Wet Room FAQs

The floor in a wet room is completely level thanks to the built in drainage falls in the shower floor. The 11mm gradient built into the floor formers or laid to fall when using screed, enables the water to flow towards a flush drain positioned within the shower area. The whole room should be tanked or waterproofed or at least to a minimum of the shower area plus one metre across the floor and 220mm up the walls. This will provide a secure watertight barrier that will last for the lifetime of your tiles (or until you replace them).

It is possible to adapt any bathroom into a wet room no matter where it is located in the home thanks to the flexibility of our wetroom systems. As there is no constraint to the size of shower area that can be constructed, even the smallest of bathrooms can be transformed into a wet room. However, to remain practical, the smallest wet room size we would recommend is 1.5m x 1m, with enough space for a toilet and wash basin.

Installing a level access wetroom removes the need for a shower tray and results in a seamless, barrier free transition into the shower area.

The height of luxury

• The clean, minimal lines of a wet room provide a contemporary space to shower.
• A walk in shower creates a real WOW factor and improves the desirability of your home.
• Linear drainage & stunning stone-infill grills provide a sleek finishing touch to a wet room.
• Underfloor heating is the perfect way to keep your wet room warm and dry in the cold winter months.

Complete flexibility

• Every bathroom can be a wet room. The flexibility of a wet room means that any size or shape of wet room can be achieved on any floor build up.
• A contemporary wet room provides a perception of space, helping make a small en-suite feel more spacious.

Family friendly

• A level access wet room provides a family friendly showering space with no trip hazards.
• A walk in shower provides a safe showering area for all, regardless of age or mobility
• Wet rooms require little maintenance thanks to few moving parts – which means keeping them clean is child’s play!

Space Saving

• No need for a standard size shower tray
• Installing a wetroom will make the most of the space you have available
• A wet room should also improve the saleability of your home.

Waterproofing is the key to a successful watertight wet room. For a wet room to be completely watertight, a waterproof membrane should be installed prior to tiling. This involves waterproofing or “tanking” the wet room using a waterproof membrane underneath the tiles right up to and including the drain, corner junctions, toilet flange and recessed areas including shower niches. The waterproof membrane should be installed across the whole bathroom floor, followed by the application of a liquid membrane to the walls to ensure water cannot penetrate between any gaps.

For more information on wet room waterproofing, check out our ‘How To Tank A Wetroom’ or Waterproofing pages.

Wetrooms are a popular addition to homes thanks to their flexibility. Even the smallest of space can be fitted with a wetroom without the constraint of having to install a standard size shower tray.

Installing the correct wetroom system for the floor build up is critical and will ensure that it is not only watertight but it has a strong enough sub base on which the wetroom gradient is formed.

On timber floors, a wetroom former or dec is installed prior to the drainage and waterproofing systems. As the floorboards will need removing to allow the former to be installed, it is important that the former is strong enough to withstand significant weight. We always recommend that our decs are installed on top of ply support for added strength.

On newly constructed concrete floors in new build properties, the drainage and connection to the mains needs to be installed prior to the screed being poured. In older properties, the old screed needs to be removed or ‘scabbled out’ before the drainage system can be installed. The new screed is then laid on top.

Yes, electric and piped underfloor heating can be installed under wet room tiles. We recommend that if you are installing electric underfloor heating that you do not go above 150 watts per square metre. When installing underfloor heating, please ensure that you keep 200mm away from the drain to stop the drain from drying out. Visit our Underfloor heating blog here.

The trend towards natural stone and porcelain tiles in wet rooms has helped fuel the popularity of contemporary linear drains which lend themselves to the sleek, minimal look achieved by stone and porcelain.

It’s important to remember that the type of drainage system you use in a wet room is determined by the floor build up in your bathroom. Once you have established your floor build up, it’s advisable to decide upon the style of tiles that you would like in your wet room.

Contemporary tiles such as natural stone and porcelain are often described as large format tiles, due to their large nature. These tiles lend themselves to the contemporary style of linear drains, which are more straight forward to install and require fewer cuts. For this reason, contemporary tiles are best suited to wet rooms with only one or two way falls where a sleek minimal look can be achieved. (That’s not to say that you can’t install a square drain with contemporary tiles, but be aware that the tiles around the drain will have to be cut in quite a few places and the final result may not be as aesthetically pleasing as you desired).

