Wet Room FAQ's HEADING_TITLE

GENERAL QUESTIONS

  1. I have questions about an order or ordering?
  2. What is a wet room?
  3. How to Build a Wet Room?
  4. What do the following wet room terms mean?
  5. How should I go about getting a trouble free wet room?

HOW MUCH DOES A WET ROOM COST?

  1. How much do the main components cost?
  2. Is a wet room very expensive compared to a traditional shower tray?
  3. There are so many products on the internet. What should I do?

WET ROOM SHOWER & BATHROOM DESIGN

  1. Where can I build a wet room?
  2. How much room do I need to build a wet room?
  3. I’ve been told you need large spaces for a wet room?
  4. What information is needed to design a wet room?
  5. Can I tile onto a pre-formed shower tray?
  6. What size of pre-formed shower tray do I need?
  7. How do we ensure level access, with no step?
  8. What size waste pipe do you suggest?

SHEET VINYL, TILES & WET ROOM FLOORS

  1. Should I choose a tile or vinyl floor finish?
  2. I’m having tiles. What adhesive should I use?
  3. I’m having tiles. How should the tiles be cut?
  4. I’m using Vinyl. What do I need?
  5. I’ve noticed different Gradient / Slope / Incline Types. What’s the difference?

WET ROOM LEAKS

  1. Will my wet room leak
  2. Why do traditional showers leak?
  3. What should I do to avoid building a wetroom that leaks?
  4. Our wet room leaks. What can we do to fix it?
  5. What waterproofing options are there?
  6. What is the best waterproofing solution
  7. Can you use AquaeSEAL ‘Rubber Paint’ to stick AquaeGUARD to the surface?
  8. What instructions are provided?

OTHER RELATED WET ROOM PRODUCTS

  1. What other wet room products do you supply?
  2. Are there other items Riverbed is able to supply?

WET ROOM INSTALLATION – D.I.Y. & PROFESSIONAL INSTALLERS

  1. Do Riverbed install?
  2. Can I fit a wet room myself?
  3. What other options are there?
  4. Are there instructions?
  5. What else do I need if I decide to go the DIY route?

 

GENERAL QUESTIONS

I have questions about an order or ordering?

What is a wet room?

How to Build a Wet Room

Common wet room terms.

  1. Floor Outlet – a hole in the floor, down which waste water is channelled
  2. Waste / Drain / Gully – a product fitted at a single point in the floor structure, that connects the floor outlet with a soil pipe, so water travels down a pipe to the sewer
  3. Trap – a product to stop smells from entering the bathroom from the sewers. Generally built into the waste, & using water to create a smell seal
  4. Showerbed, shower floor board, underlay, shower tray – a replacement floor board, with a flat underside, & gradients built into the top surface leading to an outlet hole. Supplied with a waste & trap assembly, & outlet cover or grate.
  5. Linear Shower Channel – a wide, but slim Waste / Drain / Gully, with a variety of grate designs
  6. Waterproofing – a material to stop water damage by acting as a barrier between the substrate below the tiles, or wall / floor finish
  7. Tanking – See 6) above
  8. Membrane – See 6) above
  9. Sealant – See 6) above
  10. Sheet Membrane – A type of waterproof tanking that is on a roll, & needs to be cut to size.
  11. ‘Rubber Paint’ – loose term describing a waterproof tanking system, using a synthetic polymer applied by brush, roller or trowel. It is neither a paint nor made from rubber.
  12. XPS – Extruded Polystyrene, a weaker non structural ‘Soft Core’ product, that must be reinforced as it’s ‘marshmallow’ like centre is NOT LOADBEARING. Made by covering polystyrene with a cement type coating, used to hold a reinforcing matting to add strength to a fundamentally weak core. Generally, to create gradients in shower bed or trays, flat boards are machined very thin. Thus, shower trays made in XPS, were originally designed to be fully supported in Concrete Floors. Loose considerable strength at edges when trimmed. Don’t use on timber floors, as they rely on time consuming, complex, & sometimes illegal install proceedures to achieve a shower level with the existing floor. UNSUITABLE for VINYL. XPS boards are acceptible when used as wall lining boards as they have insulating properties, but create considerable floor build up if used on the floor. We believe there are better waterproofing materials that XPS.
  13. HARD EPS – A material that is lightweight yet unlike XPS, is‘Hard Cored’ throughout, not relying on a supplimentary 2nd. Coating for strength. Hard EPS has similar point pressure resistence as wooden boards like chipboard or MDF, & is moulded, so doesn’t need machining to create gradient.
  14. GRP & Fibreglass. Glass Reinforced Plastic used in a multiple stage process to create specific shapes. Moulds are filled with a very strong polymer, that combines with the rigid properties of glass fibre to strengthen the shape. Outlet locations are fixed within the moulds, so cannot be changed. The strength means GRP Showerbeds are ideal for timber floors, as they have similar X sections to floor boards, & can span the gaps between joists, often with limited additional support. These boards are heavy, so are less suitable & difficult to fit into concrete floors.
  15. UFH – Under Floor Heating. Either ‘Wet’ (pipe through which hot water passes) or Electric (wires that heatup)

How should I go about getting a trouble free wet room?

