Installing a wet room

Keep in mind that porcelain is less porous than ceramic, so it might be a good choice for keeping moisture away from the back of the tiles. Glass tiles are also a popular and waterproof option.

One other thing to keep in mind when planning your wet room: Be sure to have good ventilation. This can be as simple as a standard vent fan, but it's critical that you include one in your planning because wet rooms tend to get moisture over a larger surface area. If that moisture doesn't have a place to vent, mold and mildew growth can occur.

Whether you want to add value to your home, increase accessibility or simply update your space, adding a wet room may be the way to go. And doing so might be less complicated than you think. HomeServe uses cookies to recognize repeat visits and to enhance your experience on our site. By continuing to use this website you agree with our use of cookies. Privacy Policy. Please check back soon. HomeServe Logo Icon. The email field is required. Sign up! Check icon. What Is a Wet Room, Anyway? Wet Room Bathrooms: The Benefits Once you start scrolling through images of wet rooms online, it might start to feel like adding one to your home is more fantasy than reality.

The fact is that adding a wet room bathroom to your home offers a number of advantages: Space Maximization One of the most enticing reasons to install a wet room is its inherent space efficiency. Easier to Clean As an added bonus, wet rooms are easier to clean than conventional bathrooms. Safer and More Accessible One of the best reasons for installing a wet room bathroom is its functional, accessible design.

How Do You Install a Shower? Examine Your Bathroom Floor Before you dive into designing a wet room, you first need to examine your bathroom floor to determine how complex the install will be. Choose Flooring and Wall Coverings Once the room has been properly waterproofed, the surface areas are ready to be applied. Over boarding — Which allows the rest of the floor to be insulated with tile backer board, ideal for under tile heating.

Inset — Gives a level floor depending on flooring thickness without any over boarding of the rest of the floor. Mark through the hole to where the drain needs to go. Cut out an area of the flooring between two joists, giving plenty of room to work whilst fitting the drain.

Note: DIY Wetroom recommend the following technique for the most reliable fitting of a drain under a foam cored, non-structual underlay wetroom deck. This technique gives the drain and grid full support, unlike the advice given by other manufacturers. Now you can start fitting the drain. First construct a solid platform directly below the hole in the deck and slightly lower than the drains final position.

This should be a piece of 18m plywood, slight larger than the body of the drain. Securely the platform between the joists. Use the underlay to find and mark on the plywood the exact position of the drain.

Note: Wetroom Innovation kits are now supplied with a support block of foam to make fitting even easier. Install the waste pipe and connect it to the wetroom drain using solvent weld adhesive and the supplied adaptor if required. See the tips on the drain and waste installation for more advice. Add sides to the platform to make a box around the drain. Use a split side to go around the waste pipe or fit that side before the drain is finally glued to the pipe.

Ensure the hole in the side allows the drain to be lifted to its final position. Place a packer under the drain so its top face is flush with the surrounding and level with the surrounding floor. Fit the gasket to the drain body. Fill the void around the drain with mortar, concrete or expanding foam to fully support the drain body.

Full details of how to use the new foam block fitting method are supplied with each kit. For the most reliable floor the drain is cast in place or fitted with the Wetroom Innovations foam block. The tray can now be stuck down and levelled on to a bed of flexible tile adhesive.

The rest of the floor can then be overlaid with tile backer board or plywood. It is now ready for Tanking. If the level of the floor can only be raised by a few millimetres and you have chosen an underlay deck rather than a Maxxus the follow technique is the solution.

The deck can be trimmed to match walls and to get the drain to the chosen position. Position the tray and draw around it then move it out of the way. As you will need to create a platform for the tray to sit on it is often much easier to remove a larger section of the floor and reinstate a level floor with plywood around the perimeter. Underlay decks have a foam core and are non-structural so need support under the complete area.