Mosaic tiles are ideally suited to floors with a built in four way fall and this can be achieved using a wet dec with a consistent gradient. The drainage grill that finishes off the look of the drain is square. Whilst mosaics are still popular in wet rooms, the additional cleaning of the grout that is needed to keep your tiles looking fresh, can be rather off putting.

We’ve written an article about how to clean a wetroom. Click here to read it.

All of our wetroom and waterproofing products come with a Lifetime Guarantee. The guarantee covers them for the lifetime of the tiles that are installed. This is provided that they have been installed and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

A wet room can be installed on either a timber or concrete floor.

On a timber floor, a floor former or “dec” is installed onto the joists to create a gradual slope that replaces the need for a traditional shower tray. The whole room is waterproofed following the installation of the floor former and drainage systems and before tiling commences.

The whole wet room is then waterproofed prior to the installation of tiles. For more information about wet room drainage systems that can be installed on timber floors, check out our timber floors page.

Our sister company Wetrooms UK, offers a comprehensive design, manufacture and installation service for large scale commercial & residential projects, complete with a 10 Year Installation Guarantee. Find out more here. For homeowners, we can put you in touch with a local installer from whom you’ll be able to purchase our wetroom products and have them installed cost effectively.

An S1 or C2 cementitious rapid set tile adhesive is absolutely essential and must be used on top of the waterproof membrane. Flexibility is important, as there is constant movement within the floor, especially when the floor structure is timber.

When applying the adhesive, the 100% bed of adhesive method must be used rather than the dot and dab method. This prevents water tracking through the gaps under the tiles, leading to leaks.

We are regularly asked this question by customers. Thanks to the depth of the stone they’ve used on the wetroom floor and the addition of 100% bed of adhesive beneath the tiles, the grill doesn’t then sit level with the finished height of the floor tiles. Thanks to the flexibility of our brackets and drainage grills, it is easy to adjust the height of the grill to match the depth of the tiles. We supply a pack of spacers with every grill that can be used to adjust the height up and down according to your tile depth. If you require deeper screws or spacers, please contact your supplier.

Why not take a look at our new waterproofing animation which takes you through the installation process of installing Tilesure Waterproofing & Decoupling Membrane onto a wetroom floor. The beauty of a self adhesive waterproofing membrane is that it can be tiled upon immediately.

A Stone-Infill Grill is a stunning way of creating the look of a continuous stone floor, virtually unbroken by the line of a stainless steel drainage grill. The Stone-Infill grill is suitable for use with natural stone and porcelain tiles, which are simply bedded into the empty Infill Grill, creating a beautiful finishing touch to any wet room. Suitable for use with the popular Modular Wet-Floor System for timber floors and the Linear Screed Drain for solid floors, the Stone-Infill Grill adds a sleek and minimalistic feel to any wet room. Our Frameless grill is a stunning addition to your wetroom and is the ultimate Stone-infill grill without a frame. A natural stone or full bodied porcelain tile can be used in our frameless grill surround. Find out more information about the Stone-Infill grill here.

Our wet room drainage systems have been designed for use with floor tiles such as stone, porcelain and marble and are therefore not suitable for use with Vinyl (Altro) flooring. Vinyl drains need a clamping ring which our drains do not have, so you will need to speak to a vinyl drain specialist.

It is now possible to complement the sanitary and brassware in your wetroom with a stunning frameless grill from CCL Wetrooms. The frameless grill enables a piece of natural stone or porcelain tile to be inserted into the base. The grill only has a 5mm shadow gap around it’s perimeter and has no visible frame, creating the look of a continuous stone floor. The frameless grill surround creates the illusion of a floating tile and will complement all of the different brassware finishes that are currently trending.

For more information, why not visit our blog.

A wall grill sits flush against either of the shower walls. The grill has a 36mm lateral movement that allows it to be adjusted slightly away from the wall, dependent on the thickness of the tile. For customers who prefer to not stand on the drain, the wall grill is the ideal choice. A floor grill is positioned offset within the main shower area.

Generally our linear drains are fitted with one trap that can cope with water flows rates of up to 24 l/min – suitable for a standard showerhead. However, an additional two traps can be fitted to each linear drain to increase the flow rates up to 70 l/min, ideal for high performance showers.