  1. Assume your objective is to build a waterproof wet room or shower that doesn’t leak & has a long, trouble free lifespan, for a price at or around the market rate.
  2. If your priority is to always buy the cheapest, then you may as well put aside some money to fix the problems later on. Do that & you’ll have enough for the better product in the 1st place.
  3. If you focus on price, & you are asking for trouble & are better off sticking with a traditional shower tray

HOW MUCH DOES A WET ROOM COST?

How much do the main components cost?

  1. Key wet room components start at less than £49.-
  2. Wet room floor drains start at less than £99.-
  3. Waterproof Tanking & sealant costs approx. £10.- per Sq. m
  4. Complete Wet Room kits start at less than £499.-

Is a wet room very expensive compared to a traditional shower tray?

  • NO, there is some difference, but it is not extreme. Shower trays offer little advantage, are less attractive, less functional, & often cost the same or even more than a specialist wet room shower bed.
  • The biggest expense of any wetroom is installation, as it’s more involved. Budget for approx. £200.- a day for installers.
  • You could save that extra cost using these tips.
    1. Your time is free but a fitter will charge by the hour. Save their time, to save you money
    2. rip the bathroom out yourself, after discussion & agreement with the bathroom installer
    3. use the plumber to handle the complex jobs only
    4. work as a ‘plumbers mate’, doing the time consuming jobs the fitter needs doing during the fit out
    5. supply the goods because you’ll often get better products for less, than those offered by the plumbers merchants

    There are so many products on the internet. What should I do?

    1. Download our planner
    2. Set a budget.
    3. Set a minimum specification, that matches your budget, floor structure the skill of the fitter & try to get the best you can afford.
    4. Remember, bathroom installation usually cost approx. 50% of the total cost.
    5. Remember, savings from buying cheap wet room products don’t cover the cost of damage caused by leaking wet rooms.
    6. Buy the right wet room solution, not a cheap wet room problem.

    WET ROOM SHOWER & BATHROOM DESIGN QUESTIONS

    Where can I build a wet room?

    1. Any space such as an existing cloakroom, toilet, an attic, basement or even below the stairs.
    2. You can build a wet room anywhere you have …
      1. A waste water outlet pipe, connecting to a external or soil pipe
      2. Water supply
      3. Height to stand up & space move around
      4. A floor strong enough to support your weight, along with the weight of tiles, adhesive etc
      5. A sufficiently robust waterproof membrane to suit the room characteristics
    3. You can fit a wet room on any floor including
      1. an existing timber, wooden joisted floor
      2. an existing concrete floor
      3. a new concrete floor
      4. a new timber floor

    How much room do I need to build a wet room?

    1. Remember this is basically a shower area, not a complete room. The smallest practical space is 700 x 700.
    2. Thus, you’ll struggle to fit a wet room if you can’t fit a standard shower tray.
    3. Screens & walls all enclose, so you may decide to have a completely open room, allowing freedom of movement. However, the principles of wet room design apply, especially that to do with waterproofing.

    I’ve been told you need large spaces for a wet room?

    NO, this is nonsense. Plumbers, builders, & installers prefer to install what they’re used to, like floor standing WC’s, traditional basins, shower trays & enclosures. Wetrooms work well in smaller bathrooms & en-suites, as they don’t need to enclose the space. Even better, use wall hung sanitary-ware to conceal cisterns, loose basin pedestals, & allow water to freely flow over the floor.

    What information is needed to design a wet room?

    1. Drain We need to know if outlet is at bottom or side to align with waste pipe
    2. Location of the outside drain, or soil stack you’ll connect to
    3. The floor finish, either tiles or vinyl
    4. The floor structure you’ll fit into
    5. Download our Planner

    Can I tile onto a pre-formed shower tray?

    Yes, but only after you have sealed it into the surrounding structure using a waterproof tanking membrane

    What size of pre-formed shower tray do I need?

    1. With Timber Floors, you should choose a shower floorboard that most suits the unique nature of your project, & take into account the following:
      1. decide how big you want the shower area
      2. how much space is available within the bathroom
      3. check spacing & direction of joists supporting the floor
      4. identify the depth & size of the waste / trap drain, as it fits through the outlet hole, & extends below the shower base
      5. as the waste / trap needs connecting to the soil pipe or outside wall using waste pipe, the position of the outlet hole is offset on some shower bases. This helps ease installation of the waste / trap around joist positions, & subsequent adjoining pipe-work.
    2. Concrete floors have no barriers like joists. Therefore, the shower base can be any size you want, with the outlet location more influential on the aesthetics, such a tile cuts.
    3. With all projects locate the outlet, waste & trap as close to the soil or outside waste pipe as possible, to reduce the fall required to be built into the pipe-work, & minimize the number of joints & bends

    How do we ensure level access, with no step?

