If you’ve been away recently to a nice hotel or spa, then you’ll no doubt have experienced high quality and luxury. That’s the idea of a night or weekend away after all. One of the core benefits of staying away is the change of environment and the sense of no responsibility for a few days. No washing, no work, no chores, nothing to do but relax. Bliss!

One area we hear about a lot is the bathrooms (obviously). When people have stayed away they get inspired and often motivated to make a change at home, and the wet room is often an idea that comes from nowhere and embeds itself in the minds of homeowners.

Should you have a wet room? What are the pros and cons? Here are our thoughts on installing a wet room at home…

 

A wet room can be more practical  

Saving space in a bathroom is a big one. Creating the illusion of space and keeping the bathroom light and airy can really add to the experience you have every time you enter it. Space matters in bathroom design.

A wet room really aids your design. They can take up less space in the room than a shower, or sometimes can take a little more space, but with the clean lines and transparent design nature of them, they feel like that take up less room. This is mostly down to you not needing a bath tub when you opt for a wet room. A bath tub will take up the majority of a bathroom floor and in many cases the overall floorspace a bathtub compared to a wet room area is 50% or more.

When you have only a glass panel to stop water from spraying everywhere you may find that water will travel quite a distance. At Alan Heath & Sons, we regularly have customers who compare a shower to a bath and assume the glass panel doesn’t need to be any longer than their bath screen. However, water that lands in the bottom of the bath at the open end of the shower will splash up and hit the sides of the bath. With a shower tray, there are no sides, so water can splash out further than it would with a bath. For this reason, showering areas do need to be quite large. We know this, and we design accordingly.

We do speak to customers who’ve had their bathrooms renovated with a wet room of some description by another firm, and because they haven’t been given good advice as to the sizes that do and don’t work, they end up with a finished job they’re not happy. Often the other firm simply say, ‘that’s what you asked for’. There’s nothing worse than getting ready to go out of the house, then you walk back into the bathroom and walk across a wet floor and get wet socks because the layout of the room isn’t right. We don’t believe a well-planned wet room will necessarily save you actual space, but can sometimes give you the feeling that it is more spacious as the room flow better.

 

Wet rooms are easy to clean

Cleaning your bathroom is a boring topic but really important for the longevity of your bathroom. A messy or dirty bathroom is no fun place to be and it’s often design rather than a lack of cleaning that causes this.

The clean lines and easy-to-clean nature of a wet room gets around this. There are fewer creases, cervices, and bulking baths and shower doors to clean for a start. You’ll also have a wipe clean environment from top to bottom, removing the need for different materials on the floor and walls which also keeps the place looking cleaner.

 

There’s increased safety with a wet room

Safety might be something you consider in later life or if you have an elderly person staying with you. Wet rooms are easier to move around and it’s the reason many retirement homes opt for them as well as the WC and washing facilities in your local hospital.

Of course, it doesn’t have to look like a disabled bathroom. Many of the wet room designs are being snapped up by young professionals who crave the cool and sleek design. It’s down to you how the finished design looks, and the choices are huge.

 

Wet rooms are aesthetically pleasing

We’ve mentioned this a lot already, but the aesthetics of a wet room are often the major pull for customers. With fewer lines, materials, items, and more ‘flow’ to the room a wet room really does offer a look and feel a ‘bath’ room can’t. The shower will often have a single glass separating wall that almost disappears into the design and gives that illusion of space.

 

A wet room in your home gives a spa-like luxury

It’s a luxury design for sure and one you’ll see in high end hotels and it’s a big tick in a spa or treatment room now, too. You only have to scroll though Pinterest and take a look for bathroom inspiration, and you’ll see a continual steam of wet room design ideas.

 

Wet rooms can be fitted in an array of bathroom spaces

Lacking space for your bathroom design? Small bathroom design can be tricky but there are a variety of ways to make even the most modest of spaces work and look amazing. A wet room is just one of those tricks of the trade to give you more space and create a bathroom (wet room) with room to swing!

 

Disadvantages of wet rooms?

Of course, a wet room is not right for everyone or every home. A wet room is often more expensive, it can be slippery when wet if not designed well, and the overhaul of your plumbing and water works in your bathroom might well bloat your bathroom budget.

 

Here are some of the big disadvantages of a wet room:

 

Not for everyone – young families or those who love a bath should really consider a bathroom over a wet room.

A wet room may lower the popularity of your home – not everyone wants a wet room, and many young families could be put off by the lack of bath if this is your only bathroom, so consider this if you plan to move in the next 5 years or so. That said, this is a personal choice. Some children are used to having showers and they won’t miss having a bath. Depending on who’s looking, saleability could actually be better because wet rooms and walk in showers are deemed to be desirable.

Wet rooms are expensive to build – it’s a budget decision you’ll need to have. They are often more expensive to design and install so do your sums and weigh up the pros and cons before you take the leap.

Water drainage – wet rooms will nearly always require extra drainage and plumbing work, and this is where time and labour can rack up. Get a quote first and again weigh up your options. It’s all doable, but like anything in life the more complicated it gets, the more time and money is needed to get it in place.

 

Wet rooms – luxury worth paying for?

Should you go for it? Well… that’s up to you. We love the design and easy-to-clean nature of a wet room and they do wonders for a small space. But if you like a bath or have a young family who aren’t into showers yet, then you might want to hold off.

It really is a personal preference and of course dependant on your budget.

Need to chat about your bathroom options? Contact us now and we’ll be more than happy to talk.