I’m starting to think about the future and am considering turning my current bathroom into a wet room. They’re generally unheard of here, so I was wondering if it could be classified as a do-it-yourself project by someone experienced in flipping houses?
How hard is it to convert an existing room? My primary concern is how to install floor tiles so that they can slope towards the drain without turning it into a slip-and-fall issue while I’m still mobile.
I would need to remove my current porcelain bathtub and replace the floor and 2 sections of wall. How much money am I looking at for supplies, and what’s a fair price for labor at the friends-and-family discount? The room is roughly 6 feet by 8 feet.
I got my wet room done - best thing I’ve done! We had a bedroom converted. Make sure you get the non slide floor tiles - they come in different non-slip grades - we settled for grade 14 and they work well when I need to transfer. If you are looking to the future really consider a bath as well as a shower. Good luck
i in my sheltered they are pretty standard equipment for bungalows. I believe there aer upstair ones they have to have a special water proof lining not sure as ours upstairs in my house we just took the bath out and put a corner shower in.
I love my wet room, its so easy to have a shower. I can just go in and sit down and have my shower without worrying about slipping. i have special stuff on my floor. they are so easy to keep clean too.
there is a slope to the drain and the drain is lower then the surrounding area so not much water goes anywhere else.
i found this conversation for USA not sure if it helps. i wouldnt use tiles in the uk they use a special wet room flooring.
Lucy’s so pretty! She reminds me of our old Freddie. He was a black & white version of her. We weren’t in the market for a dog, but our neighbor found him wandering outside the township shed and couldn’t keep him. He immediately ran up to me and made the decision for us. We got to keep him for 18 years.
And Mum would love your shower curtain! One of her new hobbies is to buy bright shower curtains and change them every 2-4 weeks. She’s “only” up to 14 now and plans to keep going.
The American articles I’m reading say that everything gets wet, but I’d think with a shower curtain there wouldn’t be any more moisture than I currently have? It’s not like I’m going to be standing there waving the shower head all over the place.
By the way, CC, I want your toilet paper holder! I’ve been looking at things like that since I bought this house.
found it on EBAY lol. its great for putting phone on there just in case you miss a call lol. xx shower curtain ebay, i get most my stuff from there lol. xx
could it be because they are on a different level? upstairs. mine is downstairs so it is easier to make the slope. only time i have had issue is if the drain isnt cleared out otherwise the water just drains into the drain as you shower. I love my wet room couldnt live without it, and its easy to keep clean for my cleaner lol.
Yes lucy is pretty, when i saw her in the litter she had little frown lines and i knew i had to have her. xxx
You need a specialist to install a wetroom. It’s the floor really that needs specialist knowledge. Not only does the floor need a gentle slope towards the drain, the installer has to put in a shower tray (suitable for wetrooms) under the vinyl floor. This is a picture of mine. You can see where the flooring goes up round the edge of the room.
We had our existing shower room turned into a wetroom so have got cupboards which are protected by the shower curtains.
They might not be quite so common in the U.S. as the U.K., but must exist. So if you do a Google search on your local area, or ask a bathroom installation company for a referral?
Honestly, they make all the difference to your life.
I was so upset and depressed about this last night that I sat and cried for hours. Haven’t done that in forever, so I hope I’m over it.
I tried talking to my uncle about it, but he doesn’t have a clue what I’m talking about and tried convincing me to just get a normal shower stall. He actually told me it would be no big deal to run a wheelchair over a hard 4" lip! Tried searching online, but all the helpful sites are British. Over here, the rich people who are doing similar things to this just make a large shower area completely separate from the toilet and sink, and they’re frequently elevated(!). To hire a pro would cost around 16,000 USD, and my house is only worth twice that!
I have found a couple wheelchair-accessible shower pans that might work if I just tile the rest of the floor and the bottom of the walls. I’ve found some large ceramic tiles that are made for shower floors and are Disability approved, but I’d need a waterproof liner under them. I also have some “plastic paneling” in the garage that would work on the walls. From what I’m seeing at our local lumber store, I could probably get everything I need for well under $1000, then whatever my uncle would want to install it. Assuming I can explain to him what needs to be done. CC’s and Sue’s photos will come in handy!
ah dont get too upset hun, it will work out for you.
I have a shower wheelchair. can sit on it then just be pushed under the shower lol. its all water proof. the flooring is important, its wet room or kitchen floor which is like vinyl its all one piece but treated specially its very easy to lay down and stays water proof. I dont have my toilet in the shower area, its set to the side in an alcove whic ihs part of the wet room. my shower chair i could put a commode in as there is space for it.
my walls are just tiled as a normal shower cubicle would be. nothing special, its the drain and floor which is important. If one removes the bath there will already be a drain for that which can be used for shower area. before i moved we had a bathroom upstiars with bath, i could not use the bath, so we had it removed and a shower stall put in which at the time i could manage and they used the bath drain for the shower. I had grab rails and a seat fitted to the wall which was great.
sounds like you are working it all out now. xxx I am surprised wet rooms are not more popular as i think showers are in the USA but not so much in the UK. Most love to soak in the bath for hours lol. (those days are long gone for me lol). xxx
I’m still minding the thought of giving up my tub. Now, I don’t think I’ve been able to use it in at least 2 years. Last time around, the only way I could get out was by rolling onto my belly and pushing up on my knees. Not an easy thing to do when I’m nearly as wide as the tub! I had visions of having to call my son to help me out, so I’ve been afraid to try it ever since. But pulling it out just seems so final, you know? I’m still getting into it okay to shower, so part of me just wants to keep waiting, even though I know it’s foolish.
It took a week to convert our bathroom to a wet room.
Like the others say do get non slip floor surface. I have floor tiles, and a tank had to be fitted underneath in the event of any seepage from the shower area. I also have underfloor heating, the floor dries really quickly with that. My bathroom is smaller than yours, bath, washbasin and toilet, and existing floor and walls tiles were removed. New taller toilet and washbasin installed, along with tank, under floor heating, new floor and wall tiles, grab rails and labour cost £7,000 Sterling about four years ago. I used a plumber who specialised in wet rooms, some plumbers won’t touch them. I have a shower stool, I didn’t want the tiles spoiling with a drop down wall mounted seat.
I got rid of my bath and replaced it with a shower. After 5yrs went back to having a bath - I use a hoist in and out now but Manger bath cushion before that was great to transfer from wheelchair and to get out and get back onto chair.
best thing we ever did taking our bath out. we just went for a corner shower pedestal. I could get in ok with that with a seat on the wall and grab rails and reinforced glass doors. my husband loved it too.
we were told we would never sell our house without a bath and it sold literally as soon as it went on the market and we had 3 buyers after it. I must admit having the bath out was great. so easy to have a shower and quick too.
the day i got stuck in the bath was the day i knew that was it for me, and never looked back. Having a wet room for me is a must. Nothing to trip over and drive right in and wash lol. sorted.
lol now thats just too posh lol. I wish but mine is council property (social housing), so we have the mandatory slope towards the plug hole. Mind you its so easy to clean, i have one of those special mops that suck up water attached to my CLEANER ha ha.
I would strongly advise engaging a specialist wet-room installer. I once engaged a have-a-go-hero plumbing company who had never done one before, and that was an expensive mistake, to put it mildly. When it comes to wet rooms, enthusiasm is no substitute for expertise!
I understand, Alison, but we don’t have wet rooms here, even in hospitals. It’s a completely foreign concept. I think I’m going to have to settle for a wheelchair-accessible shower base and then just try to tile the rest of the floor.
I’ve had to put it all aside for now, because my lovely new car, just bought slightly used in January, is dead in my driveway.
