expert tips on how to build a great wet room

If you’re looking for wet room design advice and ideas, then you’re in the right place. As when it comes to designing a wet room, it’s vital that your project is well thought through and with no loopholes in sight. It can be the perfect solution to a number of different – and somewhat unconventional – bathroom spaces, and in short, a wet room will give you a bathroom or shower room that is completely waterproofed, with drainage built into the floor. 

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We’ve rounded up simple yet key steps to take when designing your wet room. From costing, to waterproofing the space and opting for the right type of flooring and finishes, dive into our know-how below and be sure to visit our bathroom ideas gallery for more ideas and inspiration when you’re done.

How much does a wet room cost?

Wet rooms tend to be around 20 to 30 per cent more expensive than an equivalent non-wet room bathroom, assuming that there are no major structural alterations needed to boost the floor strength and reroute drainage points. Depending on specifications chosen and the size of your space, budget around £7,000 for a basic design and up to £40,000 or more for a large or luxurious wet room.

Start by checking your floor

In building terms, the absolute fundamental issues when planning a new wet room bathroom revolve around floor construction, floor and ceiling heights and falls – the slopes needed to drain water away. Since a wet room needs to have drainage to the floor, keeping a streamlined look, you must be able to include a slope to a plug hole, trap and drain below the lowest point in the space.

Plan your wet room floor

Like any bathroom, access to water, drainage points and power are essential, but there are planning points to remember specific to wet rooms, too. Most are to do with ensuring water tightness. Ask: how is the drained waste water going to get to the nearest drainage point in a wet room? Working up from there, ensure that the floor finish is stable, which involves stiffening the floor sub-structure to ensure no leakage.

Click here for advice on any plumbing problems you may encounter when working on your bathroom.

Then, think about the slopes to drain to a particular point and invest in a floor covering that will ensure no water permeates. Manufactured board systems, such as those supplied by Wedi, which come with specialist waterproof membranes, and pre-sloped panels that sit below the floor finish, such as Impey Aqua-Dec, are ideal.

Ensure good drainage in a wet room

A drainpipe, usually 10cm in diameter, needs a slope on it to ensure proper drainage in a wet room, so if the joists run in the same direction as where you want to run your drain, the pipe can be fitted between joists within the existing depth of the floor.

However, if you need to run your pipes across the direction of the joists, they will go beneath them, which would mean below the ceiling of the floor underneath and may require a new lowered false ceiling, or above the joists, requiring raising the floor.

Waste pipes need to be beneath the floor, so as long as the issues of floor structure and construction are sorted, pipes will be concealed as a matter of course. Speak to a structural engineer and an architect or designer regarding the building’s structure and best arrangement of the space.

Choosing sanitaryware for a wet room

Look for sanitaryware with smaller dimensions in your wet room, but don’t go so small that the item is hard to use. You can get very small sinks which take up barely any space and work well for a quick handwash in a downstairs loo, but will not be easy to wash your face at.

For the shower area, go no smaller than 80cm x 80cm – less than that leads to a claustrophobic showering experience. If you’re using glass screens in your design, make sure there is something, such as a motif, border, or frosting, on the glass, to ensure it is visible. 

When thinking of how to choose a toilet, consider that a compact wall-hung loo with a concealed cistern removes visual clutter and helps to ensure as much of the floor as possible is visible.

Think about loo placement in your wet room

Always plan its location with the aim of keeping the toilet dry. Even a wet room needs careful screening to ensure key areas remain practical. A sheet of glass to separate a shower area from a loo tends to work best, and you should always aim to create space between wet and dry areas. 

Choose the right tiles for a wet room

Clearly in a wet room, the floor will get wet, so how to choose bathroom floor tiles that will not be too slippery is vital to ensure safety. Many tile manufacturers will specify certain styles as being suitable for wet areas. And with so many different styles and wet room ideas around, thankfully there are also a large number of resin, porcelain and ceramic tiles to choose from – many of which are treated to handle water – to match the look you want to create, and your wet room needs too. A good idea is to choose a floor tile covering that has a gentle texture, giving some grip under foot. 

Consider linking your wet room to adjoining rooms

If the floor level of the wet room cannot match the room it is entered from, consider what sort of a join will be used and how this works practically. If a step up or down is required, it is best to have one 10cm step, or higher, instead of multiple steps measuring between 3 and 4cm, which could pose a trip hazard.

The water-tightness of where the floor meets the walls of the room needs to be carefully thought through, too, as if the junction of wall and floor moves, you could have disastrous leaks. A good solution is to carry the floor covering up the walls, particularly in shower areas.

Ensure there is adequate ventilation in your wet room

Ventilation is very important  in a wet room, and a statutory requirement in a bathroom without an window that can open. Aim to site an extraction system in a location that is both inconspicuous and requires the shortest route for a duct to the outside. 

Plan wet room lighting

A flexible wet room lighting scheme will ensure the room’s bright enough for tasks such as shaving and putting on make-up, but can have a relaxing ambience for showering.  

Downlights can provide the room with good overall light, while task lighting around mirrors will make precision tasks easy. For plenty of bathroom lighting ideas be sure to read our guide. Wet room lighting must be suitable for the zone of the room it’s in, determined by its proximity to a water source, so make sure you have a thorough understanding on bathroom lighting zones and always work with a registered electrician.

Heating a wet room

Underfloor heating is ideal for a wet room, especially where space is tight. You can extend an existing radiator system to add an underfloor heating circuit, with the pipes laid between the timber joists, and insulation beneath.

Electric underfloor heating mats are easier to install as they do not increase the floor level significantly. They are inexpensive to buy, but will cost more to run than a water-based system. In a large wet room, you may need additional heating, so be sure to find the best radiator or heated towel rail to suit your space.

Choose the best window treatment for a wet room

It’s vital that wet room window treatments can stand up to the humid atmosphere of the space. Shutters are smart, and will regulate light and privacy effectively. Window likely to get splashed? Choose a shutter that’s specially made to tolerate water without warping.

If you prefer blinds, louvred versions are also neat and effective, or try coated fabric blinds made to cope with the condensation in the room.

Wet room design tips

While a light, bright palette will help reflect light and make the wet room feel larger, avoid going overboard with white which can make the room feel cold or clinical, and consider warmer, earthy tile colours.

Patterned wall tiles or colourful accessories will also bring warmth and interest to the space. The odd house plant looks great in a wet room and will thrive well in the warm, humid environment.

Demister mirrors will help make the wet room feel bigger. If you can, sit them flush with any tiling to create the illusion of depth, or choose mirrored wall cabinets to stash away bathroom bottles neatly.

Large format tiles can work well in a small wet room. They lead to fewer lines of grout which can create a grid-like pattern that makes the space feel smaller. That said, small patches of mosaic tiling (perhaps to provide splashback to a sink or feature) can be very effective. Find out how to choose the right tiles for a small bathroom.

Do you need planning permission for a wet room?

A new wet room probably won’t need planning permission, but installing a new loo, shower or basin and changing electrics near a shower are subject to building regulations. 

If you are replacing existing plumbing work, it is not subject to building regulations approval, unless is it is near to, or involves electrics (such as an electric shower).

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