Wet Room
Specialists in Perth
When it comes to bathroom renovations, many clients make a choice to modify their existing bathroom into a wet room for disabled or elderly persons in the home. While there are many wet room designs, our mobility experts will help you create a safe and useful wet room that will fit your needs.
A wet room is a specially designed bathroom where everything in the space can get wet without being ruined. There is no need to step up and over a tub or HOB. In a wet room the shower is level with the rest of the floor. The water from the showerhead in a wet room drains away into a drain on the shower floor.
For extra safety, non-slip wet room flooring is the norm and additional modifications are available.
Why an Accessible Wet Room is Important
When you consider the fact that a significant number of accidents in the home happen in the bathroom, especially entering and exiting the tub, you can see why a well-designed wet room can make a huge difference for someone who has issues with mobility, balance, or strength.
At AccessAble Home Modifications, we offer a wide range of options for turning your bathroom into a wet room. These include but are not limited to:
- Handrails and grab bars strategically installed to be helpful
- Wheelchair accessible fixtures
- Non-slip flooring
- Supports around the toilet
- Walk-in/ wheel-in shower
- Detachable shower head
- Built-in shower seat
- Transfer bench
We can help
If you are looking to build a wet room in your Perth Home, talk to the experts today, we can provide all you need to make your bathroom more accessible
Benefits Of
a Disabled Wet Room
Before making the renovation, you should look at the wet room bathroom pros and cons. There are many benefits to having a disabled wet room installed in your home. These include:
- Extra safety
- A sense of autonomy
- Highly adaptable
- Easy to clean
- Totally waterproof (with proper installation)
- Can increase the value of your home
The biggest downside to a wet room is that everything gets wet. Some creative in-wall storage options are available to make this less of an issue.
Why You Should Choose AccessAble Home Modifications
We are Perth’s most trusted and experienced team. Benefits of choosing us include:
- We Use Universal Design Plans and Products – This means that all of our home modification projects will be accessible to people of all levels of mobility. You will not need to be concerned that we are creating a new barrier by removing another.
- Professionally Reviewed Designs – We require all of our designs to get the approval of a registered occupational therapist. We do this because your safety is our top concern. No modifications begin until the plans have a professional’s endorsement.
- NDIS Approved – AccessAble Home Modifications has approval from NDIS to make modifications on their projects.
Wet Rooms FAQs AccessAble Home Modifications
What is a wet room?
A wet room is a bathroom free of obstructions on the floor. Since there are no shower screens or hobs, the tiling falls (or shower curtain) are how water control is achieved. The toilet would be as far away from the shower as possible, and a vanity would be hung on a wall.
Is a wet room suitable for all people?
Wet rooms are ideal for most everyone. They work well with the Universal Design Principles which create living spaces that suit every level of mobility. All potential hazards are gone, and the area is safer. You can find wet rooms in high-end homes, and they do not look like they belong in a hospital setting. Some homeowners are planning ahead and arranging wet room modifications while still mobile, and the feature is becoming a selling point in the real estate world.
How do you design a wet room?
Considering that wet rooms are the most technically complex way to create a bathroom, experience is the key to the project. Several critical aspects must be done precisely, or you could face a disaster. Some examples of these include:
- The plumbing and placing drainage in the correct spots
- Tiling must be planned and executed to ensure correct falls
- Planning the layout to maximise space and emphasise safety
How do I make a wet room waterproof?
Because obstructions like shower screens and hobs must be removed to create a wet room, it is vital that the waterproofing be top-notch. Australian Standards outline what is necessary for a wet room to be adequately waterproofed.
- The entire floor must be waterproofed
- The shower walls are to be waterproofed to a height of 1800mm
- Walls that extend 1500mm out from the shower walls must be waterproofed to 1800mm
- Other walls have to be waterproofed to 150mm high
Unfortunately, not all builders are concerned with following the standards and cut corners in such areas. Eventually, problems will arise because of shoddy work. To avoid this, work with an experienced builder who can provide references. The price may seem a bit higher, but in the long run, you are not saving money if you do the job twice.
Can I install a wet room/walk-in shower in any house?
In most cases, any ground floor bathroom with a concrete floor and sufficient space can have a walk-in shower or become a wet room. If your house is timber or steel framed, a great deal of costly work must be done to have the correct falls.
Can a wet room/walk-in shower be safely installed on the upper floors?
It is not impossible to do; it would be costly and exceptionally difficult. Unless the bathroom starts as a wet room, it would be challenging to create the modification, if it could be done at all. Drainage in an upper floor bathroom is often above or in the slab, so a hob is necessary for correct falls. However, if there is a hob, it is technically not a wet room.