Many of our clients are interested in adding wetrooms to their new bathroom project. However, as with any product that is relatively new in the UK market, there is always going to be some uncertainty in what to use and where to go. Therefore, we wanted to help make this an easier and straightforward process. Hopefully by the end of this post, you’ll feel more confident to go out there and get a wetroom solution for your new bathroom. Knowing for sure it will be done the right way.
The Ultimate Guide to Wetrooms
Myths
“Everything would get very wet.” Expanding on the list of Cons from our previous post this can prove to be true. However, this would only happen if you choose inferior quality items, an inexperienced designer specifies an unsuitable position to locate your wetroom, or if the incorrect products are sourced. Such as the length of the glass panel (being too short). Although it does happen, it is easily prevented with a bit of planning and help from a professional.
Hard water areas
For those lucky enough to live in “soft water” areas, you can skip this section. For the rest of us who suffer “hard water” and need a solution on proofing their wetroom against water-stains caused by the high mineral content read on! Avoiding white or black tiles alone is not enough. You must choose tiles with a suitable design and the right colour grouting. I’ll explain:
Textures:
It’s all about choosing a pattern on the tile that will disguise water marks, soap and lime scale that often build up in wetrooms. Medium coloured tones are preferable; although if you desire an ultra-light or ultra-dark design, go for a textured print all the way!
Grout colour
Choose a colour grout that best matches the colour of the tile. Many make the mistake of using darker grout on the floor of their wetroom, naively believing it won’t look dirty. However, this is a mistake as it will instantly look old and grubby if your grout is darker than your tile. Moreover, a lesser grade grout will discolour with time and crack. So it’s very important to choose a good quality grout such as Mapei.
Mosaics vs big tiles
Many fitters and tilers will tell you that they prefer mosaics for wetroom areas. However, we install a vast amount of wetrooms and recommend using larger tiles for a cleaner finish. Generally, mosaics are more expensive and will be harder to maintain due to the amount of grouting required.
We do not completely rule out mosaics, you just need to plan carefully to ensure it is the right solution for your wetroom (and indeed bathroom). It could be the right call, for instance if the mosaics are used as a feature wall at the end of the shower area, or mosaics in a bold colour used as a statement.
There is a wide variety of brands and styles for wetroom drainage. Prices alter significantly depending on which brand and style you choose. Here are some of the most popular styles available from our wetroom range:
Cost and installation
Costs vary greatly for products and installation. This is an area in the bathroom where you don’t want to skimp on price. You want to be able to count on the quality of the product to avoid future and usually costly problems.
One of the most important things is to be sure your fitter feels confident with the products they’re using in order to provide a good guarantee on the work executed. If your fitter doesn’t feel assured to guarantee the job then it’s time to call a wetroom specialist.
In our case, we have vetted our wetroom products very carefully so we can go in fully confident that the wetroom is not going to come back with any problems. Which is what we expect for future proofing and our client’s piece of mind.
To see some of the wetrooms we have installed, browse through our portfolio where we have lots of examples on how this great shower solution looks and works!
To get the best installers, check out our Guide on How To Spot A High-End Bathroom Company in Surrey.
