Wet rooms have been a sensation in Europe for over three decades, but it’s only been in the last decade the they’re found homes in the United States. Just as walk in closets are essential complements to high-end bedrooms wet rooms are becoming the must-have luxury bathroom. Technically, a wet room is a walk in shower enclosure, but this is a misnomer, since there is no enclosure within the bathroom; the bathroom itself is the enclosure. The differences are worth examining more carefully.
Wet Rooms
Someone who walks in a bathroom that has been remodeled into a wet room may not spot the shower facility at first glance. The only indication is a shower head and a pair of faucet handles jutting from one corner wall. Water containment is handled by a slop in the tile floor underneath the shower head. There is usually no shower pan, ledge, door or frame to enclose the area. This lack of framing and partitioning creates a beautiful, spacious look, but unless the water capture is well planned, wet rooms can be rather high-maintenance. Even with a gradient in the floor, it may be difficult to shower spray from bouncing off the person showering and onto the main bathroom floor.
Conventional Walk in Shower Enclosures
Standard and doorless walk in showers are often less dramatic in appearance, but far more practical in many cases. Walk in shower enclosures have little or no shower curb to walk over in order to enter the stall, making them ideal for users with disabilities. For those who would still like some of the spaciousness offered by wet rooms, glass shower screens can minimize the visual obstruction of shower entrances. Frameless shower door hardware can add to the illusion of a wet room by removing any visible outlines on the top and left edges of glass doors, while blocking water from drifting out into the rest of the bathroom. Wet rooms are ideal for homeowners who have have the budget for ensure proper water containment. For everyone else, conventional walk in showers will likely be most cost effective.