Wet rooms have been having a moment for a while now. They look great in magazines, they photograph beautifully, and there’s a general perception that they’re the premium, modern choice. We get asked about them regularly.
The honest answer — and we’d rather give you an honest answer than just agree with whatever you’ve seen on Pinterest — is that for most homes and most customers, a shower tray is actually the better option. Here’s why.
First, let’s talk about wet rooms properly
A wet room is essentially a fully waterproofed shower area with no tray or enclosure — the floor itself is graded to drain, and the whole area is tanked so water can’t get anywhere it shouldn’t. Done properly, it’s a genuinely impressive installation. Done badly, it’s one of the most expensive bathroom mistakes you can make.
There are two main types:
Tiled wet rooms — the most common, and the version most people picture. The floor and walls are tiled throughout, with a central or linear drain. They look excellent when first installed. The practical reality over time is that grout lines on the floor collect dirt, and the better the slip rating on the floor tile — which you absolutely need for safety — the more texture the tile has, and the more effectively that texture traps grime. Keeping a tiled wet room floor genuinely clean requires more effort than most people anticipate.
Vinyl wet rooms — these use a continuous sheet of specialist vinyl flooring, similar to Altro, which has a gritty texture for grip. You’ll often see this type in assisted living environments. Over time, the same problem applies — the texture that provides grip also collects dirt and requires chemical cleaning to maintain properly. We don’t fit vinyl wet room systems, so if that’s what you’re after we’re not the right company — but it’s worth understanding the difference before you decide.
The preparation nobody talks about
The bigger issue with wet rooms isn’t the surface — it’s everything underneath it. A properly installed wet room requires significant preparation: the floor needs to be built up and graded correctly to ensure water drains away rather than pooling, and the entire wet area needs to be comprehensively tanked before a single tile goes on.
There are plenty of shortcuts available at every stage of this process, and none of them should be taken. A wet room where the tanking has been done properly is a long-term installation that will perform well for years. A wet room where corners have been cut looks exactly the same on day one — and starts causing serious problems within a few years as water finds its way into places it shouldn’t be.
If you want a wet room, be prepared to pay for all of the preparation you’ll never see once it’s finished. That’s where the money goes, and it’s money well spent. But it does mean that a properly installed wet room is a more expensive option than most people expect.
So when does a wet room actually make sense?
There are situations where a wet room is genuinely the right choice. The most clear-cut case is accessibility — if stepping up into a shower tray is difficult or going to become difficult, a level-access wet room solves that problem properly. For customers thinking about their bathroom in terms of the next twenty years rather than just right now, that’s a real consideration worth having.
Beyond accessibility, it comes down to personal preference. If a customer specifically wants a wet room and understands what’s involved, we’ll fit it — and we’ll fit it properly, without shortcuts. But if someone asks us for our honest advice and they can comfortably step up 30mm into a shower tray, that’s what we’ll recommend.
Why shower trays are underrated
A shower tray is a simpler installation with less that can go wrong. There’s no complex floor grading, the tanking is straightforward, and the enclosure sits cleanly on top of the tray with a proper seal. Maintenance is easier — the tray itself is smooth and simple to keep clean.
They’re also considerably more versatile visually than people often assume. Slate effect trays, for example, come in a wide range of colours and finishes and look genuinely premium in the right setting. An ultra-low profile tray — just 25-30mm high — gives you almost the same visual effect as a wet room floor, with a fraction of the preparation complexity and cost.
The perception that a shower tray is somehow the budget or compromise option really isn’t accurate. A well-chosen tray in a well-designed shower enclosure looks excellent and performs better over the long term than a wet room in most domestic settings.
The straightforward version
If you’re asking us for a recommendation — and many customers do — here’s our honest position. Wet rooms are genuinely worth it where accessibility is a factor, or where a customer has a strong preference for them and understands the cost involved in doing them properly. In most other situations, a quality shower tray with a frameless or semi-frameless enclosure gives you a better everyday experience, easier maintenance, and a lower overall cost.
Trends come and go. A bathroom that’s practical, well-built and easy to live with never goes out of style.
Not sure which is right for your home?
Give Martin a call on 07734 703414 for a free, no-obligation chat and visit. We cover Middlewich, Sandbach, Northwich, Knutsford, Holmes Chapel and Winsford, and we’ll always give you an honest recommendation based on your property and your situation — not just what sounds impressive.
Cheshire Bathroom Fitters — based in Middlewich, working across Cheshire for over 20 years.