This can be done with 18mm ply fitted between the joists supported by noggins and batons. Free edges of floor boards or chipboard should also be supported by this platform. The aim is to fully support the tray and make sure the joint to the existing floor is stable.

Full details of these procedures are supplied with each kit. The underlay decks are 20mm or 22mm and are bedded down on a layer of flexible tile grout so are likely to stand proud of the rest of the floor by around 2 — 4mm.

If it is 4mm this gives the height needed to add a layer of 4mm plywood or tile backer board good for with under tile heating to make up the level floor. If it is 2mm then the DIY Wetroom Plastic Ply to the rest of the floor will make up the level and give a good reinforced surface to tile over. See the full range of Underlay square drain kits — Underlay kits with linear channel drains are also available. A wet room tray can be installed on top of an existing floor and the rest of the floor built up to the same height or inlaid.

The procedure is similar for structural or non- structural decks. You will have chosen a deck of the size you need with a drain positioned so you can get the waste pipe run to where you need it. The floor will be level and in a solid but not necessarily perfect condition good for old concrete floors.

Cut and break out the cavity you need to accept the drain with about 20mm clearance. Then chase out the run needed for the waste pipe and break through the wall to reach the external drain.

When breaking out first ensure that no structural element will be disturbed and that the integrity of any damproof course can be maintained. Now you can start fitting the drain making sure the pipe run will have the necessary fall and a small amount of movement to ensure it can be fitted perfectly to the deck without straining any joints.

The 40mm waste pipe connects to the drain using the supplied adaptor and solvent weld adhesive. And if the tub is negotiable, install two or three parallel shower heads for a new type of his-and-hers bathroom. Should you install a wet room? Yes, if you want to. Ensure a smooth, continuous floor that slopes towards the drain. Take out all partitions to give the room an open feel, but consider partial glass doors for anti-splashing and hygiene. Make sure the entire wall, floors, and even the ceiling are all treated with waterproof layers beneath your surface tile.

Buy a ready-made DIY wet room kit, or hire professional, licensed plumbers. Do you have any other wet room dreams? Tell us about them in the comments! We are planning a Japanese Bath in our new build. Basically a wet room with shower and soaking tub. No toilet, sink, etc. This does not replace the normal bathroom facilities. I was stationed in Japan and liked the on demand hot water shower, the soaking tub was for hot water only… no soaps, etc, due to the way the water circulated and other soaps etc would effectively gum up the works.

I am not sure if I will use this model in my wet room, but I might, trying first at camp with a shower and a new2me Jacuzzi tub, possibly outdoor or in a portable structure that from the outside looks like a farm stand with A large upper folding door, either up or down.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Menu Item Separator. Full bath — Everything: sink, toilet, shower, and bath.

Wet room — all the above — or none of the above … depends on the flooring. What is a wet room? Styling options include: Having no separation at all between the shower and the wider floor. Using a half or full glass door for the shower, but extending the same flooring throughout the entire room. Taking out the bathtub completely and replacing it with a shower faucet. Modifying your hand-held shower over the tub while ensuring the room feels unbroken and open.

Removing your shower tray and retiling the whole floor using uniform slabs. There might be a tub, but more often, you just have a shower. The entire room is waterproof, from floor to ceiling. Why do you want a wet room? Yes, they can be expensive, but also: Comprehensive wet room kits are easy to buy, making your bathroom restoration process much easier.

You can even follow instruction videos on YouTube. With no raised shower tray, wet rooms offer easier access to the elderly. For those who love to scrub the shower before they step in, the wide-open wet room spreads steam farther along the walls and floors, making the whole space easier to clean.

By converting a smaller bathroom into a wet room, you can give your entire space a new feel. This can be helpful for old inherited houses or flipped foreclosures. Wet rooms use up more water and power than shower cubicles, so your utility bills are higher.

Some users feel disoriented in that wide-open bathroom space. Factors to consider when installing a wet room Making the decision to go wet is easy. This may involve inspecting and clearing your drains and gutters.