Category Wetrooms

What is a wetroom

A wet room is a bathroom without internal dedicated or raised areas which has an open shower. Structurally, a wet room requires the bathroom to have a gradient or slope towards a drain hole, and a foul air trap connecting the floor to the waste pipes.

How To Use A Wetroom

Shower usage in the latter half of the 20th century has skyrocketed. Personal hygiene became a primary concern, and bathing every day or multiple times a day is common among Western cultures.[16] Showering is generally faster than bathing and can use less water.[17] This quick and efficient concept explains its popularity as it fits in with the fast-paced lifestyles of modern people. In addition, showering, as opposed to taking a bath, is recommended for older people because it reduces the risk of injury related to falling.[18]

Taking a shower in the morning, instead of taking a shower at night is sometimes used in referring to the working class showering when they come home from work, and white collar workers showering before work.[19] An equal number of reasons can be offered for showering at night[20] as for showering in the morning.[21] Contrary to myth, there are no adverse health affects from showering at night.[22]

Some people take more than one shower each day – in the morning, after working out, and at night, or during hot weather.[23]

Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shower#Wet_room

Ultimate modern minimalist look in a shower tray

You can now create that ultimate modern minimalist look in your shower with the new range of Infinity shower trays from Roman Showers.

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Getting the minimalistic look in your bathroom is one way to add some class and dram to your bathroom, many people do this by installing a wetroom. But what if you dont have the ability to add a wetroom do to concrete floors, planning permissions on the building or simply can not afford the expense of getting a professionally fitted wetroom. Well now there is a new option for you, the Infinity Tray from Roman.

Roman Infinity Tray range offers a breakthrough in technology as they can be installed straight to joists so that once the floor tiles are laid it creates level entry access into the shower area in a similar way to a wetroom.

Manufactured from Roman Stone, the Infinity trays are strong and durable. They achieve their level access feature due to them being only 40mm in height. This product provides the added reassurance of a tray, with the minimalist design and level access of a wetroom. The flawless styling of the Infinity trays has been designed with a single angle flow to the waste. The waste is suitable for power shower systems and carries away 25 litres of water per minute. This exclusive chic look is completed with a stylish load bearing solid surface waste cover which still allows access to the waste for cleaning. The contemporary white finish ensures the Infinity tray seamlessly blends in with all your bathroom fittings.

The level access nature of the Infinity Trays makes them perfect for all users, including those who struggle with the traditional step up into the enclosure. The Infinity shower trays mean that you can create a style statement whilst still having a practical easy access space.

So if you are looking for an alternative to a wetroom, then look no further than an an infinity tray from Roman showers.

Choose the Wet Room Kit that’s right for you:

If you are thinking of getting a wetroom fited in your home, it is good to do some research first before getting a plumber in to do the work. Many plumbers are concomitant in fitting bathrooms but not all plumbers are complainant in fitting wetrooms. Wetrooms are a specialist job and a good plumber with experience of fitting a wetroom is essential as any leaks or plumbs are very hard to fix once the whole room is tiled!

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When looking at getting a wetroom, a good wetroom kit is essential! You should research different wetroom kits as it is important that you choose the kit that is right for your design and installation! Read my other posts on wetroom for more information.

There are a wide selection of wet room kits available, but most wet room kits consist of a base, drain and a form of tanking (waterproofing). Most wetroom kits are designed to be in a tiles room with a tiled floor, however kits are available if you with to use a vinyl (or Altro) flooring.

Research online, which you probably already have if you are reading this post, and check out the range of kits available. A good start is to use one of the leading brands such are Abacus or Roman Showers and check out there kits. These kits are very good and very affordable and the wetroom kits are available to buy online.

I have used both kits are each kits has its pluses and minuses. Please read my post on wetroom kits compared.

How to make a wetroom

This video shows how to make and install a wetroom. In this video it show how a level floor wetroom is created using a level access wetroom kit by Abacus Direct.

In previous posts I have talked about what a wetroom is and why tanking a wetroom is essential.

I have posted a tutorial video before showing the tanking process using Roman Shield by Roman Showers but I also found this video by Abacus Direct which shows a similar method to the Roman Shield tanking but uses waterproof boards instead of making plaster boards and wooden floors waterproof with chemicals.

What I like about this video is that it shows the method of fitting a preformed wetroom floor tray and waste.

Components you need to create a wetroom

There are several key components you need to create a wetroom, all of which are equally important.

All these key wetroom components can either be bought separately or as part of a wetroom kit.

1.Draining

A drain, as you are probably well aware, allows the water to drain or flow out. Drains are often referred to as wastes. There are many different varieties of drains available, you can choose from a linear drain or a gully drain which will then have different outlets available for them (usually vertical or horizontal). After the plumbing side of things have been chosen you can then decide on what type of finish you would like, usually this involves deciding between a tile insert grating or a stainless steel finish.

2.Tray/Former

The Wetroom Tray floor former is very similar of to a shower tray. You could say that wetroom floors formers are the “shower tray” of the wetroom world. It is predominantly where you will stand when showering in your wetroom.

The wetroom floor formers have pre defined gradient/slope leading the drain location which will be pre-made in the tray. Your waste trap and waste pipe will then attach the this drain location.

3.Tanking

The term tanking basically means waterproofing, this is the part which will make the floor / walls waterproof and stop any damage to your building from the water.

Tanking is generally available in 3 forms, paint on liquid, waterproof membrane (which is a sheet you can lay down) and also in boards known as tile backer boards.

