better protection against dirt and grime, making cleaning easier and hassle-free.
What to Consider Before Setting Up a Wet Room?
Finding the ideal wet room for your bathroom depends on the following factors:
Bathroom Layout and Size
Unlike pre-built shower cubicles, wet rooms require thought and pondering when it comes to size, style, and location.
Even though they can be installed in both spacious and congested bathroom spaces, you need to pick the ideal location for installing one.
Doesn't matter if you have a small bathroom that offers compact space for your shower area; there are wet rooms compact enough to fit in any bathroom.
Since they need as little as 800mm x 800mm, wet rooms serve as a better alternative to traditional shower sets.
On the other hand, if there's no constraint on space, you have more freedom in choosing luxurious wet room designs. You no longer need to follow the sink/shower formula when it comes to deciding the layout. Because if the space allows, you can go ahead and install double showers.
Waterproofing and Ventilation
Since wet rooms do not have enclosed space like standard shower cubicles, people often have concerns about water splashing outside the dedicated area or seeping through the corners.
Well, for starters! Wet rooms are your best shot at keeping the rest of your bathroom clean and dry.
Apart from the large-sized glass panel that protects against splashes and sprinkles, the shower area in a wet room is usually laden with tiling from floor to ceiling.
Not to mention, they have their own dedicated drainage system that keeps the area from flooding.
Despite the little attention paid to the ventilation system in wet rooms, they are vital for keeping indoors clean and dry. Without any proper ventilation system, the shower steam will get trapped in the room, posing damage to the ceiling.
Taps and Shower Systems
Considering a wet room's seamless and minimal outlook, the brassware becomes the centre of attention. You may not have much choice in selecting the glass panel or tiling, but the enormous range of brassware taps and shower systems can lay you to make the perfect decision. Besides their striking outlooks, you need to focus on the functionality of the fixtures as well.
The matt black shower systems are perfect for you if you want to continue the minimal outlook for the entire shower area. They appear smart and contemporary, adding a strong graphic element to the room. But if you are open to a bit of style and opulence, classy brass fixtures with intricate design statements would fit the need.
Considering a wet room's seamless and minimal outlook, the brassware becomes the centre of attention.
You may not have much choice in selecting the glass panel or tiling, but the enormous range of brassware taps and shower systems can help you to make the perfect decision.
Besides their striking outlooks, you need to focus on the functionality of the fixtures as well.
The matt black shower systems are perfect for you if you want to continue the minimal outlook for the entire shower area.
They appear smart and contemporary, adding a strong graphic element to the room.
But if you are open to a bit of style and opulence, classy brass fixtures with intricate design statements would fit the need.
FAQs about Wet Rooms
Here are a few frequently asked questions about wet rooms.
What is the Difference Between a Bathroom and a Wet Room?
To know the difference between a bathroom and a wet room, it is important to know what a wet room is.
If your bathroom has a shower that is open with only a single wall separating the shower area from the rest of the bathroom.
The floor is almost at the same level with a slop to help direct water into the drain quickly.
What are the Pros and Cons of a Wet Room?
The major benefit of a wet room is that it is open and more accessible than other types of shower enclosures.
That makes it a better or more suitable choice for the elderly or anyone with limited mobility.
In addition to that, a wet room will make your bathroom look spacious and open. It can be great for bathrooms that have limited spaces.
It will also help you to give your bathroom the contemporary look it deserves. However, there are a few cons as well.
One is that they can be more difficult to heat than other types of bathrooms, as the lack of enclosures means that heat is more likely to escape.
Can Any Bathroom Have a Wet Room?
Technically, any bathroom can have a wet room. It includes both small and large bathrooms. Perhaps, it may be a better choice for a small bathroom. Since it is a kind of open-ended shower without a tray and shower door, you may add a shower screen to prevent water splashes from getting out of the wet area.
Is it Hard to Clean a Wet Room?
No, cleaning a wet room is not that difficult. Perhaps, it is a lot easier than you might think.
However, it is important that you make cleaning a wet room a routine, so it always looks perfect when you step in.
Is a Wet Room Cheaper than a Shower Room?
The cost of installation of a wet room is way higher than the standard shower and walk-in shower enclosure. You can expect to pay around 20% extra on it.
However, if you add a wet room to your bathroom, then it may potentially increase the value of your home and make your property more attractive to buyers
Does a Wet Room Need to be Fully Tiled?
Yes, it is important that you make the floor and walls of the wet room waterproof. It will help prevent them from getting wet and sustaining damage. In most cases, the wall will need to tile completely from floor to roof. Many people also consider using underfloor heating to reduce the humidity in the wet room and make them dry quickly. Which can be a better solution than heated towel rails that occupy a lot of space.