Bathrooms

[scissormister]

Just moved into a house that needs updating, bathroom is a fairly high priority. Wondering...

1. is it worth putting a separate bath tub and shower cubicle in, if we can fit both? I keep seeing pictures of this but do people really find them useful - I mean would it matter to you when buying a house, if you see what I mean. Have always had shower over bath before.
2. has anyone had success with wet rooms, on the top floor of a 1910 house (on floorboards, i mean, not concrete). I like wet rooms and have seen them work really well in old houses in Scandinavia but somehow can't imagine getting a British bathroom totally watertight. I worry about leaks and mould etc
3. any tips on where is best to buy bathtubs?

1. If you have space do it
2. Like you I wouldn't dare - sealing in a shower tray is hard enough.
3. Measure space carefully then look for suppliers - each of ours came from a different place as we needed one imperial and one funny-shaped.

Yes to separate shower

Separate shower tray if you do a wet room. We have a beautifully fully bathroom and no shower tray put in by previous owners. Have been told by plumbers when the downstairs neighbour reported leak in her ceiling that to check if if was leaking they would need to rip up the tiled floor and may need to go up through neighbours ceiling to get to pipes. It all sounded very invasive and expensive. ( Thankfully leak was dishwasher!) They said always get a shower tray and have access to pipes.

*fully tiled

Yes, if there is room have a separate shower and no to putting a wetroom in. The reality of water everywhere is not great and we don't exactly have the climate to dry it up quickly.

Definitely have a separate shower if there's room. It's so much better than climbing into the bath.
Tiny showers where you can hardly move your arms to wash yourself are awful, though.

Yes if you have room for a decent sized separate shower. If not then an oversized P shaped bath is good.

No to a wet room.

Think about a we then room, do you really want to get your socks wet when you go for a wee after DP has had a shower?

Wet rooms work well if you are in the med may to September, ( useless otherwise) or if you need the access and are happy to pay for the heat/steam removal and do lots of mopping.

Otherwise - no. Perhaps energy is cheap in scandinavia?

Following!!

We are putting in a step free shower in ours. I broke my foot once and it's eyeopening how difficult it is getting over the smallest step. I think of it as a bit of futureproofing. It won't be a proper 'wetroom' though as we're not tanking, although we will build the floor up and we are installing underfloor heating too. You effectively put in a 'tray' under the tiles which channels the water to the drain.

Could you go for a wet room look but without it being a wet room iykwim? So all tiled.

Thanks for all the replies. I tend to also think a wet room isn't practical. Don't know energy costs in Denmark (where i mostly used them)! The mopping wasn't a big deal, just like wiping the bath over, and no mould. Perhaps the climate is drier or something.

there are some people in the UK who have an aversion to ventilation, hence they get condensation, damp and mould..

UFH would dry a floor quickly, though steamily. It might lead to a limescale buildup, though.

I vote for a separate shower cubicle, preferably an oversize rectangle, not just a 30" square tray. With an extractor over it.