Walk in shower enclosures are a widely spreading shower option in most bathrooms across the UK and other parts of the world. If you have some room to spare in your bathroom, building a shower cubicle can help you revamp the entire space in the best way possible. The added space can offer you a soothingly luxurious showering experience, given that you have a way of warming up cold tiles.
If you have, unlike a typical shower cubicle, walk in shower doesn’t have an in-built heating system embedded in the shower bed. This leaves it up to you to install adequate underfloor heating that keeps your room warm and cozy when required.
Why Is Heating a Walk in Shower Enclosure Important?
Walk in shower enclosures are comparatively more spacious and airier than shower enclosures. While the spacious indoors provides you with more space to play with, the airiness can bring in the cold that may compromise your showering experience.
Although many bathroom heating options are available, underfloor heating proves a better substitute for the bulky and cumbersome standard heaters. Moreover, since wet rooms are tiled from floor to roof, thermally conductive tiles retain the heat for preferably longer durations. You need a profound heating system that can be seamlessly installed under the floor.
While keeping the tiles under your feet warm, underfloor heating keeps the entire atmosphere of the space comfortable and cozy. Besides, floor heating is an energy-efficient substitute for heaters that operate on the home’s central heating system.
Many people may think that such warm or underfloor heating may not be a good idea. It is because when taking a warm shower, the floor may quickly warm up at the same time. However, in the country’s cold climate, there are several reasons for which under-floor heating for a wet room and walk in shower enclosure are preferred.
- Drying the wet floors and walls is usually a challenge in countries with cold climates. Therefore, you need a solution that makes a shower dry up quickly. On the one hand, it will quickly make the area ready for the next user and keep it warm. While on the other, it can prevent limescale, mold, or mildew buildups.
- There might be a few cold spots inside the shower area where the heat doesn’t reach. In such a case, you can prevent it by under-floor heating.
- The suggested solution is more practical and efficient in making your shower cubicle area comfortable and spreading the warmth throughout the bathroom.
- By installing walk-in shower or wet room underfloor heating, you have perfect coverage of heat dispersed throughout the area. It can provide around 80% of coverage as a primary heat source.
How Walk in Shower Enclosure and Wet Rooms are Heated?
While walk in shower enclosures and wet rooms are relatively modern fixtures for your bathroom. These come with an open plan and a very less confined space. The water drains directly into the floor. Due to such open space, heating can be a challenge. However, the solution for such space is under-floor heating. It is an invisible heating solution that eliminates the need for a big radiator. With under floor heating, you will get a great sense of comfort and wellness in the area. That’s why these are almost always built with tiled floor and walls. The cold tiles under your feet while the shower is a thing of the past.
The hidden heating solution known as floor heating is relatively energy-efficient and more comfortable compared to the central heating system. You can install a smart thermostat to control the temperature, making it an energy and money-saving solution.
Installing a Wet Room and Walk in Shower Enclosure Heating System
There are plenty of heating options you can consider installing in your new wet room project. Despite being efficient and effective in keeping the inners snug as you like, these are also easier to install as well. Either take on the project yourself or hire a professional to do the job; underfloor heaters are a simple and hassle-free solution to your bathroom’s cold temperature.
To prevent any wear and tear on the existing floorings, you can go for an underfoot warm shower tray that smoothly integrates with the floor, ensuring a warm showering experience. However, if you are going for the electric substitute, make sure you have around 12mm of buildup leveler in place to make the heating system more efficient and conducive.
Secondary Wet Room and Walk in Shower Enclosure Heating Accessories
In addition to the shower tray and underfloor heating system, there are other secondary options as well that create a perfect indoor space. These heating accessories include mirror defoggers and heated towel warmers. As the name suggests, Mirror defoggers prevent room steam from building up on the mirror, making it blurry and smudged.
On the other hand, heated towel warmers indirectly warm up your towels and your bathroom. The technology keeps your toilets warm and dry, eliminating any moisture from affecting the towels. These secondary walk-in shower options work hand in hand with your primary underfloor heaters, making your wet room warmed up and cozy.