builders/plumbers wetroom query

[ttcycle]

I'm thinking of putting in an offer on a property.

The one outstanding issue with this property is due to the age of the building it hasn't got a shower or a bathroom. The current owner has placed a freestanding shower unit into the hallway which used next to the kitchen. The kitchen door part obscures the shower unit but there is no door for the unit and it is a tight fit into the hallway space. I was wondering if it is practical to install a door and to fit a wet room in such a space.

What are the issues to consider?

 

[Globalti]

Firstly don't ask us muppets, go and ask on DIYnot.com but be sure to give them more information than you've given us or they'll massacre you - there are some very experienced tradesmen on there and they'll give you the benefit of their experience if you ask nicely.

My ha' 'porth: a wetroom needs solid walls and floor if you are to avoid leaks in the future and you also need to be able to sort out the drainage, which makes it difficult to do in houses not designed for it. What's wrong with a regular shower cubicle? It's quick and easy to do and won't leak if you buy a shower tray with upstands and use Mermaid boards rather than messing around with tiles, which will leak and go mouldy along the grouting.

 

[ttcycle]

Thanks for that RR

 

[Aperitif]

I'm thinking of putting in an offer on a property.

The one outstanding issue with this property is due to the age of the building it hasn't got a shower or a bathroom. The current owner has placed a freestanding shower unit into the hallway which used next to the kitchen. The kitchen door part obscures the shower unit but there is no door for the unit and it is a tight fit into the hallway space. I was wondering if it is practical to install a door and to fit a wet room in such a space.

What are the issues to consider?

dellzeqq is your person who will expound details at a conversational pace I'm sure!

RR is right that details are essential. Photos, sketch plans, outside walls, access to water and waste, existing substrates etc.
A shower next to the kitchen is great for washing the veg, etc...

 

[upsidedown]

As i've yet to manage a successful seal around the bath in 4 years i will refrain from offering my advice.

 

[Globalti]

You've never installed a Mermaid shower board system then?

 

[Greedo]

It could prove difficult putting in a wet room.

There's all sorts of problems with tanking (waterproofing the walls), drainage and ventilation etc.....

If not done right the room can smell of damp.

It can be done in a small space no problem. A lot of plumbers will try and talk you out of it as it's easier for them to install a base and straight forward shower. But it can be done in a small cupboard.

The main problem is the drainage and can you get a sufficient run on the floor. You'll also need a really good tiler as most plumbers do tiling as a sideline. Get a decent tiler and it can and will look great.

 

[ttcycle]

Thanks for the comments, worth thinking about...

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

You've never installed a Mermaid shower board system then?

Got a link RR?

My daughter does showers which last all day. She always exposes the tiniest of leaks. Downstairs ceiling has been soaked many a time and I'm yet to succeed in sorting the problem (other than forcing daughter to leave home )

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

RR - no worries. This it?

http://www.avalon-bathrooms.co.uk/shower-wall-panels-4.htm

 

[screenman]

I think the shower boards are great, after building a new house 2 years ago we were talked into having the showers tiled, two months later they were replaced with boards. Point is I wanted the boards in the first place, really easy to fit and seal.

 

[Globalti]

Here's the shower in the bathroom I did last summer. And before you say it, yes the shower outlet is in a funny place but that's because the wall on the left is stud and contains all the pipework. And yes, the bath spout is a bit too long but I'm working on that. The shower boards are Mermaid in white, the sealing system is fantastic and the kit comes with all the sealants and everything you need.

 

[postman]

We had a shower room built in the loft job .And i wish now i had gone for the 'plastic' if thats the right wording of the complete internal part of the shower .
When we went to the Karate spring camp .The caravan had the the one piece shower unit and no mould .

We have more than a few spots on the sealant .And i am not keen on resealing incase it leaks .

Any tips .

 

[dellzeqq]

generally it's not sensible to rely on grout to retain water. The floor and lower part of the walls should be tanked with an impermeable membrane and the junction between the vertical tiles/slabs/mosaics should have a concealed sprung plastic drip to ensure that water doesn't run beneath the tray. There's a whole host of other stuff to do as well if you're going for the flat floor look, involving ply laid to falls, Wedi board, traps you can service from above and, possibly, a pump - or pumps. Oh - and shower heads that look like dinner plates because the world just has too much clean water....don't get me started on intermediate heaters to ensure that the water is cold for less than one nanosecond, and bodyjets. And remote controls.

There are two things one should bear in mind about wet rooms
1. They are silly. Showers in baths or in to trays are better.
2. If you install a wet room in your house you will go to a special department of Hell that deals exclusively with people who place too much faith in things

and, yes, TT can have my wet room drawings, if I can retrieve them.........

 

[Night Train]

Apart from going to the experts one other thing to bear in mind (which I have had to fix or refer back to the intaller) is that a wet room can not cope with any depth of water. The drainage has to be good and cannot be a long, near horizontal pipe leading across half the house before it drops.

I have known many professional wet rooms that have flooded outwards because the water couldn't flow away quickly enough.

Another problem with wet rooms, small ones in particular, is that there is nowhere to put stuff that needs to be dry, towels, toiletries, dressing gown. If you live on your own and have no guests stay over then this may not matter as clothes and towels and stuff can be left outside. Walking naked down your hall to get a shower may not go down well if others are visiting.