    1. Our shower trays come in different thicknesses & materials, specifically to suit the type of floor structure. The lightweight boards are designed for concrete, while the structurally stronger bases are designed for timber floors.
    2. With Timber Floors, we use 22mm shower tray, that has a similar X Section as the adjoining floor boards.
    3. With Concrete Floors, we use shower tray boards that are a similar thickness to floor screeds that would surround them.
    4. The traps are the shallowest possible to ensure minimal intrusion below the floor or between the joists
    5. Some firms offer soft core shower beds designed originally for concrete to fit into timber floor construction. This is because ‘soft core’ materials like XPS (Extruded Polystyrene) are cheaper to make, & therefore cheaper to sell. Often adulterated & compromised installation procedures are needed, & risk of leaks are higher.
    6. Sometimes, a ‘raised deck’ system is the only choice, as waste pipework cannot be set into or below the floor. When tiled, a wet-room finish is still achieved.

    What size waste pipe do you suggest?

    1. UK Pipe sizes are completely different to Europe, USA, & almost everywhere else.
    2. The most common UK Pipes material is ABS, a rigid hard & shiny style pipe, available in 2x sizes
      1. 2” – Larger bore with great capacity, most suited to wet rooms
      2. 1 ½ “- common shower outlet pipe, that handles a lower volume than 2”
      3. Both will work, dependant upon the water volume entering the waste system, although we always suggest the larger capacity pipe is most suitable, especially when in-line bends or blockages effect the total capacity offered.
    3. Many European products are supplied with DIN 50, German style waste & trap fittings.
    4. To ensure no installation problems, all products are supplied with a dedicated UK waste & trap kit, or with special adaptors with the packaging.

    SHEET VINYL, TILES & WET ROOM FLOORS

    Should I choose a tile or vinyl floor finish?

    1. Tiles. Generally hardwearing, & robust with a massive range of finishes, including natural stone. Offers a greater lifespan when the substrate is strong, rigid & doesn’t flex. Tiles sizes from huge sheets with better waterproofing characteristics, to small mosaics with improved anti-slip properties. Heavier than vinyl, but a quality finish is a genuine DIY prospect.
    2. Vinyl. Shorter lifespan, with quite limited colours & finishes when compared to tiles. General perception that it looks like a hospital or institution. Cheaper, but vinyl floor wet rooms have a reputation for premature failure. Runs partially up the walls,& needs specialsist equipment to weld into the corners. Works as both floor finish, & also the waterproof protection. Flexible, but can stretch especially on timber floors, resulting in rips & tears, leading to leaks. UNSUITABLE for any soft centred showerlay / showerbed such as Marmox, Wedi, Lux. Requires a special waste system, to clamp the shhet flooring.
    3. Conclusion. It is essential to balance the lifespan of the project, against the cost, risk of leakage, tools & skill required to installed.

    I’m having tiles. What adhesive should I use?

    1. use cement based flexible tile adhesive for wall and floor tiling
    2. this usually comes as a powder, in a bag
    3. do not use ready-mixed type adhesive

    I’m having tiles. How should the tiles be cut?

    1. Tile cuts should follow the ‘valleys’ found on shower beds, & underlays
    2. If you fabricate the gradient, still cut tiles this way to maintain the gradients, or slopes
    3. To avoid cutting tiles, use mosaics, but ensure they’re a min. 25mm x 25mm

    I’m using Vinyl. What do I need?

    1. A preformed showerbed specially for Vinyl. The Form 22 Vinyl is available in many sizes & is 22mm thick. It is a structural GRP product that matches the thickness of most floor boards alongside. Supplied with clamp ring & drain.
    2. With Vinyl, no tanking is used, as the sheet flooring is used to waterproof, as well as finish the floor
    3. To fit the vinyl sheet flooring, you need specialists to weld the vinyl, usually 100mm up the wall. Look in Yellow Pages

    I’ve noticed different Gradient / Slope / Incline Types. What’s the difference?

    1. Flat incline - Either four straight sides, or a single straight slope (for a Linear Shower Channel). Easy to tile with large-format tiles, & also mosaics.
    2. Curved gradient – similar to a concave bowl. Difficult to tile with large-format tiles, as many tiles cuts are required. More suitable for mosaic tiles. Originally designed for vinyl flooring

    WET ROOM LEAKS

    Will my wet room leak

    NO, not if you build a strong & stable structure, & install a waterproof membrane properly, following the instructions.

