Both are good options. The decision comes down to your floor construction, how much you value a seamless finish, and whether anyone using the room needs a level threshold.
Side by side
- Floor: wet room uses a graded, tanked floor with a recessed drain. An enclosure uses a formed tray.
- Threshold: wet room is level or near level. A tray has a lip of roughly 25mm to 45mm.
- Cleaning: wet room has fewer edges to scrub but more grout. A tray is quick to wipe but the frame collects limescale.
- Cost: a tray enclosure is generally the cheaper install. A tanked wet room floor costs more in both materials and labour.
- Repairs: a cracked tray is a swap. A failed wet room floor means lifting tiles, which is why the tanking has to be right first time.
- Small rooms: wet rooms usually win visually, because nothing interrupts the floor.
What your floor decides for you
On a concrete floor a wet room usually means a recessed former or a build up of the surrounding floor. On suspended timber, joists are notched or a purpose made former is set between them, and the floor is strengthened and overboarded first. We check joist direction, span and condition during the survey, because that single detail determines whether a level access wet room is straightforward or a bigger job.
Non negotiables for a wet room
- Full tanking to the floor and up the walls in the shower zone.
- A correct, consistent fall to the drain, checked with water before tiling.
- A drain sized for the shower flow rate.
- Rigid floor construction, with no deflection.
- Anti mould grout and a properly rated extractor.
When we recommend an enclosure
If the budget is tight, if the floor cannot easily take a former, or if the room is a rental or holiday let where a fast future swap matters, a good quality tray and frameless glass panel is the sensible answer. There is nothing second rate about it when it is fitted properly.
Fitted by one local team
Tanking, tiling, plumbing and electrics are all handled by us, so nobody is blaming another trade if something needs adjusting. Free survey, fixed price quote, fully insured, written workmanship guarantee.
Common questions
What is the difference between a wet room and a shower enclosure?
A wet room has a tanked, graded floor with a drain set into it and no tray. A shower enclosure uses a formed tray with glass around it, sitting on the finished floor.
Is a wet room more expensive?
Usually yes, because of the tanking, the graded floor and the extra labour involved. The finish is seamless and easier to clean, which is why many people accept the extra cost.
Do wet rooms need a bigger room?
No. They work very well in small rooms because there is no tray edge or frame. What they do need is enough floor depth for the fall and drain.
Will a wet room make the whole floor wet?
Not if it is designed correctly. A glass panel, correct fall and a well placed drain keep water in the shower zone.
How long does tanking take to cure?
Membranes and liquid tanking systems generally need a full day before tiling begins, which is built into our programme rather than rushed.