Wet rooms are a fantastic choice for modern bathrooms, offering a sleek, spacious design that’s both practical and stylish. However, designing a wet room isn’t without its challenges, and mistakes can be costly or frustrating to fix once the work is done.
Whether you’re embarking on a full renovation or just revamping your current bathroom, here are five common mistakes to avoid when designing your wet room.
Skipping the Proper Drainage Planning
One of the most crucial elements of a wet room is ensuring proper drainage. Without a well-planned drainage system, you could find yourself dealing with flooding, stagnant water, or leaks. Many homeowners overlook the importance of a sloped floor, which is essential for directing water towards the drain.
What to do: Make sure your wet room has a gentle slope towards the drain to ensure that water doesn’t pool in any corner. Consult with a professional installer to plan the correct drainage system, and consider a high-quality linear drain for a more contemporary, seamless look.
Choosing the Wrong Materials
Wet rooms require specific materials that are waterproof and durable to handle constant exposure to water. Using the wrong materials, such as porous tiles or untreated wood, can result in damage and discoloration over time.
Additionally, incorrect grout can lead to water seepage, causing problems behind the walls and flooring.
What to do: Opt for waterproof materials like ceramic, porcelain, or stone tiles. Avoid porous materials and ensure any grout used is specifically designed for wet environments. Choose moisture-resistant wood if you prefer a natural finish, or better yet, go for water-resistant composites. You can gather the supplies you need from here.
Forgetting About Slip Resistance
While wet rooms are a great way to create a seamless, open design, they can pose a safety risk if slip resistance is not considered. Wet floors can become dangerously slippery, especially when tiled surfaces are polished or too smooth.
What to do: Ensure that the flooring material you choose has adequate slip resistance. Look for tiles with a textured finish or non-slip options. You can also use slip-resistant mats in areas that are most prone to water exposure, ensuring safety without compromising style.
Not Accounting for Storage Needs
In a wet room, space is often at a premium. As a result, some homeowners forget to plan for adequate storage. Without proper shelving, cabinets, or niches, you might end up with a cluttered space, which can detract from the sleek, minimalist look that wet rooms are known for.
What to do: Include built-in shelving or recessed niches in the design to keep toiletries organised and out of sight. Floating shelves or wall-mounted storage units can also help keep the space feeling open and tidy. Make sure storage is practical and easy to access, without interfering with the layout or flow of the room.
Ignoring Waterproofing and Sealing
Proper waterproofing and sealing are vital for preventing water damage to the walls, floor, and other surfaces in your wet room. Even small gaps or areas that are not properly sealed can lead to significant water damage over time, potentially ruining the overall finish of your bathroom.
What to do: Ensure that all surfaces in the wet room are sealed properly, from the floor to the walls and around fixtures. It’s essential to apply waterproofing membranes, especially in areas exposed to the most water, such as around the shower and floor seams. Hire a professional if you’re unsure about the right waterproofing methods.
Why You Should Get Rid of the Bathtub
Are you wondering whether you really need the bathtub in your bathroom? Perhaps you moved into the house, and it already has one. Maybe you felt like you needed to have this feature in your bathroom.
Either way, it can be a big decision when you’re considering if you should get rid of it. Here are some reasons why many homeowners are going ahead with this change.
Not Practical
Most people find that it’s easier and faster to take a shower nowadays. So, while many bathrooms can come with a tub, you can end up not using it. In this case, why keep something so big when it’s not in use?
To Save Space
If you’re not using your bathtub, it’s taking up valuable space in your home. If you feel like your bathroom is small and you could benefit from this additional space, this is when you get rid of it. Indeed, it can transform the bathroom make sure that you have enough space, and create a modern area of your home.
To Improve Safety
Some bathtubs aren’t easy to get in and out of. For instance, if you have mobility issues, there’s no point in keeping this in your bathroom. Instead, you can swap it for a walk-in shower that’s going to be safer for you to use.
To Be Eco-Friendly
Let’s not forget that bathtubs take a lot of water. This can be something that leads to high water bills over time. If you’re interested in being cost-savvy and you want to help the environment, it’s best to ditch the bathtub. Instead, you can take showers and this is going to use up less water.
Conclusion
Designing a wet room can transform your bathroom into a stylish and practical space, but it’s important to avoid common mistakes to ensure long-term success.
By focusing on proper drainage, using the right materials, ensuring slip resistance, planning for storage, and waterproofing thoroughly, you can create a wet room that not only looks great but functions perfectly for years to come.
Whether you’re a DIY enthusiast or hiring a professional, taking the time to plan carefully and avoid these mistakes will result in a wet room that’s both beautiful and functional.
