Luxury Wet Rooms

Wet rooms are gaining popularity and are becoming a trendy addition to many people's homes. It's easy to see why. Those who have experienced showering in a wet room know how convenient they are, and how thrilling it is to use them. But even those who have never experienced them can still understand the draw. These highly enjoyable spaces break free of the traditional layouts of baths, shower screens, and shower curtains and instead open up the whole shower into one highly desirable space. They are basically showers which are level with the floor and do not have any bulky housing within which the shower is situated.This helps them achieve much more than their simple function suggests.

Wet rooms by their very nature are ideal when it comes to using space in the most effective manner possible. When space is limited, nothing helps than every corner becoming part of the shower. No more bulky additions are necessary when you're walls and floor are part of the shower itself. This effective use of space is quite compelling. It is also quite possible to combine the wet-room with all the features of a spa, to create a dual purpose space that offers a degree of stylish luxury that would surely make the neighbours envy your homely comforts.

The original wet room was a concept innovated by the Scandinavians. There, shower trays were unheard of and instead it was common to install a membrane beneath the tiles to give a completely waterproofed protection. This layer was designed to offer assurances that even if the tiles failed the water wouldn't leak.This concept has become popular, with a shower wet room being a much sought after home addition. Wet room designs certainly give designers a lot of scope for creativity, and where interior designers go the rest of the market soon follows due to the profusion of home interior magazines and TV programs. Asides from looks, a wet room shower is a much more liberating experience than being enclosed in a glass case.

Of course, asides from its luxurious aspects, there are more practical reasons for installing a wet room. If installed as a second bathroom, so as not to replace the all important bathtub, it can certainly add value to a home. The design of a wet room is therefore a very open and adaptable thing. There can be any combination of beautiful screens, stone features, shower heads, taps, heated radiators, glass partitions. Less attention can be paid to what keeps the water in, and more can be paid to what looks good. It's also possible to mix and match, and have different combinations. A shower can be installed into a bathroom that sits at floor level, giving it a very similar feel to a wet room, while at the same time using partitions to enclose the space off and protect the area that isn't waterproofed.

If deciding to build a wet room, it's a good idea to pay close attention to the layout, and consider a sink and toilet that are clear of the floor to allow accessible cleaning. The alternative is to have problems getting in and around the nooks and crannies. The most important factor in wet room installation, is getting it done properly. Because of the danger of leaking and the huge amount of damage it can cause there is a very good argument can be put forward to suggest that great care is taken to select only the most qualified wet room installers. Should the membrane that separates the wet room from the rest of the house become compromised then there are many unfortunate and often hard to rectify problems such as rotting of the timbers that comprise the building as well as flooding. Using a single drain means that the water all naturally goes in this direction and swirls down at that location, which creates a pleasant and enjoyable flow. The careful creation of such waterproof flooring, walls and drainage is known in the industry as 'tanking'. While the whole bathroom becomes a very usable shower, there should still be careful planning in order to provision a decent allocation of space that is away from the functional shower area in order to provide a safe haven for materials that have to be stored in the bathroom but can't get wet such as toilet tissue and towels.

Though there are risks, there are many rewards, not least of all the pleasant feeling of walking in and out and showering with ease. If all these points are remembered then a wet room provides a very modern and luxurious space, in which it is possible not only to enjoy and relax, but also to spend a good deal of time making the most of. Though the price of a wet room may be far higher than the costs involved in other types of shower, the advantages certainly outweigh the increased cost. But far more than that, it creates a very marked increase in the ability to enjoy a shower.