When planning a bathroom upgrade, homeowners often ask: should I choose a wet room or stick with a traditional bathroom? The answer depends on your lifestyle, space constraints, and budget. This article explores both options, delving into what makes a wet room distinct, and how it compares against traditional bathrooms, so you can confidently choose what works best for your home.
What Is a Wet Room?
A wet room is an open-plan shower space where the entire floor is waterproofed (“tanked”) and gently slopes toward a drain. Instead of a closed shower cubicle or tray, the shower area flows seamlessly into the rest of the room. You’ll often see a wet room floor tiled with non-slip surfaces and fitted with discreet drainage, creating a sleek, modern aesthetic.
What Is a Traditional Bathroom?
A traditional bathroom features a defined shower enclosure or bathtub, complete with raised trays, glass doors, and often a separate wet zone. Typical finishes include tiled walls and floors, plumbing fixtures, and possibly a bathtub. Bathrooms of this style offer clear boundaries, making them familiar and practical for many households.
Key Structural Differences
1. Waterproofing and Drainage
- Wet rooms require full waterproofing—every wall and the floor must be tanked to prevent leaks. A slight gradient directs water toward a linear or point drain, ensuring efficient water flow.
- Traditional bathrooms rely on waterproofing around fixed areas like shower trays or bathtubs. Only the immediate wet zones need sealing.
2. Barriers and Accessibility
- Wet rooms are barrier-free, with no shower trays or screens. This seamless design provides full accessibility for wheelchairs or limited mobility.
- Traditional bathrooms depend on high trays or tubs as barriers, which can be a challenge for people who struggle to step over raised edges.
3. Aesthetic and Space Use
- A wet room offers a sleek, spacious feel. Without partitions and raised surfaces, the room appears larger and more open.
- A traditional bathroom embraces a conventional, segmented layout—ideal for smaller areas where you want clearly defined zones.
4. Maintenance
- The open-plan nature of a wet room means water can reach more surfaces, so you’ll need to clean tiles and grout across the whole floor more frequently.
- A traditional bathroom contains water within a tray or enclosure, reducing the area to maintain and allowing for simpler cleaning routines.
Which One Suits Your Home?
Lifestyle and Usage
- If you want a luxurious, accessible space with a minimalist look, a wet room is ideal.
- For families, renters, or anyone who prefers familiar layouts with clear boundaries, a traditional bathroom may be more practical.
Budget Considerations
- Wet rooms tend to have higher installation costs due to full-tanking and slope work.
- Traditional bathrooms can be more budget-friendly, especially for smaller remodels where only fixtures need updating.
Practical Space Needs
- In compact bathroom spaces, a wet room can maximise visual and physical space.
- Traditional bathrooms work well for segmented designs, especially where you need distinct zones, such as a bath and shower.
Need help choosing between wet rooms and traditional bathrooms? Contact Annick Bathrooms today to schedule your free consultation or book a demo.
Pros and Cons of Each Option
Choosing between wet rooms and traditional bathrooms requires careful thought. In this post you’ll explore which suits your space, budget, and long-term needs best. We’ll also mention walk-in shower and shower tray considerations and how they impact small spaces.
Wet Rooms
Accessibility & Aging‑in‑Place benefits (zero thresholds)
Wet rooms support barrier-free entry with no thresholds, which is ideal for aging-in-place or those with mobility challenges.
Space‑saving and modern spa aesthetic
A wet room creates a clean, minimalist look. With no bulky shower tray or enclosures, it makes small spaces feel open and luxurious.
Easier to clean (no grout lines/traps)
Without a traditional shower tray or grout lines, cleaning becomes quicker and more efficient, giving homeowners more free time.
Higher cost, moisture issues, lack of bath sympathy
Installing a full wet room often costs more due to waterproofing and drainage solutions. Moisture control needs expert planning, and you lose the option of a bath for those who prefer it.
Traditional Bathrooms
Traditional layouts include a designated shower area and bath, often with a shower tray or tub-and-shower combo.
