7 Advantages to having a Wetroom

Wetrooms are a fantastic way to add functionality and style to your home.  Not only do they create a sleek modern look, they also reduce cleaning and maintenance and are very appealing to potential buyers should you ever choose to sell your home.  With a recent study finding over 5% of UK homes now having a wetroom installed in their homes, the team here at BATHINE decided to discuss why wetrooms have become so popular.

What  is a Wetroom?

A Wetroom is a bathroom solution that quite simply is exactly what the term suggests – a room that can get wet.  It is a room with a tiled floor that has been waterproofed (‘tanked’) instead of having a conventional shower tray. If the entire room has been tanked there is no need for any glass screens or shower doors, and the room itself becomes the shower enclosure, with a shower drain inset into a gently sloped floor. However, a growing trend is to add a shower panel to prevent splashing right across the wetroom.

Simply put, a wetroom is fundamentally a sealed bathroom with tiled features providing a contemporary convenience bathroom solution in a modern style design.

Why Choose a Wetroom?

There are many advantages to having a wetroom in your home. From a purely aesthetic point-of-view, a wetroom brings a wow-factor to your bathroom, providing a naturally stylish and modern look. There’s something liberating about showering in a wet room, not confined by a tiny enclosure or having to worry about splashing water on the floor.

 

Advantages of a Wetroom?

Space saving – Wetrooms provide a great space-saving solution, particularly in small bathrooms and help create a functional, practical and usable space without requiring bulky fittings and fixtures.

Easy to clean – Given the absence of fittings and fixtures, wetrooms are incredibly easy to clean.  Shower enclosures, with all their framework and runners, are notorious for gathering dirt and grime, so when it comes to a wetroom, it is refreshing to have nothing to clean other than a single piece of frameless glass or tiled floors and walls.  If you consider installing a wall-hung toilet and floating basin you would have a bathroom floor completely free from obstacles and clutter

Increased safety factor – For homeowners requiring easy-access, wetrooms are ideal. With the lack of shower tray and non-slip flooring, wetrooms are perfect for wheelchair users as well as those with disabilities and young children.

Aesthetic value – As well as being practical, wet rooms have an undeniable wow-factor, providing an incredibly stylish and sophisticated look and feel to any bathroom. The wall to ceiling tiling, minimalist fixtures and open design oozes simplicity and contemporary elegance.

Increased durability – Due to their waterproof nature, wetrooms are extremely resistant to moisture damage and leaks. This results in less maintenance and will also keep your bathroom looking newer for longer. In the long run, this has the potential to save you both time and money.

Value – Wetrooms can add to both the financial and day-to-day value to your home. As they are easier to clean and maintain, you’ll have more time to manage your other daily duties. Using a wetroom as a second bathroom in your home can add additional value to the property if and when you come to sell.

Ease of installation – A wetroom can be slightly more complex installation process than a traditional, but with a little forward planning room is not as complicated as many people might presume. We always recommend our customer select an experienced professional installer to ensure peace of mind and a fantastic end result.

Things to consider

Drainage and tanking

It is important that your wetroom is waterproof and has an efficient draining system in place. If not, you risk substantial maintenance and repair costs due to any leakages or water damage. The traditional way to waterproof a wetroom is to install a sealed tanking membrane underneath the floor and behind the walls. There are lots of tanking options to choose from, varying from traditional rolls of bitumen tanking to paint-on waterproofing kits.  You will also need to incorporate a slight gradient into the floor in order to channel any water that escapes the shower or sink area.

Ventilation

With wetrooms, as with any bathroom, it is important to keep ensure adequate ventilation is installed in order to prevent mould growth and provide a healthy air flow circulation. This can be achieved by opening windows or installing an extractor fan to remove moisture.

Floor tiles – As a wetroom will be subject to water coverage, it’s important to choose slip-resistant tiles in order to prevent any accidents and injuries. Natural stone or mosaic style designs are ideal while high gloss tiles with a polished sheen should be avoided at all costs.

Underfloor heating – Although not essential, underfloor heating is definitely something worth considering as it isn’t a lot of extra work to install when you are already waterproofing and tiling your wetroom floor.  Underfloor heating systems are easily installed and provide a lovely warmth around your feet whilst also having the extra bonus of drying your bathroom much faster, limiting the potential for mould or unnecessary cleaning.

How much do wetrooms cost?

As wetrooms need to be tanked there will be additional cost to ensure your wetroom is fully waterproof.  However in the grand scheme you are not talking the earth.  Consideration also has to be made for cost of the installation with added budget allocated for time due to the complexity of fitting such as the drop in the floor and amount of tiling.

Whilst there may be extra cost initially, having a wetroom installed will save you money over the lifespan of your bathroom reducing cleaning and maintenance costs and providing peace of mind with the knowledge you won’t have to deal with leakages.

Summary

Wetrooms are a great bathroom solution providing a wealth of advantages and creating both style and functionality to your home.  With a sleek modern look, they not only look great but also reduce cleaning and maintenance and are very appealing to potential buyers should you choose to sell your home.  Whilst a wetroom may be slightly more expensive than your traditional bathroom, the initial cost is well worth the investment in the long-term.

For more information on wetrooms, visit your local BATHLINE bathroom showroom and talk to our bathroom design team to see how we can create an amazing wetroom for your home.