What A Wet Room Is and Why You’ll Love It

Wet room bathrooms have become very popular in recent years, with new builds as well as bathroom updates. And it’s not just for the many advantages they offer, but also the purely aesthetic “wow factor” a wet room brings to a home.  

Not only does it feel grand to shower in a wet room bathroom, not confined by a tiny enclosure or worrying about splashing water on the floor, they also create a sleek and modern look. They reduce cleaning and maintenance and are very appealing to potential buyers should you ever choose to sell your home. But first, what is a wet room bathroom?  

An Accessible Bathroom

A wet room is a bathroom with an open concept design. The shower typically has no tray—and often no door— resulting in a consistent, level floor throughout the entirety of the bathroom.  This makes it easy to move freely throughout the space and the ideal bathroom design when accessibility is a top priority. 

Mobility 

The wet room does have a drain installed in the shower portion, with the rest of the flooring sloping very slightly toward that drain to eliminate any standing water. The elimination of a shower door means the opening to the shower is typically very wide and there’s no swing of a door to cause any obtrusion. A wet room bathroom is called a wet room because everything in it can be exposed to a lot of moisture without being damaged.  

Future Proofing Your Home 

A wet room even increases the value of your home thanks to these built in advantages. Not only are they luxuriously appointed, open, and versatile, but adding a wet room bathroom to a primary suite or an in-law suite is a great way to prepare the space for the future.  

As you or your loved ones age, mobility changes, even in slight ways. The consistent flooring of a wet room reduces the slip and fall risk associated with stepping in and out of a bathtub or stepping over a lip in a shower area. When you’re looking to re-sell your home, having an ADA-compliant bathroom can increase the demand for your property, resulting in a quicker sale. 

Customizable Options 

Accessibility can be limited at any age and can change at any time. One of the best things about doing a wet room remodel is that you can customize any element of the design to match your accessibility concerns. You can use the full layout of your bathroom to plan which traffic patterns would best suit your accessibility needs.  

Adding a sturdy bench in the shower area provides a place to sit. Extra handrails can be installed near the toilet or in the shower for a secure handhold. Consider the larger elements during your remodel. The smaller ones, such as handrails, can always be added at a later date when needs change.  

What Is the Difference Between a Shower Room and a Wet Room? 

Now that we’ve defined what a wet room is, let’s cover what the difference is between a walk-in shower or shower room versus a wet room. 

Shower Rooms  

A shower room is a large walk-in shower, typically with one or two glass screens, all within a normal bathroom. Installing a bathtub within a walk-in shower is possible and an ideal situation for bathing kids or pets because it’s already enclosed in a waterproof space. A shower room often has a low-level shower tray as well.  

A built-in tub, like an alcove, undermount, drop-in, or corner tub, is the most practical type of tub that can be placed inside a shower room. This is because it doesn’t leave room for any unused area—which saves space—and doesn’t leave exposed areas, where water or dirt can collect, making clean up much easier. 

Wet Rooms  

A true wet room bathroom is a completely open and waterproof space where water flows away through a drain in the floor. The shower floor is flush with the rest of the bathroom. A wet room may or may not have a bathtub.   

If you do have the space for a dedicated shower and a dedicated bathtub, you can turn your wet room into an opulent spa by adding a freestanding tub. Another advantage of a wet room is the ease with which water can be swept down the drain along with any dirt and grime. Choose a tile that you love and have fun with the freedom of design.   

Advantages of a Wet Room 

The advantages of a wet room as a main bathroom or ensuite are many, but include:  

• Greater accessibility
• More design options
• Easier to clean
• Luxurious feel

Can Any Bathroom be a Wet Room? 

The average bathroom is about 40 square feet, which is large enough to be a wet room, although larger bathrooms allow for more design options. The minimum amount of room needed for a shower, toilet, and sink is at least 15 square feet. There are plenty of wet room ideas out there to choose from, with or without a tub.

Elements of a Wet Room

There are quite a few elements to a wet room, allowing for a wet room bathroom design that is quite unique.

Shower Bases and Walls  

Most wet room bathrooms include showers, with a showerhead that is ceiling- or wall-mounted. A wall-mounted showerhead or shower system can be fitted with a hand shower or shower hose, making it possible to easily clean and rinse the walls and floor of the room.   

