Wet rooms have soared in popularity over the last several years, as they are super stylish, a great way of maximising space in smaller bathrooms and can add significant value to your home. Unfortunately, not enough people consider the fact that tiles can get very slippery when wet, and using porous ones that might provide more traction can be a nightmare in terms of maintenance and cleanliness. The answer? Wet room matting.
What is it?
Wet room matting is a type of thick, non-slip matting that allows water to drain away quickly and easily. You’ve probably seen it in leisure centres, pool-side in resorts and in changing rooms/showers.
How does it work?
The matting typically consists of a number of grip-textured slats that are raised from the ground on runners. This allows water from above to run through, and water underneath to drain away. The person standing or walking on the mat is then at much less risk of slipping on wet tiles or ceramics. The underside of the mat runners is also very grippy, to ensure that the matting does not move about when people are standing or walking on it.
What are they made from?
Usually, wet room matting is made from rubber or PVC. Both provide the underfoot grip that is required, and they are equally easy to keep clean and hygienic with the absolute minimum of maintenance required.
Top quality mats will also be finished with an antimicrobial surface which actively resists fungal and bacterial growth — a major issue in wet room environments, and something to consider if your wet room is used by the whole family.
How do I fit it?
There are options here. You can get modular tile wet room matting, which is essentially a number of pieces that interlock together. Using these, you can create a wall-to-wall, fitted matting effect, or you can make an l-shape walkway into the actual shower area. Of course, you can also just use one of the tiles to have a spot to stand on, while either showering or drying. Other variants include more classic mat styles— so you can choose your length and width and have one piece of matting to fit your needs.
Both options are easy to install as you don’t actually need to ‘fit’ the matting. Place it carefully where you want it to be, ideally when the environment is dry, and you’re good to go. Similarly, if you need to remove the matting for any reason (cleaning or maintaining the mat or the wet room, for example), you can simply roll up your mat or remove the tiles.
Any other benefits?
Yes! The right wet room matting is significantly more comfortable to stand on than bare tiles, making those long showers much more relaxing. You can also benefit aesthetically — after all, you’ve got a beautiful wet room, you don’t want to ruin the look. Mats are available in a wide range of colours, types and shapes to match your room (or provide a pop of contrast), so you don’t need to sacrifice style for safety.
