A wet room can be a fantastic addition to a property – provided it’s installed correctly by expert bathroom fitters, preferably ones with experience and expertise in accessibility.
If you have limited mobility, stepping into a shower tray or bathtub can be a hazardous and daunting experience. Removing the need to do this will give you the confidence needed to feel safe, confident and comfortable in your own bathroom.
When designed around your specific needs and requirements, a wet room can help reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls, give you back control over your wash-time routine and promote independent living for longer.
Whether you’re in need of adaptations yourself, or you’re looking for wetroom advice for someone you support, before you appoint a contractor to undertake the work, there are 3 questions you should ask to make sure you’re making the right choice…
Who Will Do The Work?
When you go for a haircut, you go to a hairdresser, if your teeth need a checkup you go to a dentist and if you’re feeling unwell, you visit your GP.
Why?
Because they’re the people with the training, skills and expertise to assess your needs and take the correct course of action.
Your wet room shouldn’t be any different!
It’s easy to think that all building companies could carry out the work, and to some extent that’s true, but if you’re installing a wet room you want complete faith in their ability. For confidence, comfort and safety, a specialist wet room installer is the best choice.
Here’s what you should look for…
- Knowledge and hands-on experience of making wet rooms fully accessible.
- Tried, tested, and recommended by occupational therapists, physiotherapists, etc.
- Accredited to carry out the work to high industry standards and expectations.
- Testimonials showing how they have helped transform the lives of others.
By checking if a contractor has all the above, you can feel safe knowing that they have designed and installed your wet room to a high standard, giving you total peace of mind when using it.
Who Does The Design?
Whether you’re looking to adapt a current bathroom or are installing a wet room in a new-build, you’ll want to know that the people designing it know what they’re doing. An experienced wet room designer will ensure movement throughout is easy and safe.
Did you know that here at John Ford Group, installing wet rooms is the most common project we get asked to do? People have checked us out, and know that we’re experts in the field.
Often, clients come to us asking for a complete start-to-finish service, and we’re always happy to use our specialist knowledge to advise on the best possible layout and design for your wet room. Ensuring it meets your requirements, is in keeping with your home and will last for years to come.
Some things we’ll discuss with you are…
- Flooring – First things first, the flooring of any wet room needs to have great slip-resistance. The options available to you include vinyl, tiles or natural stone.
- Heating – No one should be left shivering after a shower. Choose from heated towel rails, radiators or underfloor heating to ensure a comfortable and cosy environment.
- Tiles – Wet rooms don’t have to look clinical. Whether you choose to tile the floor, walls or both, there are a range of slip-proof, wipe-clean options to match your style.
- Fixture & Fittings – From taps to toilets, storage to sinks and everything else, there are a wide range of accessible options we can recommend matching your mobility.
What’s the most important feature of a wet room?
The waterproofing (aka tanking) – considering the angle and structure of the floor, and clean, efficient drainage for a puddle-free environment.
What’s The Cost?
The cost of a wet room will always be an important part of your decision-making, but it shouldn’t be the deciding factor.
Not all things are created equal, and when looking at various quotations you should make sure that what you’re weighing up is exactly the same spec. Check the quantities and specifications of materials, fixtures and fittings match, and also the reputation, quality and industry recognition of the company.
Other considerations include…
- Timescales – building a wet room extension or new build will take considerably more time than converting an existing bathroom.
- Team size – a one-man-band might seem cheaper, but often the project will take longer and labour costs will add up.
- Experience – installing a wet room correctly takes skill. A skilled installer will ensure your wet room works as it should from the get-go.
- Knowledge – if you’re quoted by an inexperienced company, they may ‘add-on’ to their costs to cover any elements they haven’t planned for.
- Guarantees – in case things go wrong, you want to know that you can access help to put things right as soon as possible.
At the John Ford Group, we specialise in providing you with high-quality property adaptations to meet your needs and suit your budget. Using our knowledge and experience in designing and installing wet rooms, we’ll provide you with an accessible bathroom that’s beautifully finished and helps to promote independent living.
Whether you’re an OT, a home-owner, landlord or property developer looking to adapt single or multiple existing bathrooms, build a wet room extension or create a brand new accessible bathroom, get in touch with us. We’ll be happy to discuss your requirements and advise on how we can help.
