Bathing has featured in numerous cultures across human history for both practical purposes and for ritual. Soaking tubs that go hand-in-hand with a shower pre-clean are a given fixture within many Japanese homes, and where space does not permit, the local bathhouse takes over.
Bathhouses are often common fixtures in many countries in the Northern hemisphere such as Russia, where they have been used across history to combat the cold, dry climates.
However, for space and time efficiency, showers are often the preference for daily usage within Australian households, and our climate is humid enough to not warrant any spread of communal bathhouses. Despite that, there has been a general shift around attitudes towards bathrooms in Australia.
While showers are typically still integral to our bathrooms and everyday cleaning regimens, bathrooms are no longer simply utilitarian spaces to get in, clean up, and get out of.
Rather, they are becoming private spaces where occupants can relax, separated from everyday stressors.
The outcome of this is a refocus on the bathtub and shower, whether they are standalone as a feature within the room, or integrated for space efficiency.
There are many reasons why wet rooms are fast becoming a popular bathroom style. Here are the pros and cons of wet room bathrooms, if you’re thinking of this style of bathroom for your home.
So, what is a Wet Room?
A wet room bathroom is where the shower is not enclosed with a shower screen and there is no shower tray. The water from the shower drains away via the open, tiled floor area of the room, and the water drains down the main drain in the bathroom, typically a linear drain.
There are certain Pros to a Wet Room Bathroom
There are a number of reasons many home owners and renovators are opting for a wet room style bathroom. The main reason is it does away with the glass shower screens.
The openness of the bathroom can make it look bigger than what it seems. This can add value to your property because spacious bathrooms are now a winning factor when potential buyers consider purchasing a property.
This style of bathroom also works well in smaller bathrooms, where there is limited space.
There are also Cons to a Wet Room.
If it’s the main bathroom of your home often a guest will need to walk into a wet bathroom after someone has used the shower. To avoid this situation, section your bathroom with a single screen.
Wet rooms can be an expensive bathroom to fit out because the walls need to be tiled from the wall to ceiling. They will also need to be waterproofed too.
The room needs to be adequately ventilated, and you will be limited on the style of vanity cupboards you install.
Everything gets wet in a wet room bathroom – not just from the spray of the shower, but the mist of humidity. Enclosed showers are able to keep a lot of the moisture in.
Another con to consider is if you choose to resell your property, buyers may be turned off your property if it doesn’t have a bath. However, many wet room bathrooms, incorporate 1 shower screen to section the shower area. A rainhead shower is used as it sprays downwards, and not out and then they add a bath to the area as well.
The benefits of sectioning your bathroom so the shower and bath are together, is it reduces the space that needs to be waterproofed. It also means you can have the vanity of your choice, as it’s protected from the water and humidity caused from showering.
The wet room bathroom trend has come about due to the minimalism movement and the push away from creating spaces that require less cleaning and allow for more relaxation. It is a fabulous choice in bathroom design if you’re looking for something that is contemporary.