are you thinking of adding a wet room?

by| 2 minutes of reading

Transforming the bathroom into a wet room isn’t a new idea. But it is one that’s gaining momentum, especially as there’s increasing consciousness about safety and hygiene.

What’s a Wet Room?

are you thinking of adding a wet room? | @meccinteriors | design bites
Drain placement is important in a wet room. Ideally, it should be as far away from the bathroom door as possible to minimise any risk of water escaping the room. Here, slatted wood shower floors hide the drain placement from view. The wood also feels great underfoot.

Though any bathroom with a tub and/or shower has a wet zone, that doesn’t make it a wet room. To count as such, the shower isn’t enclosed with a shower screen. Nor does it have a shower tray. A standalone tub may or may not be included within the same space.

These spaces typically feature one or more linear drains. This helps with better drainage―a critical element in any wet zone. It goes without saying that the room also needs to be tanked (waterproofed).

Hygiene

are you thinking of adding a wet room? | @meccinteriors | design bites
It’s important to tile not only the floor, but also the walls from floor to ceiling. That can be costly. If you choose a porous stone tile, you’ll need to regularly reseal the tile.

In a wet room, it can be much easier to clean the walls and floors. This is because, as the name implies, the area is designed to get wet―the floor and the walls from floor to ceiling. If you’re including jets or sprays in the shower, you may even want to tile the ceiling.

Though the above bathroom has only static fixtures, we strongly recommend installing at least one hand shower. This will make rinsing easier. It also makes your shower more accessible, such as helping to bathe a young child or a pet.

Safety

are you thinking of adding a wet room? | @meccinteriors | design bites
An overhead skylight provides great illumination.

Wet rooms usually feature zero threshold entry into the wet zone, providing barrier-free access. This eliminates one of the greatest tripping areas. It also makes it safer for anyone using crutches, a walker, or a wheelchair to enter and use the space independently.

We love installing heated flooring throughout the entire bathroom. Yes, that means extending it into the shower area. There are a few reasons for this:

  1. The floor feels warmer. This helps the muscles in your feet to relax, providing greater stability.
  2. The radiant heating helps the floor dry more quickly.
  3. Enclosed showers trap heat and humidity. Many people feel like they need to use hotter water to stay warm in a wet room. If your feet are warm, the temperature difference will be less notable. (This is also why you see many wet rooms have at least a partial glass wall.)

 

 

 

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