currently meeting plumbers to discuss ripping out our existing bathroom. We're thinking of getting rid of the bath in the main bathroom and having a large walk-in shower. I was thinking of a large shower tray (1800mm max) running across the width of the bathroom but the first plumber suggested having a wet-room?
I'd still want a piece of glass along the length of the shower to stop us spraying the whole room with water but just wanted to know the pros and cons of either scenario?
The bath will go into our en-suite, which'll make it a bit tight in there, but we mainly all prefer a shower.
I don’t generally see the point in a wet room shower to be honest, and even less point if you are having a glass screen anyway.
A low level stone resin shower tray rises above the flooring about 15-20mm (depending on the flooring.)
A tray is easier to clean, won’t leak, and in my opinion looks better and feels nicer than a tiled out wet room.
Seems like an obvious choice to avoid a load of expensive work that doesn’t improve things a lot, and could lead to expensive repairs if not done 100% correctly.
(Ex bathroom fitter)
Watching with interest. I’ve got to re-do our bathroom replacing a corner bath with a walk-in shower. I’ve considered a wet-room style floor but would be concerned about the shower waste being in the floor / down stairs ceiling space & therefore unserviceable. I’m considering a low level tray - walk in style with a glass screen - but would be interested in others thoughts.....
I’ve done loads of tiled wet room floors for customers, but can’t see the point in them for myself. as Neil above says, modern low profile shower trays can be made flush or near as damn it and have correct falls, easier to clean and much, much quicker/cheaper to fit.
Fitting a wet room floor correctly is a multi-stage/ day job with a lot of risks.
I’ve never had a leak on one to date however, so as long as they’re done correctly, no less of a reason to have one upstairs than down.
I’ve considered a wet-room style floor but would be concerned about the shower waste being in the floor / down stairs ceiling space & therefore unserviceable.
No more so than a flush mounted tray to be honest. All servicing is done from the top. If it leaks from underside then it’s a hole in the ceiling below job.
We have a tiled shower in a first floor bathroom - so rather than a one piece base it's individual tiles etc.
In theory, there's a waterproof membrane beneath the tiles, and up a lip to ensure the water doesn't seep through the grout and into the floor. In practice... not so much. The grout gradually shrinks and crumbles over time (in the corners), and the water seeps through, and the first you know of it is when the ceiling below has water dripping out of it...
Why do you want a room that is wet ? Much better to have a dry room with a large wet walk in shower.
With an upstairs wet room you'll likely be notified sooner if it's not water tight....
The grout gradually shrinks and crumbles over time (in the corners), and the water seeps through, and the first you know of it is when the ceiling below has water dripping out of it…
Yours ain’t done right then!
like Blazin-saddles i've done loads for custormers and never had any problems, just need to make sure its done right and like he said its a lot more work to fit.
i haven't bothered myself at home but my shower room isn't really big enough, if i had a big bathroom i probably would have done.
Are these rooms where you masturbate while imagining the au pair was cleaning the grout?
Wet rooms remind me of school changing rooms/showers - constantly wet, mouldy and smelly.
Personally I'd do the big walk in shower tray and nice LVT on the test of the floor.
If I was looking at buying a house and it had a wet room anywhere (let alone on the first floor with all the potential movement) then I'd walk.
Obvs YMMV
I went with an open plan bathroom, fully tiled, tiled tray, wetroom finish etc. It didn't take long before I realised that water everywhere was a PITA. I've shower curtained off the shower area and when I can afford, a clear glass door will go in. (L shaped bathroom)
Properly done it should be fine. That goes for trays or wet rooms.
Large shower tray sounds neat. Especially with some of the current low-profile ones.
As our upstairs bathroom is small (about 1.7m x 3m) and there was demand for an actual bath we went for a wet room style to try and make things more open.
The shower area has a hinged glass panel to separate it from the toilet area as no one likes a wet seat. Hinged so that you can move it over the shower area and open up the area near the toilet.
We used Kudos "aqua4ma" for the shower area. The wall panels have a tongue & groove fitting to join them. The base just abuts the wall panels. All are 'welded' together with solvent adhesive. You can tile straight on top of them. We extended the proofing using waterproof membrane from the edges of the shower floor to the edges of the room and up the walls a little. I think it's now 3 years, maybe longer, since we had the bathroom done. No leaks yet.
