What do I need to build a wet room?
Wet rooms are basically shower rooms that do away with the shower screen and tray, and have an open, fully tiled shower area. If your bathroom is on the small side you probably will need to include a shower screen to prevent everything getting sprayed. You also need a fast flow drain and waterproofing materials.

How much space do I need?
A wet room can be made to fit a wide range of spaces, you can install a wet room into as small space as 800 mm x 800 mm, or as large as 2 meters long. The overall room dimensions will clearly determine how much space can be made available.

What about water drainage?
Installing a wet room is a job for the professionals, as a gradient needs to be created along the floor to channel the shower water into a drain and then the entire room needs to be tanked. The most common method for creating a gradient is to install a sub-floor made from a type of plywood, which is then tiled over. Another option is to install a ready-made sloping shower former which is also then tiled over. Or, you can use a giant preformed tray (sometimes known as a Hi-Macs system) that slopes towards a drain, and can be fitted across the entire floor without the need for tiling over.

What kind of drain do I need?
Drains allow for a either horizontal or vertical drainage. In most instances a horizontal drain will be suitable, running just underneath the existing room floor. A vertical drain is only required where the existing drainage is so arranged or where there are obstructions preventing a horizontal run to the waste pipe.

What about waterproofing?
Waterproofing wet rooms involves priming the floor, the lower section of the walls and the whole of the wall area around the shower and then covering with a syrupy membrane. Once it’s set, the room is then tiled. It’s also worth raising the bathroom door threshold by about 5mm from the floor in case the room fills with water.

Can underfloor heating be installed safely in my wet room?
The short answer is yes. Some types of underfloor heating kits can be embedded into the tile adhesive and so are suitable for installation on their wetbases. Furthermore the materials used in the construction of the wetbases effectively reflect all the warmth they generate. Underfloor heating kits are rlatively easy to install and provide proven, reliable heating for your wet room.

Like this? Read more about wet rooms on our dedicated Hub Page.