Best flooring for wet rooms

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Many people are opting to change their old-fashioned bathroom into a new, stylish wet room. That’s a fully waterproofed bathroom with a walk-in shower area at the same level as the rest of the floor. They create a sense of more space and are the ultimate in luxury - they’re also fantastic for every age, especially people who have mobility issues as you don’t need help getting in or out of the shower.

A wet room is also a great way of getting a bathroom on any floor of your home. The other advantage is they’re often easier to clean than a traditional bathroom, which is always good news!

If you’re thinking of switching up your old bathroom for a trendy wet room, then we have written this guide just for you. We’ll take you through all the different wet room flooring ideas that are available so you can choose which one works best for you and your family’s needs. Then all you need to do is look forward to having an amazing new room to enjoy.

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@darbydigs

What is the best flooring for my wet room?

You’ll need to consider a hard-wearing and waterproof surface for your wet room flooring. You must ensure that you use a floor that can be welded together, then capped and coved so that all joins are sealed tightly to prevent water from getting in or out.

The best option for a full wet room is tiles or commercial safety flooring that can be fully sealed to avoid any water damage. However, if you opt for a wet area inside your bathroom, then you could always try one of these options that also work well.

Tiles

Tiles are often the star of the show in a wet room as they are used not just on the floor, but on the walls as well. As long as they do the job of keeping the room completely waterproof, then you can have fun choosing the styles, shapes, textures, and colours that you want – you’ll be spoilt for choice! The most popular wet room tiles ideas include:

Mosaics – not just for Roman villas, this ancient style is still going strong and has had a modern makeover. Nowadays, glass mosaic is the preferred material over ceramic, and the smallness of each tile means you can be incredibly creative with the design.

Marble – the ultimate in luxury. It’s the most expensive of all the materials, but people who can afford it will always tell you that it’s worth spending the money! Marble comes in a selection of colours and designs and the results are always spectacular.

Limestone – this familiar stone is often used as an alternative to marble, as it’s less expensive. It looks ‘softer’ and natural, and creates a traditional feel

Ceramic – One of the most popular choices for wet room tile ideas. These tiles are created from clay and then fired at high temperatures in a kiln. As you’d imagine, there is a huge range of styles, textures, and colours.

Commercial safety flooring

Even though it’s called ‘commercial’ safety flooring, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t use it in your own home. The advantage of this type of wet room flooring idea is that it’s created from high-quality vinyl that is slip-resistant and hard-wearing. It’s easy to clean and maintain and stays looking good even after years of use.

Other wet room floor ideas

If you’re thinking about renovating a space near the wet room that needs to be water-resistant, but not entirely waterproof, there are several other options to choose from, including:

Water-resistant laminate
Vinyl
Luxury vinyl

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Let’s think about each of these wet room flooring ideas in turn.

Laminate

Laminate flooring is top of the wet room design ideas list because it’s water resistant and stain resistant too, so there’s no danger of leaving a mark if you spill make-up or shower gel. Laminate can look so similar to a real wooden floor that it’s difficult to tell the difference, and of course, it’s extremely low maintenance and easy to fit, and comes in a huge range of styles and colours.

Vinyl

Vinyl flooring is another versatile option as it’s created in a large flexible sheet, which makes it easy to fit. Vinyl has a soft and spongy barefoot feeling. It also scores highly for being water slip resistant and it lasts well even in busy areas like traditional bathrooms. Vinyl is also resistant to slips and can be bought in a rainbow of colours and finishes.

Luxury vinyl

Luxury vinyl is water- and slip-resistant and can be delivered directly to your door. This high-end product can either be click-fitted to your floor in planks, like laminate or solid wood flooring, or it can be securely glued in place. It comes in many stylish finishes and designs, and absorbs sound well, so there should be no problems with anyone criticising your shower singing!

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Small wet room design ideas

Consider having a small section of your wet room that stays dry. This may sound contradictory, but you might appreciate a place to get dressed or brush your teeth that isn’t close to the shower. Why not separate it with a transparent shower door or a contemporary glass-fronted structure?

But if space is at a premium, go for the ‘less is more’ option and decorate your wet room in the same design idea throughout. Choose a texture from smooth or rustic plaster or the same type of tiling as the floor. If you want to add a pop of colour to your home, then the small wet room is the perfect place to put it.

You can visit our Ideas Hub for flooring ideas for different rooms in your house, including best flooring for conservatories, living room flooring ideas, and more.

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Published: 09-09-2022