How to Adapt a Wet Room for Disabled Living

A bog standard (pardon the pun) bathroom will just not cut it, but that doesn’t mean that if you’re you can’t have the same kind of stylish and luxurious experience available to everyone else. 

 

One way to make your bathroom accessible is to transform it into a wet room. Consider the space you have and adapt the area to your specific needs. 

Wet rooms are the desirable option for most contemporary homes, they are also ideal for accessible and safe washing and toilet facilities. The entire room is tiled and sealed, there’s no shower area to step into and they are open plan which makes manoeuvring a wheelchair around so much easier, plus you have plenty of space around to add grab rails and other accessories all of which make independent living so much more streamlined. You may not think you have the space but with considerate planning, you can free up space by knocking through to another room – maybe grabbing some space from the bedroom for an en-suite wet room for example, or if you plan to create one on ground floor level, taking space from a kitchen or utility room. 

You need more room, it’s as simple as that, as you need to be able to have enough room for a wheelchair as well as space to accommodate a carer if you need to have one on hand. It needs to be big enough so you can turn a full circle in the shower if necessary. 

 

Remember that the door not only needs to be widened enough to ensure it’s accessible by wheelchair but also to make sure there’s space for you to wheel in without scraping your hands on the door frame. Also ideally the doors should open outwards. 

 

Obviously you want to minimise the chance of slips and falls so the flooring should be fit for purpose. You can choose from a variety of flooring options including non-slip ceramic tiles and non-slip vinyl. 

 

You may want somewhere to perch while you take your shower so consider installing a shower seat. These don’t have to be big and intrusive, in fact you can source some sleek discreet designs that can fold up when you don’t need them. 

 

If you’re a wheelchair user you’ll need a washbasin at a lower height than in a traditional bathroom and if the room is used by other members of the household then there is such a thing as an adjustable sink that you can include in your design. 

 

The best shower for an accessible wet room will be thermostatic so that there are no sudden changes of temperature from cool to scalding. Consider one operated by a lever too as it will be much easier to operate. 

 

Don’t just look at the loo in terms of space but also consider the height. On average most toilets measure somewhere between 420-430mm tall which can cause problems for taller people suffering from joint pain, stiffness and weakness. 

 

If you have arthritis in your hips or knees, or have difficulty standing from a low position, a slightly taller height toilet can be much more comfortable to use. Also the seats of most wheelchairs are set to 480mm, making the transference to the loo much more awkward, so take a look at what suits you best before making your choice. 

 

The answer is likely to be yes as these are the one addition that can make the bathroom safer and easier to use. But again you can make these more of a design feature by choosing finishes and colours to compliment the tiling. You might opt for a bronze metallic rail to compliment dark slate tiles for example, although for those of you who have sight problems high contrast colour rails will be the best choice as they’ll be easier to pick out. 

 

If you don’t want a grab rail on show all the time you can also check out an innovative style of rail that’s removable. It’s important to discuss your disabled building adaptation in detail with someone who is experienced and knowledgeable in undertaking disabled alterations and we are here to help. Contact us today or visit your local showroom for expert advise on how to adapt your bathroom for disabled living.