If you have ever dreamt of transforming you bathroom1

It is important to note that a wet room is not simply a fully tiled space where you do away with a shower tray for a drain in the tiled floor but it is a completely water proof room that is created in a similar way to tanking a basement.

The most important element of any wet room is it's complete water proofing; any leak could be disastrous so it is important to understand how different waterproofing methods works and which areas are prone to leaking to ensure your tradesman carry out a good job - it goes without saying that this is a job for a professional with previous experience not an amateur DIY enthusiast.

Whoever carries out the conversion should first make sure that the walls and floor are sound and in good repair, so remove all remnants of old tiles and fill any cracks in the plaster. The next most important point is to carefully plan where the floor drain will be sited to allow enough slope for the water to drain away quickly; nothing is more likely to cause a leak than water that sits on the surface waiting for a slow drain to clear.

Wet Room Shower Tray

The best solution for this, whether the sub-floor is concrete or not, is a pre-formed wet room shower tray that sits underneath the floor tiles and already has a ready-made slope to a hole for the drain. It is the production of these that has transformed the ease and success with which wet rooms can be installed as it avoids the need to calculate and create the correct slope for good drainage.

There are 2 main ways of installing a pre-formed wet room shower tray depending on the type of floor: it can be laid directly on the sub-floor and the area around it raised with a step or it can be set into the floor for a completely level space.

The Drain

The actual type of drain that can be installed is dependent on the space available beneath the floor; the best solution is a vertical outlet but if there is not the space for this then there are low profile outlets where space is limited, which can be accommodated in depths of only 70mm and still offer good flow rates.

Underfloor Heating

In a cold climate underfloor heating is a necessity in a wet room but again these systems have improved beyond recognition in recent years. Not only do they offer comfort but will also ensure the floor dries quickly so is not slippery.

Electric underfloor heating is the best option in a existing room as it can be installed on the existing floor but the running costs can be high. The alternative is a system that runs off the central heating but this can be difficult to install in an existing room.

Waterproofing a Wet Room

Once the surfaces are prepared, the drain position and tray sited, and the underfloor heating installed then it is time to waterproof the room.

Specialist waterproof matting can be used on certain wall types but more usually a tile backer board will be fitted first and the matting or a waterproof coating then applied. Each backer board is sealed around the edges with waterproof sealant and all the joins sealed with waterproof tape. Gaps left for pipes and other fittings are also sealed with waterproof tape.

For the floor a waterproof membrane is also used, many of which have some flexibility to allow for movement in a wooden floor beneath. Again all edges, joins, corners and gaps are thoroughly sealed with specialist waterproof tape and the chosen ceramic tiles installed directly onto the membrane with a flexible thin-bed adhesive. It is common to choose small floor tiles in the shower area are they are better suited to a sloping area.