Cost‑effective solutions, familiar layout, retains bath
Options like walk-in showers or bathtub-shower setups are usually more affordable to install or remodel. Plus, they fit expectations for resale, since buyers often look for a bath option.
Better water containment and resale familiarity
A shower tray and enclosure help contain water, reducing mess. Traditional baths are standard in listings, appealing to families and older buyers.
More choice in flooring/finishes and simpler heating placement
You have more flexibility with tiles, finishes, and underfloor heating zones. With defined spaces, radiant heat or towel rails are easier to position.
May not free up space as efficiently
Traditional layouts tend to segment the bathroom, which can make spaces feel cramped, especially in smaller areas.
Walk-in Shower vs Wet Room vs Traditional: How to Choose
If you want the best of both worlds, a walk-in shower paired with a low-profile shower tray gives you accessibility with better water containment, and still looks modern. It’s a smart compromise for small spaces, offering an open feel without the full cost of a wet room.
Consider Your Priorities:
- Accessibility & Future Proofing: Wet room or walk-in shower offers barrier-free entry.
- Design Appeal: Wet rooms create sleek visuals; walk-in showers offer modern flair.
- Budget: Traditional setups with walk-in showers are more budget-friendly.
- Ease of Cleaning: Wet rooms require less scrubbing; traditional ones depend on grout upkeep.
- Heat & Finish Choices: Traditional bathrooms give more options for tiles and heating layouts.
What UK Homeowners Need to Know
When it comes to choosing between a wet room and a traditional bathroom, UK homeowners face a range of important considerations—from waterproofing requirements and space constraints to future-proofing and resale value. Let’s break these down and help you decide which option is best suited for your home.
Planning & Waterproofing Requirements
One of the most critical steps is planning and waterproofing. Wet rooms demand full tanking, meaning floors and walls require continuous waterproof membranes to prevent leaks. Proper drainage, such as slope-to-drain design and quality drains, is essential. Additionally, robust ventilation is vital to manage steam and avoid damp issues.
In contrast, a traditional bathroom—or even a walk-in shower enclosure, only needs waterproofing in the shower or bath area. This localised approach can reduce costs and simplify the installation for many homeowners.
Suitability for Small Spaces or Loft Conversions
Considering limited space, whether in a small bathroom, loft conversion, or tucked-away corner, a wet room shines. With no bulky shower tray or walls, it maximises usable area and creates an open-plan feel, ideal for tight layouts.
However, if you’re working with even smaller zones or want a blend of openness and containment, a well-designed shower room with a compact shower enclosure might better fit budget and layout constraints.
Accessibility & Future-Proofing
Wet rooms offer universal design benefits, such as level access and no thresholds—ideal for homeowners planning ahead for aging in place or accommodating family members with limited mobility. A well-installed wet room is undoubtedly future-proof, easily adaptable with grab rails or folding seats.
Still, a walk-in shower can also be accessible and safe without the complexity of full waterproofing. Either option supports mobility-friendly features, but wet rooms offer maximum barrier-free entry.
Resale Value Impacts
In urban environments, a sleek wet room can enhance a home’s modern appeal and add an estimated 2–5% to its resale value, especially attractive to high-end buyers.
Yet not all buyers prefer wet rooms: some favour a traditional bathroom with a bath, especially in family homes. A small bathroom transformed into a stylish shower room or featuring a walk-in showers option may appeal to a broader market.
Recommendations for UK Homeowners
1. Define Your Goals and Budget
- For a full accessibility upgrade and a modern, spacious feel, commit to a wet room. Budget around £5,000+, including full waterproofing and fit-out.
- For smaller budgets or simpler installations, a shower room with a quality walk-in shower is easier, cheaper, and still effective.
2. Prioritise Waterproofing and Ventilation
- Wet rooms demand expert tanking, good drainage slope, and powerful ventilation—especially vital in loft conversions, where structural complexity adds risk.