    Why do traditional showers leak?

    Shower leaks are just as damaging as a leaking wet room, & happen because of the following

    1. The tray has moved away from the wall, allowing water to seep through a small gap
    2. No waterproof membrane was applied to the walls when installing the shower (normally to save money.!)
    3. Seals within waste pipes have shrunk, allowing water to seep though joints
    4. the waterproof tanking or sealant was penetrated when fitting other products that require holes, such as screens, enclosures, acccessories, shower controls

    What should I do to avoid building a wetroom that leaks?

    1. Don’t save money buying cheap wet room products, as they’re the biggest cause of wet room leaks
    2. Remember, the savings don’t cover the cost of the damage caused by a leaking wet room.
    3. Install according to the instructions
    4. Understand the risks, by doing the preparation
    5. Take control of the product choice if you’re using an outside installer
    6. Do your homework, & try to do it right, 1 st. time so you never go back to fix something
    7. Don’t use an inexperienced builder, or installer that hasn’t installed many wet rooms before
    8. Conclusion - Buy the right wet room solution, not a cheap wet room problem.

    Our wet room leaks. What can we do to fix it?

    1. Find the leak, & continue to strip the shower back bit by bit, until you locate the source of the leak
    2. Often, you’ll have to remove the floor completely, to see where the water has come from.
    3. Expensive as is may seem, it is often better to start from scratch, otherwise mistakes made by previous installers (before many of the issues were realy understood) can be overlooked, & fail again shortly after you have repaired the leak.

    What waterproofing options are there.

    1. AquaeSEAL. Unlike many liquid membranes, this is a ‘semi solid’ coating applied by roller, brush or even trowel. Simple to apply, with few tools, & low skill levels. Very flexible, it visibly dries within a few hours, ready for a 2nd coat. With no primer required, this very high quality membrane is made in Germany especially as an under tile sealant.
    2. AquaeGUARD. A sheet membrane, with a consistent thickness, that is as easy to fix as wallpaper. Set into flexible tile adhesive, this ultra thin sheet membrane is the ultimate vapour barrier that is usable one the walls as well as the floor.
    3. Tilebacker Boards. These are boards of some type or other. NOTE. Although all boards are promoted as the best substrate for tiles, cement boards ARE NOT WATERPROOF. You still need to waterproof them, which seems an expensive waste of money. For this reason we don’t waste your time offering boards.

    What is the best waterproofing solution

    Combine AquaeGuard over the main surfaces, & seal the overlapping seams using AquaeSEAL

    Can you use AquaeSEAL ‘Rubber Paint’ to stick AquaeGUARD to the surface.

    NO. AquaeGUARD is such an efficient membrane that the air required to dry AquaeSEAL RP, connot get through. This means RP wouldn’t dry, & there would be no adhesion to the substrate.

    What instructions are provided?

    Detailed installation instructions are included with every product, & must be followed otherwise the warranty would be invalid.

    OTHER RELATED WET ROOM PRODUCTS

    What other wet room products do you supply?

    1. UFH – We supply Electric Undertile Heating Systems, to help dry floors, & keep you warm.
    2. Screens – consider them as thin walls, that are put up quickly, pre-finished, that allow light in. Place them where a wall would be useful. Screens & Enclosures are there to control airborne spray, & cast ‘dry’ shadows into which you place items you want to keep dry. E.g loo roll, towels etc.

    Are there other items Riverbed is able to supply?

    1. We hope to release a number of new systems from around the world, & they include
      1. Extraction Systems
      2. Tiles Adhesives & Grouts
      3. Shower Controls

    WET ROOM INSTALLATION – D.I.Y. & PROFESSIONAL INSTALLERS

    DoRiverbed install?

    No, we supply, but do have an installer database, so call for further information.

    Can I fit a wet room myself?

    1. If you have the tools, temperament & patience - Yes
    2. If flat pack furniture or putting up shelves is a major chore – You’ll struggle

    What other options are there

    Use a tradesman for anything you’re uncomfortable with and handle the basic time consuming work yourself.

    Are there instructions?

    1. Detailed instructions come with every component, that are easy to understand.
    2. Hand the instructions to any tradesmen you employ, to ensure everything goes to plan

    What else do I need if I decide to go the DIY route

    1. Tools – Check the product description, as it will explain what tools are needed
    2. Skill & Experience – differs according to the product. E,g, AquaeSEAL RP waterproofing is childs play.
    3. Time – Build in enough time to complete everything without being in a rush

    • Underfloor Heating Systems

    WET Underfloor Heating (pipes filled with warm water, within a concrete screed)
  • Q - How do you fit the shower tray when using the Wet Underfloor Heating with pipes?
      A - Within the concrete, you'll screed upto the shower area you have shuttered, so the pipes DO NOT run below the tray.
    		•
     
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