Everything You Need to Know About Heating Wet Rooms and Showers 

Wet rooms are an increasingly popular choice for modern homes. By removing fixed shower units and bathtubs, a wet room can greatly improve on the functionality of classic bathrooms by providing a greater feeling of space and cleanliness too. In this guide, we’ll explore some of the best methods of heating a wet room and walk-in showers too. You’ll learn more about: 

• The benefits of underfloor heating in a wet room 
• Which UFH system is best for your requirements  
• If you can use a floor heating with a shower tray 
• The innovative ways to heat wet room walls 
• The perfect wet room accessories to enhance the space 

Is floor heating suitable for wet rooms? 

Due to their open-plan design, wet rooms are ideal to be heated with an underfloor heating system. Our collection of electric and water systems provide an ‘invisible’ heating solution, meaning you no longer have to design the space around a bulky radiator. Floor heating also provides a greater sense of comfort and wellbeing to the room and its energy-efficient technology can help you reduce both energy usage and the costs of your heating bills. 

Wet rooms are typically tiled from floor to ceiling with fully waterproofed sealant and grouting to maintain a non-permeable surface, which keep the water from penetrating the subfloor and walls. The high thermal conductivity of stone and tiled floors make them perfect to be heated by an underfloor heating system – tiles heat up quickly and retain the heat produced by an UFH system with ease, meaning a fully tiled wet room can be transformed into a warm and cosy environment in which to relax. 

Considering new tiles for your wet room? Read our expert article on the differences between porcelain and ceramic tiles when used with underfloor heating. 

What are the best electric heaters to install in wet rooms? 

Whether you are building a wet room from scratch or retrofitting a heating system within a bathroom conversion, Warmup offer a variety of options perfect for your home. Our electric floor heaters are great for one-room renovation projects and provide rapid installation times.  

The DCM-PRO Heated Decoupling System is the ultimate electric floor heater to use with tiled wet rooms. It offers a fast, even heat output and features a unique anti-fracture matting, which can help protect and prevent floor tiles from cracking due to lateral subfloor movement caused by temperature changes. Utilising the DCM-PRO Waterproof Tape with this system is also always recommended for wet room specifications as it greatly enhances the impermeability of the heater. 

Can I heat my bathroom with a water UFH system? 

If you are working on a new-build project featuring a wet room, then one of our water floor heating systems are ideal for bringing energy-efficient warmth to the space. You should include the floor heating system within the blueprints of your project to take into account the system’s installation requirements, such as screed depth.  

If you are retrofitting a water underfloor heating solution into an existing wet room, the VLo Utra-12 Low Build System is a great choice. The Ultra-12 is a low-profile water heating system, so it is the perfect option for rooms where the ceiling height is fixed. The system features built-in insulation and uses aluminium diffusion plates to rapidly spread a consistent heat across the floors surface, at the optimal temperature for your needs. 

Looking for the perfect floor heating solution for your wet room? Get a free online quote today to discover the best system for your needs. 

Can I install floor heating under a shower tray? 

A warm shower tray underfoot as you take a relaxing shower is a truly luxurious experience and you can easily install a Warmup floor heating system within these fixtures. There are some things to consider if you are pursuing this heating solution. If you are using an electric system or a water system that does not typically require screeding, you will need a build-up of at least 12mm of screed and the final floor finish above the heater to be able to conduct the heat safely and efficiently – installing a shower tray directly on top of the heater would mean the heat cannot escape, resulting in the heater burning out.  

An underfloor heating system can be quickly installed in your wet room or shower by a qualified installer in as little as one day. Whilst installation can be simple and hassle-free, due to the nature of wet rooms, we advise speaking to one of experts for more information on how to achieve a successful first-time wet room installation. The costs of installing underfloor heating in your wet room will vary based on your project’s specifications, such as its size, location and which type of system you’re specifying.  

Can I heat the walls of my wet room? 

Imagine showering in a cosy wet room with both gently warmed floor tiles and wall tiles – by using Warmup’s floor heating alongside the StickyMat 3D Wall Heating System, your dream wet room can be a reality. Wall heating systems are recommended for use with tiled or stone wall finishes and bring another layer of warmth and comfort to the room and are perfect to use as a secondary heat source. They can also assist in reducing the chance of mould build-up and are great for wet rooms with higher levels of heat loss. 

How else can I improve the comfort levels of my wet room? 

As well as heating your wet room’s floor and walls with innovative heating floor and wall heating systems, wet rooms are also the perfect space in your home in which to install complimentary heating solutions from our Bathroom Collection.  Our range of Multi-Bar and Single-Bar Heated Towel Rails feature Warmup’s advanced heating wire technology which rapidly dries towels dampened by wet room moisture, keeping them gently warmed and toasty and the Mirror Demister is perfect for keeping mirrors in bathrooms and wet rooms free from steam after a hot shower. 

Underfloor heating will bring energy-saving technology to your wet room and to enhance its performance, you should install it alongside insulation and system-specific heat controls. Using a Smart thermostat to control your new UFH system will help conserve even more energy whilst providing automatic heating and remote access through your Smartphone.