December 17, 2019 | Updated: December 19, 2019

Ask the Expert

Wet room flooring

The latest thinking on home design is concerned with its future proofing, in other words providing homes for life. Simple common sense measures to ensure that the home is suitable for occupation over the proprietor’s entire life span. Among these considerations is conforming to different standards that affect health and safety in the home. Such as incorporating bathroom anti-slip flooring to prevent falls for example. Just like level access, height of sockets and wheelchair manoeuvrability the provision of non slip bathroom flooring ensures that the home can accommodate any eventuality. 

Bathrooms and wet rooms

Making sure that bathrooms are large enough to accommodate wheelchair accessible showers is part of future proofing the home. The provision of wet room floors is crucial. Wet rooms meaning open shower areas without screens where the entire bathroom floor slopes to a drain. Flooring for wet rooms should allow for anti-slip tiles or other materials specially treated to provide grip. This article considers different options for anti slip flooring for wet rooms as well as frequently asked questions regarding wet room floor finishes. 

What does anti-slip mean?

Most types of flooring are slip resistant when dry the problem arises when there are spills or the floor becomes wet. Anti-slip refers to tiles or other floor finishes that provide a grip under foot when wet or humid. This can be achieved in a number of ways. The design of the floor tile or finish can be provided with a relief or three dimensional surface pattern to add grip. Or anti slip wet room flooring can also be achieved using Nanoker technology, providing tiles with a nano-structured but smooth anti-slip finish. With regard to certification floor slip resistance testing uses coefficient of friction to measure the slip resistance of different flooring options. 

FAQs regarding choosing the right wet room flooring
What is the best non slip bathroom flooring?  

One that has been tested and certified. This information should be easily available from manufacturers.

What is the best flooring for a bathroom? 

Ceramic, porcelain or stone tiles have many advantages and for the specific conditions of the bathroom are difficult to improve upon for practical and aesthetic considerations. 

What flooring is best for wet rooms? 

The most important consideration is tanking, or ensuring the floor is waterproof. Non slip ceramic or porcelain tiles are a good choice because the finish should ideally be compatible with other bathroom finishes and materials. 

What type of flooring is waterproof? 

Certain types of vinyl flooring are considered the most waterproof. Ceramic and porcelain floors while not waterproof however have very low porosity. 

What is the best flooring for a wet room? 

Ceramic, porcelain, mosaic, stone or vinyl. 

What are wet room floors made of? 

Wet rooms are simply open plan bathrooms with no change of level or shower screens where water from the shower drains towards a floor drain. In every other way there are just like normal bathrooms with all the typical sanitary fittings.

Do you need special tiles for a wet room?

Yes. Under certain conditions both because of the law, i.e. Building Regulations and good safety practice.

Different types of non-slip flooring

There is any number of anti-slip flooring choices on the market that will suit specific décors. Anti slip vinyl flooring is more typically used in large contract applications or institutional use. Also appropriate for domestic bathrooms the extra friction is provided by additives that appear like metallic speckles on the tile surface. Bathroom anti slip laminate flooring can imitate parquet or ceramic tiles with a rough textured surface for additional grip.

Non-slip shower trays

In addition to the water hazard on bathroom floors many accidents happen while showering. Non-slip shower trays provide an attractive and safe alternative to standard trays. The Light Stone and Mineral Stone series of products by Noken Porcelanosa Bathrooms are designed for making conventional arrangements safer being highly slip-resistant. In addition they are hard wearing, lightweight, low maintenance and can even be repaired if damaged. The Mineral Stone series can even reproduce the shower trays on the brand’s elegant ceramic surfaces. Similarly the Unique range featuring Krion® Solid Surface is a solid compact mineral used to create shower bases and trays guaranteed to provide slip resistance. They are easy to maintain and clean as well as having anti-bacterial properties that are seamless and visually attractive.

Zen shower tray by Noken Porcelanosa Bathrooms.
Zen shower tray by Noken Porcelanosa Bathrooms.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *