Wet Room Installation

[Hettster]

Does anyone have any experience of wet room installation? I am interested in hearing about good & bad experiences, the pros & cons. I am also interested to find out about installing a wet room into a room with wooden floorboards & joists. As I say any info you can provide would be appreciated. Thank you in anticipation.

[Mosaic]

I'm sure others will provide suggestions, but wooden floor and joists presents possible the least satisfactory subfloor for a wetroom. As you are aware, the u-bend pipework from the shower to the drain will have to be within the floor-ceiling space, which may lack the necessary depth, or may already be crowded with pipes / cables. But my main concern would be in the inevitable movement that wooden floors and supporting joists make over time, heat fluctuations, humidity changes. The tiniest microscopic crack in the waterproofing beneath the tiling will allow disastrous slow seepage of water and timbers will start to rot.

[BRIGHT SPARK]

On a wooden floor you will need to use a sheet Altroflex type covering and return it up the walls around 150mm.Looks good for a few years ..but after that? You could re-board the floor and tile over...but it will still crack along the grout lines. IMO..they look good when new but soon become shabby.

[The Builder]

Perfect results with a solid floor, usually downstairs on concrete. First floors with concrete beam & block, or steel beam construction get over the deflection problem.

Any "solid" installation over a flexible floor structure will inevitably crack tile joints and grouting. Best solution in these cases would be a giant, moulded shower tray - the size of a room................ if you can find one.