I love wet rooms and if I could have done one in my flat I would have like a shot. No more crappy little shower trays . go for it. Become a 2oth century european
Oh - and I wouldn't have a tiled wetroom. I would do it with modern membranes. we use them at work.
Whether a wetroom or a conventional bathroom, the floor joists are worth checking.
The weight of a full bath, water, you and the au pair for example. Or the modern large size tiles are fairly heavy.
Tanking the room, or some sort of membrane is important.
eg Abacus Elements board
and don't just rely on silicone sealant
Mam&Dad Rhino had a part resin/tiled one done around 8 years ago.A really nice job it was done for my Dads failing health, cost a fortune, has a fabric curtain to contain soaking all the room.
Its still leak/mould free,drains really fast, could shower and clean a bike at the same time, also be ideal for Chinese Superman antics.
Why do you want a room that is wet ? Much better to have a dry room with a large wet walk in shower.
When we did our en-suite I fancied doing it as a wet room but our plumber advised exactly that.
We ended up with a 1000mm x 800mm TM25 Symmetry by TrayMate which fits flush to the tile-line as it is super-slim, coupled with a 'wall panel' screen. I am very glad we took their advice as it is much easier to avoid traipsing water everywhere as it is all contained.
As an aside, it has a special waste with 'vortex' technology and it hasn't blocked once since we fitted it despite my wife having long curly hair (and more recently two daughters with long hair increasingly using it). All it ever gets is the occasional bottle of bleach tipped in there.
We did one in a loft extension where space was limited. It was a nightmare to use, spray got everywhere. It didn't leak, but I wouldn't do it again
we had one put in complete disaster as the builder was a "$£%& who lied about his experience with wet rooms and made a botch of it. It leaked because his tile laying and grouting were shoddy.
a low profile tray is probably best.
I moved into a new build with a shared wet room between the two first floor bathrooms, one night when cleaning it got a shoot from downstairs to stop as water was coming out the light switch sockets downstairs below it...
There were other issues such as the wrong doors being used, but even if the issues didnt occur, it was a rubbish idea, a few times I walked in wearing socks to go for a wee to find the floor wet and my socks now wet.
Are you Scooottish?
Wet room on 1st floor = wet ceiling on ground floor. Usually. Not the ones that Singletrack fitters fit though.
a few times I walked in wearing socks to go for a wee to find the floor wet and my socks now wet.
Perhaps try sitting down to wee?
I've used many wet rooms in hotels, they don't do much for me. I think I'll get a low profile tray when I do mine. However a recent trip to Norway reminded me how nice heated bathroom floors are which has got me thinking....
I was tempted but advice on here steered me away. I went with a low profile tray and a flush fit as I fitted some floor insulation and uf heating. it's not fully enclosed just a single pane of glass. it's okay, but I'm paranoid about the junction between the tray and the tiles as water does collect and sit there from your feet as you walk out or splashjng. no leaks yet, I used acrylic sealant between the impermeable insulation panels then tiled and grouted then silicone the gap between tile and tray. if I was to do another barhroom I'd get s full enclosure with a door unfortunately due to my layout that wasnt an option
I was thinking of a large shower tray (1800mm max) running across the width of the bathroom
I removed a wet room and did this. Then nice nearly-frameless glass door across it. So i've got a big shower area, the water all stays inside the tray. I don't see any advantage to a wet room unless you really need a stepless entry to the showering area (the reason there was one in my house before).
We've had a first floor wet room for 7/8 years now with none of the problems above. Shower area contained with two glass panels, floor in a lino/vinyl thing and wet walls. Very easy to keep clean and we love it. Compared to the previous shower cubicle it's a delight, glass panels and continuous floor make it feel spacious. Did move from an electric shower to boiler fed and a huge shower head which helps.
How do you check the joists? Do you mean for cuts for pipes etc?
Don’t see many reports of blokes and the au pair having a bath together and falling though the ceiling on to the wife preparing dinner the kitchen.
The simple physics means it is a good point though. Similar issue for hot tanks- thinking of a 300l one in an upstairs cupboard so will be a fair bit heavier with the tank, me and the au pair in there than the old one. Less space too so might need to get a slimmer au pair too...
I would have thought if you are replacing an existing bath with a shower tray and the bath hasn’t fallen through the ceiling to date you’d be fine with a tray or wet room style tray. Got to be lighter surely? Anyway that was my logic and we haven’t fallen through the ceiling. Yet.