A mobility wet room can be a fantastic feature to add to any house, and when it’s to improve the life for someone with mobility difficulties, it can make a hugely positive impact.
But before going ahead and ordering your wet room, there are some things to consider first.
Here are some key considerations:
Location
Perhaps one of the first considerations should be just where your wet room should be located in your house.
While the initial temptation will be to simply replace your existing bathroom, you should think about the bigger picture.
Will your existing bathroom offer the access required for the person(s) using the wet room?
Also, the location will play a key part in most of the other considerations that we will cover.
Size & Layout
Carrying on from the location consideration, you’ll need to make sure that your new wet room has all of the space required for it to be functional and efficient.
Think about shower, toilet, basin, handles/handrails and even things such as towel rails.
You may also need to factor in elements such as mobility hoists depending on who is using the wet room.
Drainage
One of the key aspects of a successful wet room is the drainage capabilities.
When decided on where your wet room is and how it will be constructed, it’s important to factor in where the drainage will go and how it will work.
Typically, there will be one drain in the room with a slight fall allowing water to run to it.
Beneath the floor, a waste water pipe will then need to take the drained water away.
This pipe needs to have a fall of at least 1:40, so make sure your proposed room location would allow for this to be built-in without hampering accessibility.
Wet Room Flooring
Another important thing to consider is what type of flooring you will use?
Flooring for wet rooms is most commonly seen in two variations.
They are tiled and vinyl.
Vinyl are easy to install and highly slip resistant, however, they can look a little cold and industrial as they are often used in medical facilities and commercial properties.
Tiles offer a much wider choice but consider things such as slip resistance.
It’s vital that a bathroom built to help with mobility and accessibility does not introduce new risks to the user.
Waterproofing
If your waterproofing is wrong in a wet room, then the entire project will be flawed.
Ensure that your plans, or those of the installer, include an impermeable membrane which covers the entire wet room area including at least a metre beyond the showering area.
Also, ensuring that all corners and joints are sealed is vital.
Ventilation
Finally, ventilation is very important in any bathroom, so getting it right in your new wet room should be a top priority.
A lack of ventilation can lead to mould and other bacteria forming, and with how wet rooms are designed, it’s really important to ensure every area that comes in to contact with moisture is well ventilated.
If you are planning on installing a mobility bathroom in your property, why not take advantage of our free home survey service. Simply call us today on 0151 525 3610 and we will take care of everything else!