Could your bathroom become a wet room? Questions before choosing tiles

A continuous tiled floor and an open shower can make a bathroom look wonderfully simple. Getting there starts with the parts you cannot see in a photograph: the floor construction, the route for wastewater and the waterproofing beneath the finish.

If you are considering a wet room in a South West London flat or house, ask for a feasibility discussion before ordering tiles or a shower screen. The aim is to find out what your particular room can accommodate, then choose the finish around that answer.

What do you want the change to solve?

Start with the difficulty in the existing bathroom. Is it stepping over the bath, a cramped enclosure, awkward cleaning or simply a room that no longer suits you? These lead to different briefs.

Write down what needs to be easier on an ordinary morning. Think about where you stand to dry off, where towels stay dry and whether someone else needs to use the basin while the shower is running. An attractive open layout still needs to work when the room is wet.

If easier access is the priority, explain the individual requirements at the outset. Removing a visible tray alone does not establish that the whole room will be suitable. The entrance, usable space, controls and any seating or support need to be considered together.

Can the floor and drainage accommodate it?

Wet-room manufacturer Impey identifies structure, drainage and waterproofing as early planning considerations. Its guidance distinguishes between floor constructions and highlights the need to establish a workable waste route.

Ask the person assessing your room to explain what is known and what still needs investigation. Where would the waste connect? What floor build-up is proposed? Would the finished entrance be level, or would another solution need to be considered? Get the answer for your property rather than assuming a room in a showroom has the same constraints.

You do not need to specify pipe sizes or construction details yourself. You do need to know whether a quote is based on an inspected arrangement or an assumption that might change when the floor is opened.

What exactly is included in waterproofing?

Ask for the proposed waterproofing system and its extent to be written into the scope. Impey’s guidance describes waterproofing beneath the tiled finish and recommends treating floors and walls within its wet-room system. The installer should explain the requirements of the actual products proposed for your room.

Useful questions include how junctions and penetrations will be dealt with, who is responsible for the complete installation, and what records or product information you will receive. Avoid treating a tile choice as the waterproofing specification.

This is also the point to discuss how future maintenance will work. Ask how the drain can be accessed for routine cleaning and which care instructions apply, without having to disturb the finished floor.

What changes if the property is a flat?

In a leasehold flat, check the lease before committing to alterations. LEASE’s alterations guidance explains that consent requirements depend on the lease and that required written permission must be obtained before work begins. Building regulations approval and landlord consent are separate matters.

For a South West London conversion or a flat in a managed block, include the floor level, managing-agent details and any known restrictions in the enquiry. Ask who needs to review proposals affecting shared or retained parts of the building. Do not assume that permission for an earlier bathroom replacement covers the new design.

Also explain whether this is the property’s only bathroom and whether anyone will remain living there. Those facts belong in the plan before a start date is discussed.

Choose the visible details once the proposal works

Bring reference photographs, but mark what you like about them: an uncluttered entrance, a particular screen, concealed storage or the colour palette. This helps separate the look you want from construction details that may not suit your room.

Discuss the floor finish’s suitability for wet use with the supplier and installer. Ask how the proposed layout manages splash around the basin, toilet and storage. Check that the controls are convenient to reach and that cleaning access has not been sacrificed for appearance.

If a fully tiled wet room proves unsuitable, ask to compare an alternative shower arrangement against the same priorities. The right choice is the one that answers your brief with a clear, workable specification.

Our bathroom refurbishment page is a starting point for planning the work. Send OSPM your postcode and bathroom details, along with photographs, the floor level and what you want to change. That gives the first conversation something more useful than a tile shortlist.