With the amazing high-tech shower systems and digital shower systems available, it’s completely possible to customize your experience. Also, exposed tiled walls means more space for handrails and supports, which makes it a safer option for those who need ADA accommodations.   

Often, homeowners choose to install a glass partition to minimize splashing. For smaller bathrooms, a wet room is a great way to maximize space, because a separate shower enclosure is not required. Here are 11 styles of shower door and glass options that you can use to help guide your wet room ideas.    

You could also opt for shower doors that slide on a top rail, leaving the shower floor still accessible. This might be the best option for those who desire a steam shower experience.    

A wet room has a drain directly in the floor, as far away from the bathroom door as possible, so there is no need for a shower tray. But the entire floor and walls of the room need to be tightly waterproofed to protect from damage.   

In an average bathroom, a shower tray would be required, and some choose to use one in a wet room as well. A shower tray collects and drains water, preventing it from leaking water outside of the shower area directly. This is convenient because only the shower area needs to be waterproof, so the area surrounding the shower tray can be tiled like any other water-resistant tile floor project.  

Bathroom Tile  

Installing a wet room floor and walls requires special materials such as waterproof membranes, primer, and tape, or waterproof wall panels, and a process called “tanking.” A “tanked” floor has a watertight layer of material underneath every surface, all designed to direct moisture toward the drain, often a linear shower drain.   

When it comes to the best flooring for a wet room, small porcelain tile generally works best. Large tiles may seem intuitive, but because the floor of a wet room bathroom slopes gently (virtually undetectably) toward a drain at the center, bathroom tiles larger than 6 x 6 inches may be difficult to lay properly on a wet room floor.    

Another reason to use small tiles is that installing them will require a lot of grout. Grout is a naturally non-slip material, which is perfect for a wet room floor.    

As far as materials, porcelain tiles are less porous than ceramic and can stand up to the moisture of a wet room without absorbing too much.   

Ceramic tile is not the best choice for wet room flooring because it is more porous than other materials such as vinyl or porcelain and will absorb more water. However, ceramic tiles can work for wet room bathroom walls that will get sprayed or misted with water, just not for the floor where the water will accumulate.    

Toilets

If you’re embracing the experience of a full wet room versus a walk-in shower without any kind of shower doors, shower walls, or partition, it becomes very important to consider where you will place your toilet. No one likes to sit on a wet seat, but, depending on the size of your bathroom, it is likely that your toilet will sometimes get wet from the shower spray or condensation in the room. Choose a commode that is flush to the wall and ideally wall-mounted. A wall-mounted toilet is really the perfect choice for a wet room bathroom, as there is no area for water to pool and the area around it can be easily cleaned. 

Sinks and Vanities

Your sink will have many of the same considerations as your toilet, in that you’ll want to keep the area as dry as possible, as far from the shower as possible. Here, it will be best to go with a wall-mounted sink, a pedestal, or a console bathroom sink. Another option is a wall-mounted vanity. These are all often space saving options as well. This is when it’s good to consider the benefits of a wet room versus a walk-in shower, which would allow for a dry area of the room.  

Lighting  

When choosing lighting for a wet room, think about how and when the room will be used, as well as who will be using it. If a key area of the wet room is a beautiful freestanding bath, consider installing mood lighting or a chandelier. Choose more ambient lighting to create a relaxed feel in the space.   

But if your shower is the star of the show, consider a spotlight above it or even a lighted showerhead. Downlights can provide the room with good overall light, while task lighting around the sink and vanity mirror area will help with shaving and makeup application.   

A practical wet room bathroom lighting design must include lighting that is wet-rated for the space it is installed in the room, determined by its proximity to a water source. It’s best to consult with an electrician for this project.  

Including Freestanding Bathtubs  

If you want a wet room bathroom with a tub, another idea is a freestanding tub outside of the shower area. Freestanding tubs are often larger and more elegant than a standard shower/bath combination. 

Who Should Have a Wet Room?  

In a word, everyone! Wet rooms are just a smart idea. It’s one level throughout the entire room, with zero-entry access to the shower area, so it’s easy to clean. Steps, trays, or raised portions are rarely used in a wet room bathrooms, so it’s easily accessible by design, which is a bonus for anyone with restricted mobility. Wet rooms bathrooms are a staple of inclusive design architecture because they can be accessed by people of all ages and abilities, perfect for the many homeowners choosing to age in place. In short, wet rooms are a fantastic way to add both functionality and style to your home.