What is a Wet room?

Wet Rooms are waterproofe, or 'tanked' rooms usually with a walk in shower. The wet room itself becomes the shower enclosure, with a shower drain inset into a gently sloped floor in place of a conventional shower tray.

Tanking is a waterproofing procedure carried out in bathrooms, wet rooms, shower rooms, which protects the building against moisture migration and leaks (steam, shower spray, etc). Without adequate waterproofing, water & other forms of moisture can migrate into the building structure over time causing mould growth, rot, and in some cases resulting in structural damage.

Key elements for a wet room:

• Correct wet room flooring and wet room/ Shower Drain
• Correct wet room flooring sloping towards the Shower Drain
• Effective Water proofing / Tanking system & fitting
• Sufficient Ventilation

The benefits to you of a Wet room?

Luxury

• Opens up your bathroom and creates a more attractive space
• Suits and showcases contemporary design
• Compatible with under floor heating systems

Total Flexibility

• Facilitates a shower where a traditional shower tray may not have been viable due to space etc
• Wet room sub-flooring can be wooden or concrete floor
• No restriction on shower sizes or shapes

Excellent Finish

• Protects your building from moisture damage and leaks
• Prolongs the life of your tiles and grout
• Level Access floor, no steps – assists less-abled showering

Can you Install in any house or apartment?

Yes, you can replace your shower room/ bathroom in any house or apartment with a wet room. The style of your wet room may vary depending on your floor profile. If you are looking for level access showering, the shower drain needs to be installed completely into your floor. In some builds this is not possible, as you may not have enough space beneath the actual floor i.e. the depth of the flooring screed is insufficient or the wooden joists are not deep enough. We can offer wet room design and ideas.

Wet rooms design can be creative or simplistic, there are plenty of ways in which to work with the building and still achieve the wet room of your dreams.

Visit our project gallery for alternative ideas or call us to discuss.

What do I need to consider in planning a wet room?

Wet Rooms are waterproofed / tanked rooms usually equipped with a shower. The room itself becomes the shower enclosure, often with a shower drain inset into the floor, so that you don’t have to step onto a conventional shower tray.

Design
Wet rooms design have NO space or size limitations.

Start with the basics

What are you trying to achieve from your wet room?

• Contemporary walk in shower or wet room design
• Easy access for reduced mobility
• Space saving wet room design

Key decisions

• Where is your shower going to be located.
• Choose the style of your wet room or shower room floor drain
• Consider the wet room flooring, style of floor tile and size of the tile
• Some drains work better with larger tiles and some with mosaics
• Would you like under floor heating instead of a radiator
• Heated towel rails
• Glass screens – great for protecting the sanitary ware from water spray
• Wall hung sanitary ware
• Baths – Free standing baths are a great addition for a wet room
• Less-abled showering / Wheel Chair access bathrooms
• Grab rails
• Shower seating
• Non slip wet room flooring tiles
• Shower seating
• Easy access to shower area
• Space saving shower room
• LED lighting
• Custom made alcoves for toiletries

Call us now for free advice on 0777 438 4221

What does it Cost?

Pricing is transparent and all of our tanking products, floor levelling screed and wet room drains are recognised brands. We can help you get an estimate of the cost of the materials you’ll need to create a wet room with or without the fine detail - your accessories, towel rails, soap dispensers etc

Wet Room Installation
Wet room installation varies, depending on floor profile wood or concrete, on drain style, waterproofed area, complexity of room design. Get in touch via landline, mobile or web to discuss your requirements and we can finalise a quote for you once we establish exactly what you need to create the wet room of your dreams!

Contact us at info@richardjosephbuildersbristol.co.uk

Who will install my wetroom?

If you consider the damage a leak can cause then you will understand how costly it can be if a wet room is not installed correctly the first time. That’s why we strongly recommend a professional wet room installation.

Don’t risk paying thousands of pounds on the cosmetics of your new bathroom or shower room when the foundation could be flawed. Water damage can have disastrous effect on your home…

The Impact of Water Damage

• All tile adhesives and grouts are permeable
• It takes 2 minutes for water to penetrate grouting
• It takes just 5 minutes for the water to get beneath the tiles
• It will take 5 weeks of disruption for this damp to dry out

Water damage caused by a slow leak from bathrooms/shower rooms is listed as one of the most common insurance claims.

Creating a 100% water tight wet room is not easy and you will need to take into consideration.

• Correct floor gradients for effective drainage
• Compatible floor drainage
• Protection of neighbouring rooms from water migration

How long will it take to Install and how do I install?

Allowing for drying time, on average it takes seven working days to install a wet room system. Actual working hours varies depending on the area in which the slopes and tank are created.

We will provide a site survey, discuss your shower room preparations, drainage options and advise on design ideas, and sanitary ware installation.

Do you have a wet room question? Contact us

Other Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can a wet room be installed in a first floor room with a wooden floor?
Yes of course! Our flexible latex waterproof membranes caters for movement that occurs on a wooden floor.

Q: Why do I need to tank my concrete ground floor wet room?
Water penetrates grout within 2 minutes; it takes 5 minutes to get behind the tile and takes 5 weeks to dry out! Concrete is porous and water migrates, damage can occur to plaster work and stud walls.

Q: How long does it take to install a wet room?
Approximately 7 working days depending on size and complexity.

Q: How do I look after my wet room?
Wet rooms look after themselves in the same way as a conventional shower tray. However you must be careful not to pierce the waterproof membrane under the tiles. Should you renovate your bathroom, remove tiles or puncture the membrane your room will no longer be water tight.

Q: Can I retro fit toilets?
Yes but you must not piece the membrane under the tiles. We suggest the use of specialist adhesives - contact us for advice.

Q: What style and type of shower drain do I need?
Shower drains are vital to the success of a wet room. We can advise you.

Q: Does the size and style of tile matter?
No not really as it depends on your chosen floor drain; however it is important to consider the finish of the tile, how slippery will this be when wet? Some tiles are subject to staining with water penetration. If you have a central drain, smaller tiles are easier to lay on the sloped floor.

Q: I have a very small en suite, is it too small for a wet room?
No, as we create our wet rooms to our client’s specifications there are no predetermined sizes. Walk in showers are great for space saving!

Q: Why would I need under floor heating?
You don’t, but it does have many benefits! Under floor heating provides a warm under foot surface and it can be regulated independently from the rest of the household heating system.

Q: Do I need a glass screen?
No, but many clients prefer to section off the shower from near by sanitary ware. It also can provide a touch of class!