A wetroom is essentially a very simple shower room, except the entire floor is open, with a sloped surface carrying water to the drain. Wetrooms make the most of very small spaces, so they’re becoming increasingly popular in modern homes. Tiles are an ideal choice for wetrooms since they can be easily laid down to create a slope, but you’ll need to make the right decisions during the tiling process if you want your wetroom to go the distance without making a nuisance of itself.
Make sure you follow these tips.
Go for Smaller Tiles
There’s much online debate about whether you should use large tiles or small tiles. True, large tiles require fewer grout lines and are thus easier to clean, but smaller tiles are easier to replace if any damage is sustained. More importantly, it’s much easier to create a gradual slope when you use smaller tiles – you can even have the slope become more dramatic right next to the drainage point.
Pick a Non-Porous Tile
When you come to pick out tiles for your wetroom, you’ll probably be thinking more about colour and style rather than asking if they’re porous or non-porous. However, porous or non-porous should really be your starting point. Porous tiles, such as marble, limestone, and slate, need to be sealed every few months to protect against water damage, which is a huge nuisance when dealing with a wetroom. Pick out a non-porous tile instead, such as ceramic or porcelain.
Use a Flexible Adhesive
You might frown when you hear that wetroom floors should be a little flexible. After all, flexibility tends to suggest weakness. But that’s not the case here. Your wetroom floor is naturally going to take a lot of weight, so it needs to flex a little to handle that weight without breaking. The tiles themselves need to be solid, so you need to use a flexible adhesive. There are a few types available, so ask your tile supplier which one is best and stick to their recommendation.
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