Thinking of Installing a Wet Room in 2011

This article looks provides tips and advice in choosing the right wet room technology and suppliers and whether or not wet rooms are a DIY project or something where you need to bring in the professionals.

If you are planning a new bathroom this year make sure you know what you are instore. It is a lot more than just decorating and you need to be prepared for just how much work and indeed cost may be envolved and unless you have bottomless pockets you want to make sure you get it right first time. Therefore careful planning is key to your bathrooms success, even more so if you are planning to turn an existing bathroom into a wet room.

You need to consider how many people use the bathroom or wet room and how you can improve the throughput of morning traffic, you need to plan the layout, as well as the fixtures and fittings as well as the sanitary ware.

Throughput

In most family’s the morning traffic through the bathroom can be chaotic at best and usually everyone decides that they want to use the bathroom at the same time.

This might mean that if you the space and the money you might consider installing a couple of smaller wet rooms or shower rooms throughout the house so other household members have a place to go and get ready in the morning. The main considerations you will have here is the waste drainage and water to and from the wet room.
Other considerations are installing extra basins.

Planning Layout

Your main concerns when planning the layout of your wet room or bathroom are space, where the windows and doors are as well as the plumbing system.

Possibly the most important thing to consider is the drainage. The toilet obviously needs to be close to the sewer drain. If you have to lay new drainage pipes under the floors this can be very costly so it is probably best to keep it close to, if not in, it’s original place. Also you have waste water drainage that needs to be considered. An experienced plumber or bathroom / wet room fitter should be brought in for this work as mistakes here could be costly in the long run, not to mention incredibly messy.

Also where plumbing is concerned you need to understand where the water comes into the room for both hot and cold sources.

Keeping a bathroom or wet room well ventilated is key and where there are natural sources of ventilation and light, such as windows these should be used, as well as the consideration of extractor fans.

The major factor is space. You want to be able to easily move around your new layout, if not it will be a very frustrating place to be. This tends to be why so many people are moving from the bathroom scenario to wet rooms as they allow for so much more space.
Sanitary ware, fixtures and fitting

Design your bathroom or wet room with your sanitary ware in mind. It is crucial to know what is going to go where and what space you have. Also remember that these tend to be changed far less often than other household fixtures and fittings so make sure you are happy with the style, design and the colour.

DIY or Professional Help

Wet room and bathroom renovations are very big projects and it would be wise to enlist the help of professionals where possible. Mistakes in this area of your home can be more costly in the long run. Plumbing alone can be a nightmare.

For more information go to www.classicceramics.co.uk for luxury wet room design and installation services and products go to www.classicceramics.co.uk/wet-rooms.html.