- Shower rooms need fewer waterproofing layers, but still benefit from tiled waterproofing and moisture control.
3. Optimise For Space
- In small spaces or lofts, removing bulky trays and doors opens up the room.
- If you still want defined areas, opt for a walk-in shower with glass screens to balance openness and functionality.
4. Think Long-Term Value
- Consider adding a tub or keeping plumbing ready for one, even if you go for a wet room, so the option to convert exists for future buyers.
- For family homes, a versatile shower room may yield better sales outcomes than an all-out wet room.
Installation, Maintenance and Costs
In this section, we explore installation, maintenance and costs, and how each option—wet room or traditional bathroom can impact your renovation budget, long‑term upkeep, and overall value for your home.
Wet Room Installation
Converting to a wet room demands professional tiling across floors and walls to create a fully waterproof space. That means installing a slope toward a central linear drain to avoid pooling. Specialist finishes, such as non‑slip tiles, warm finishes, and radiant heat systems, must be carefully chosen. Underfloor heating often needs rerouting or waterproof-safe alternatives, since traditional heating methods may not be suitable under fully tiled floors.
Maintenance & Long‑Term Care
A key feature of wet rooms is their ease of cleaning, no trays or enclosures means fewer nooks where soap scum forms. Still, you must maintain excellent ventilation to prevent moisture buildup and mould. Daily wiping or squeegeeing helps keep surfaces pristine, especially around drains and glass panels. Poor ventilation and drainage are major mould triggers in wet rooms.
Cost Comparisons
Wet rooms typically carry a 20–30% cost premium compared to traditional fit-outs. In the UK, a quality wet room installation starts around £8,000 and can reach £10,000–£15,000 for high-end designs. Conversely, a typical traditional bathroom suite, installed within an existing layout, often costs about £1,000–£2,000, with full refurbishments averaging £4,500–£7,000. That difference is significant, but wet rooms can add an estimated 2–5% to your property’s resale value.
Heating, Flooring & Materials: UK Climate Impact
Underfloor heating in a wet room delivers luxurious comfort, but only when compatible with waterproof membranes. Standard heating mats or cables work well with traditional bathrooms. Flooring choices vary—non‑slip tiles, vinyl, or stone finishes all suit wet rooms, but must resist moisture. UK winters demand proper insulation and moisture barriers, as cold temperatures can worsen condensation issues without adequate heating. Meanwhile, traditional bathrooms benefit from reinforced flooring beneath tubs and laminate-friendly materials under vanity units.
Which Option Is Right for You?
- Wet Rooms
- Ideal for small bathrooms or en‑suites where space is limited.
- Provide a sleek, barrier‑free design that enhances accessibility and future‑proofs your home.
- Require precise installation and high‑quality waterproofing to avoid damp issues.
- Ideal for small bathrooms or en‑suites where space is limited.
- Traditional Bathrooms
- Generally less expensive and follow familiar layouts—ideal if you prefer separate zones or bathtubs for families.
- Easier to heat and ventilate, with fewer moisture‑related design constraints.
- Generally less expensive and follow familiar layouts—ideal if you prefer separate zones or bathtubs for families.
Conclusion
Choosing between a wet room or a traditional bathroom depends on your priorities. If you value open, accessible, spa-like design, and don’t mind the investment, then a wet room is a brilliant choice. On the other hand, if you prefer conventional layouts with lower costs and simpler maintenance, a traditional bathroom remains a reliable option.
Annick Bathrooms, based in Ayrshire, specialises in high-quality yet affordable wetwall bathrooms tailored to your space and style. They offer complete bathroom installations, from expert design consultation to material supply and professional fitting, making the renovation process smooth and stress-free. Their free home survey ensures accurate measurements and a perfect fit for your bathroom layout. Contact them today at 01294 683375 or email info@annick-bathrooms.co.uk to get started on a bathroom that’s both functional and beautifully designed. Your dream bathroom is just a call away.