Installing a glass screen in a wetroom is a personal choice. An entirely waterproofed wetroom will do away with the need for a glass screen as the tanking will act as a secure barrier to contain the water. However, if you have small bathroom, you’ll probably want to install a glass screen to stop the spray soaking your towels and toilet rolls, which can travel up to 1200mm from the centre of the shower head. A glass screen will also help to create an illusion of space within your wetroom.

One thing to bear in mind if you decide to install a glass screen is that you will need to purchase a decorative tile trim (edging strip). The stainless steel trim is used to conceal the edge of the tiles that are visible along the length of the wetroom tapered board once it has been tiled upon. Just ensure that you buy a tile trim long enough to accommodate the size of your tapered board and drain body. The tile trim can be cut down on site.

We offer our customers next day nationwide delivery on all stocked items ordered before 2pm. For our Fast Track Bespoke Grills, we offer customers a 3-4 day lead time and the grills will be delivered to site within 4 days. Delivery is free of charge on all orders over £150 nett.

Our head office and warehouse are based in Hook, Hampshire.

We sell our wetroom products directly to the public as well as to builders and house developers. We also supply to building merchants and bathroom showrooms, so you may find you can get a better price if you have an account with one of these companies.

Our warehouse and offices are open from 8.30am until 5pm, Monday to Friday.

You can call our technical sales team on 0844 327 6002 to place an order, or email your requirements to [email protected]. We endeavour to respond to your request within one working day.

Of course. We’re here to help with any technical questions about our products as well as being able to design a suitable wetroom for your project. Why not give us a call to discuss your project today.

The demand for effective shallow drainage has never been greater thanks to the reduction in floor depths in today’s modern residential builds.

At a depth of only 55mm, our Linear Screed Drain with waterless Lo-Seal Trap has been developed specifically for use in wetroom construction projects with screed depths of below 70mm. The trap contains a self- sealing mechanism which locks into position, keeping the trap sealed when not in use. The slimline drain has been granted BBA approval, and allows the waste position to be rotated through 360°, enabling easy installation into any concrete floor, as well as connecting to existing pipework on-site. For full technical specifications, please visit the Linear Screed Drain page.

Inclusive Design is becoming the general term applied to the principal of a subject (in this case, a bathroom) that has been designed for use by anyone, regardless of their age or ability. For more information on the principals of inclusive design in wet rooms take a look at our Lifetime Homes news piece.

• Wet rooms help meet the requirements of the Lifetime Homes Standard
• The Equality Act 2010 (replacing the Disability Discrimination Act) states that reasonable adjustments need to made for those who are disabled and experience a ‘substantial disadvantage’, to ensure they have the same experience as others in service-based environments. These adjustments could be through alterations to physical access or the way services are delivered. Wet rooms are a perfect accessible solution for those with a disability and can be counted as a reasonable adjustment for service providers such as hotels due to their level of accessibility.
• The level access nature of a wet room creates a barrier free showering experience.
• Unlike a shower tray, a wet room does not require a step up into the shower or a lip that can be tripped over.
• Walk in showers can achieve all of the above without compromising the design of the bathroom.

Yes, we can deliver a Wetroom Design & Specification CPD at your practice, which guides Architects through the process of designing and specifying a watertight wetroom. These are run free of charge at a time to suit your practice. The 45 minute technical presentation is a comprehensive seminar covering all aspects of wetroom design and specification:- wetroom design & layout, waterproofing, drainage, floor build-up and installation. An informative section on how wetrooms can help meet the Lifetime Homes Standard is also covered. To book your CPD, please drop us an email at [email protected] or call us on 0844 327 6002. Why not take a look at our CPD testimonials here.

Our full range of wetroom & waterproofing products can be found on the NBS Source website.
You can also download technical specifications for each of our products on our website here:

• Linear Screed Drain
• Modular Wet-Floor
• Linear Screed-Dec
• Linear Screed Line & HBL-50
• Tilesure Waterproofing & Decoupling Membrane
• Screedsure Waterproofing Membrane
• FWM (Flexible Wall Membrane)

Our Lo-Seal waterless trap – an integral part of the Linear Screed Drain and our Modular Waterless System, has been granted BBA approval. To view the certificate, download it here.

We supply wetroom and waterproofing products into projects across the UK and we’ve put together a portfolio of case studies that showcase the wetroom projects that our products are being installed into. In addition, our sister company Wetrooms UK install our branded products into large commercial and residential projects across London and the South East. Click here to view our case studies.