Choosing the best base for your Wetroom

At the heart of a wetroom or wet area is a fully waterproofed pre-formed base with in -built contours that ensures shower water flows freely away into a dedicated drain.

Bases comes in a wide range of sizes to suit most spaces but can also be adapted to provide a truly made to measure wet area. It also can be bought in a range of materials.  The most common is made of an extremely dense polystyrene material sandwiched between layers of fibreglass and concrete. The result is a rigid, inflexible tough product that is very light and easily worked. Rigidity is essential to prevent any movement underfoot that could lead to displacement of the tiles.

Where the shower base is to be formed within a concrete floor, kits can be bought that ensure accurate contours are formed within the concrete floor towards a drain that will deal with the maximum possible volume of water. The Impey Aqua Grade is ideal for this purpose.

In all cases the base, whether it is formed from a ready made tray or made to measure concrete, waterproofing with the right product for the chosen base material is essential.

The most appropriate size of base will depend upon a number of considerations. In addition to the practical issue of how much space is actually available, its position in the room will have a significant bearing on its overall dimensions. A corner area will require a double entry thereby extending the width of the base and of the area that will need waterproofing. The same issues will be apparent in a wet area placed in the centre of a wall.

Most wet areas are built level with the rest of the room with separation from the rest of the room being achieved by a glass shower screen or screens. However, where the base is to be placed on a solid floor, in order to ensure enough space for drainage it may be necessary to build a raised area. This can easily be achieved by using layers of tile backer boards, materials similar in construction to the wet tray or base itself.

Finally, if the wet area needs to be accessed via a wheel chair, the base material clearly needs to be that much stronger to cope with the focussed weight and pressure of the wheels. The Impey Courtier Aqua Dec is designed for this purpose.

Wetrooms Online offer one of the widest ranges of wetroom bases / walk in shower bases:

	Wetrooms Online WetBase Our own wetroom base manufactured to the highest standards and specifications are easy to install. Available for a variety of applications such as level access, raised kits, complete floor kit. View the full Wetrooms Online WetBase range
	Impey Aqua Dec Wet Room Base / Shower Floor Former Impey Aqua Dec is a wet room floor former. A Floor Former is a shower tray that is set into the floor rather than on top of it and ‘forms’ the necessary gradient to allow efficient drainage. View the full Impey Aqua Dec Range
	Wedi Fundo Primo Wetroom / Shower Base Wedi Fundo opens up exciting design opportunities for open plan tiled bathing areas matched to 21st century lifestyles. At the core of the Fundo concept is the same innovation and quality that characterise all wedi building products. View the full Wedi Fundo Primo Range
	Marmox Showerlay Wet room / Shower Base The Marmox Showerlay is a low-cost, easy-to-install waterproof base, used in the design of a wet room or walk in shower for the home, The Showerlay is easily cut into any size or shape and forms a floor level, barrier-free panel ready to receive tiles. View the full Marmox Showerlay Range
	Elements Wetroom Products Bases A selection of wetroom solutions from Elements Wetroom Products. Including Concept base kits, Concept level access base kits, Wall kits, standard shower bases and shower Cubicles etc. View the full Elements Wetroom Products Base Range
	Impey Linear Flo Dec Wetroom / Shower Base LinearFlo-Dec' wetroom floor former brings together all of the great features found in Impey's original Aqua-Dec design, but with the added touch of appreciation for modern contemporary design. View the full Impey Linear Flo Dec Range .