4.Tiles

The over all finish to your wetroom is the times you choose. This desition is purly on taste and budget. Just remember to choose a tile that isn’t slipery when wet for your floor tiles.

5.Final touches

The final touches are the shower head you would like in your wetroom and any wetroom glass panels to deflect splashing water away from anything you may have in your wetroom…. nothing worse than a wet towel or wet toilet paper.

Wetroom kits

It is much easier to create a wetroom when you buy a wetroom kit. Aside from the tiles, a screen, and the final touches, most wetroom kits contain all of the above. Buying a wetroom kit avoids the need to spend a lot of time looking round for different products.

As you can see, there are many different options for choosing the different components for your wetroom. It is best to spend a bit more and go for quality to make sure you have a quality wetroom experience.

Wetroom Kit comparison

As there are many kits available on the market, I though I would give you a review of two of the leading wetroom kits available on the market that in essence give the same result but achieve this in a different ways.

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Abacus Elements Wetroom Kits

The Abacus Elements Wetroom Kits comprises of a preformed wetroom floor, water proof boards, sealing/tanking solutions for the joins and waste kit. The Abacus Elements Wetroom Kit works by installing the preformed floor INTO you existing floor by cutting out and removing floor board from your joists, then placing waterproof boards OVER and ONTO the remainder of your existing floor. Using tanking supplied you then seal the joins between boards.

You can then purchase additional boards, at a reasonable price I must say, to cover the surrounding walls of your shower area.

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What I like about the kit is that it is easy to install and comes with a fitting DVD that shows you how to install the kit correctly.

Dislike

What I dislike is that you are adding to the overall thickness of your floor in your wetroom, this means the floor is higher that the adjoining rooms floor. You will find you may need to plain down you bathroom / wetroom door to allow for opening of the door. You also are adding to the thickness of the walls making the rooms a little bit smaller and if you have to drill through to attach mirrors and furniture, you will need longer screws to reach harder material.  This extra thickness however will add to the insulation value of the room.

Roman Shield Tanking Kit

Roman Shield Tanking Kit  allows you to create your own wetroom retreat with our multi-award winning complete Roman Shield Tanking system. You can choose between a Complete Tanking Kit, which contains everything you need to tank an area of 10m² in preparation for tiling. Alternatively we offer Complete Wetroom Kits which incorporate a Pre-Formed Shower Floor and a Waste for use with tiles. The tanking kit included in the Complete Wetroom Kits will also cover an area of 10m².

Roman Shield Tanking Kits make installing a wetroom a simple process. They include a step by step installation guide and we also have a video podcast available for you to watch online, that shows every stage involved in the installation process.

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What I like about the Roman shield tanking kit is that you waterproof or tank your existing plaster walls and no additional boards are required. You also tank your existing floor (if suitable) meaning you dont need to add extra high and thickness to your floors and walls.

Dislike

If your flooring is traditional floor boards then you will need to replace this with ply boards or cover over with ply board (adding thickness) other wise you would have to seal every join within your floor boards, which would be very time consuming and expensive with the use of allot of tanking tape. It can also be very messy with all the tanking solutions to mix and paint onto surfaces. The drying time is also an issue if you are paying for a plumber to install as they would have to come back each day for a couple of hours for a couple days.

Compared wetroom kits

Each of these two leading wetroom kits do the same job but in a different way. The abacus kit uses waterproof boards, where the Roman Kit waterproofs you existing boards. Over all as a fitter I would recommend the abacus kit as it makes the fitting allot easier and quicker as there is allot less drying time. you are also using new waterproof board on the floor so you an make sure the water runs towards the wast and not puddle or pool in corner or worse run out the wet room door! How ever I do like the tanking of the Roman kit for the walls of the wetroom as this saves me allot of time hanging new boards and getting the walls level. Each kit has its advantage. Im not sure and have never tried to use these two kits together, but I could see a good advantage to using the Abacus kit for flooring and the Roman kit of the walls.

Making a waterproof wetroom floor

One of the wetroom floors I have mention in previous posts is the Abacuse Direct wetroom elements floor kit.

Abacus Elements wetroom floor kits are a range of easy to install, tileable wet floor systems suitable for both domestic or commercial applications.

Abacus have been good enough to create a tutorial DVD to show how to fit there preformed wetroom floor kit to make the perfect waterproof wetroom floor.


This video by Abacus direct shows how easy it is to create a waterproof wetroom floor.

Abacus level access floors kits are available as a whole kit or as individual parts.

Why to use a Pre formed Wet Room Trays

When making a wetroom or shower room you need a place for you shower water to drain away. As water runs downhill with gravity it is important to make sure that your waste / drain hole is lower than the surround floor and that the floors slopes towards the drain hole.

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The easiest way to achieve a sloped floor and waste hole is to use a pre formed wetroom tray. These can be fitted directly into the floor and can be tiled over. These wetroom floors are similar to a conventional shower tray, except they are designed to be fitted into the floor rather than on top of the floor and have a tileable surface. They also have no lip around the edge to retain water.

Many pre formed wetroom floor kits are available, how ever I personally prefer the wetroom kits available from Abacus Direct.

“Abacus Elements are a range of easy to install, tileable wet floor systems suitable for both domestic or commercial application. Abacus Elements is made of a waterproof structural foam with high insulation properties, making it the perfect solution when waterproofing and electrically heating the bathroom.”

These kit are available to buy online from many online retailers.