Should I install wet room screens in my bathing areas?

Over the last 10 years, wet room screens in Europe have become very trendy, with more and more people making the switch from traditional shower trays or bathrooms. We discuss the pros and cons of wet rooms in this article and look at the different aspects of design that should be considered. 

The benefits of a correctly built wet room are as follows: — 

• Level access – There is no move up into or out of the shower tray, but instead a gradual slope is produced from the edge of the shower area towards the waste place. 
• Completely tanked room – With an approved waterproofing device, the entire floor area (with a turn-up of 100 mm on the walls) plus the complete wall height in the immediate shower area are tanked (waterproofed). Only the tray itself is waterproof with a traditional shower tray and water will also track around the edges of the tray, leaking into the area below.
• Drainage System – The waste outlet is located at the lowest point in the room in a wet room screens, and it also has a clamping system for waterproofing sealing. The trap is removable from above, ensuring it can be maintained without damaging any of the tiling or other finishes in the event of a blockage. 
• Aesthetics – The primary reason why people prefer wet rooms is probably the way they look. Designs for wet rooms tend to be very uncluttered. The floor finish chosen continues throughout, including the shower’s wet section. Any screens used are typically flat and minimalistic, often with a leading edge of milled glass and very little by way of frames and trims of metal or plastic.

• Splashes – Because the shower area is not completely enclosed, water during the shower can splash over a reasonably wide area. From a waterproofing point of view, this is good as they fill the whole space, but if you are not used to it, it can be distracting. They can get wet if you leave towels or clothes lying on the concrete. The seat can get wet if you have a toilet near the tub. If you have a large space, this might not be an issue, but I would recommend the use of a well-placed shower screen for smaller wet room screens to deflect the worst of the splashes. You will probably want to squeegee any excess water back into the shower area after showering. This is just part of the routine of wet room showering, so if you are annoyed by getting a wet floor, then either go for a standard shower tray or create a wet room area with a more conventional, completely enclosed glass surround.
• Costs – A wet room will cost more money to install than a traditional shower tray, depending on the place and form of construction. The floor must be ” sloped to falls” in the shower area to allow water to flow down to the waste outlet. This slope can be built inside the floor screed on a concrete surface, but a shower tray former is usually used on a joisted wooden floor. A former shower tray has a slope for falls already built in. It is simply fixed, waterproofed, and tiled over the joists. Most manufacturers have many different “off the shelf” sizes that are very affordable, but the price will almost certainly be more than for a traditional shower tray if you require a made-to-measure solution. In addition to the former shower tray, an approved waterproofing kit will also be required. These are typically very reasonably priced, but the cost can vary considerably depending on your location if you must pay for an approved installer.

Why to choose Wet Room Screen from Royal Bathrooms?

It is essentially down to personal taste, as with most home improvements. If you think about your budget when contemplating a wet room screen, the amount of time you are likely to stay on the property and the impact on value. Normally, a well-fitted attractive wet room en-suit would increase value, while depending on the type of property and the region in which you live, a bath replacement project may affect the value either positively or negatively. 

If you plan to go ahead with the construction of a wet room, please make sure the individual doing the work knows what they are doing. The installation is not difficult and can either be carried out by a competent bathroom fitter or a trained DIYer, but they must have the knowledge of which items to use and how to design the room in either case. The good news is that a lot of knowledgeable expert advice is now available, just make sure the person you are talking to is an expert and has the requisite experience.