What type of floor best suits a wet room?

Many property owners planning a bathroom refit may be considering a more open-plan layout featuring a modern wet room. These contemporary shower solutions can make for more spacious bathrooms and stylish designs, but one area of concern is key – what type of floor should you use?

A solution that offers an impermeable barrier to water is absolutely essential for a wet room, and in the following sections, we’ll explore this, along with some suitable options you might not have considered.

What is a wet room?

A wet room is defined as completely waterproofed bathroom that supports a shower space at the exact same level as room’s floor. A dedicated wet room is entirely open plan and removes any need for a separate enclosure or stall for a walk-in shower, although some homeowners still prefer to fit a Perspex or glass screen to mitigate water being splashed beyond the specific shower area.

While being able to simply step into your shower with ease may seem like a luxury you’d like to appreciate, due to this design, a waterproof floor is critical.

Traditional tiles

A conventional option for wet rooms, tiling can be ideal if performed by professionals, but there are some downsides. If incorrectly installed, tiling can lead to unwanted leaks, and unlike many modern solutions, this traditional method has plenty of margin for error. Installing tiling can be a lengthy process, particularly in larger wet rooms, and the costs of natural stone, ceramic and porcelain, along with the skilled contractors to fit them, make tiles among the more expensive options.

Vinyl

At the other end of the scale, those looking for a cost-effective option will find vinyl an excellent choice. Available in a wide range of colours and patterns, vinyl is easy to clean and quick to install.

Luxury vinyl tiles (LVT)

For householders seeking a luxury look to their wet room, LVT can make an excellent solution. Cleverly crafted to resemble natural stone tiles or wooden planks, it can create a high-end look for your bathroom that will also be exceptionally hardwearing.

Laminate

Like LVT, laminate flooring can also look like wood or stone. Whereas this option once would have been an impossible pairing with a wet room, today’s cutting-edge technology enables laminate flooring – if fitted by flooring professionals – to provide a completely waterproof solution for wet rooms. A specially engineered water-proof coating provides a robust barrier to any unwanted moisture seeping below your floor.

From affordable vinyl to laminate and LVT, there are a wealth of options open to homeowners looking for effective flooring for wet rooms that don’t require the use of conventional tiles. An underlay that boasts a damp-proof membrane installed below your floor choice is always a wise move, and many leading floor suppliers will include this service for free when you purchase your wet room flooring from them. Remember, both laminate and LVT can offer the same look of natural stone tiles at a much lower cost, and with less inconvenience.

Is a squeegee the best way to clean a carpet?

Carpets need to be kept clean, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. A woman has demonstrated online a unique way of cleaning carpets using a squeegee, but is this a good method?

Regular use of a vacuum is recommended for carpets, but this does not always remove trapped dirt or pet hairs. A woman posted to her Facebook page a novel way of cleaning her carpets without using a hoover – she uses a squeegee, which is normally used to clean windows, to scrape up hair and dust in the carpet fibres. She then easily picks up the loosened dirt. The woman said that her method was:

“Well worth a go, my carpet looks brand new and I’ve had a good arm workout.”

Others on her Facebook page reported trying out the squeegee carpet cleaning method. One said that they used a squeegee weekly and that it was a “crazy good” tip for cleaning carpets.

Many people like this method became of its low cost. One Facebook post said that a squeegee can be bought for as little as 80p from Asda.

Carpets are popular in Wrexham, Chester and North Wales homes and businesses. The NHS recommends that carpets, upholstery, mattresses and curtains are steam-cleaned at temperatures over 77 degrees to kill bacteria and viruses. Commercial steam-cleaning machines operate at temperatures up to 110 degrees.

The NHS recommendations suggest that using a squeegee may make carpets look clean, but this method is far less effective than professional steam cleaning.

What qualities are important for commercial flooring?

Enterprises looking to install new floors will find that selecting a solution for commercial premises is different from deciding on flooring for a domestic setting. While you’ll still want your flooring choice to look great and be designed to last, you’ll need to find a flooring option that can deliver in these areas while withstanding extra wear. This is because floors in commercially used buildings tend to see far more traffic than a home environment, and this additional footfall can quickly take its toll, unless the floor coverings have been made to take the strain.

In the following sections, we’ll look at some of the sought-after properties of a commercial floor and offer some suitable suggestions.

Durability

If your building sees a high volume of visitors each day, a hardwearing flooring option is absolutely essential. A plush wall-to-wall carpet may look luxurious when you first install it, but over time, it will be savaged by wear and tear. For this reason, picking a stronger solution is advised, such as laminate, vinyl, or carpet tiles.

Even if your commercial property doesn’t see significant footfall, picking a durable floor is always a wise move. By selecting a floor that is built to last, you’re unlikely to need to replace it as often, and you’ll see a substantial return on your investment through years of use.

Easy maintenance

Buildings that see many people come and go each day also require floors that are easy to clean. Depending on the weather conditions, every time someone enters from outside, they can unwittingly bring rainwater, dust, dirt and other debris indoors and tramp it across your flooring. Providing you have chosen a floor covering that is simple to care for, this won’t be a problem. Many modern flooring options like laminate or vinyl can be easily cleaned with simple mopping, leaving your workspaces looking clean and well-cared for.

Appearance

This brings us to the third and final quality looked for in commercial flooring – its appearance. Whether you have clients or members of the public visiting or you simply want to create a pleasant environment for your team to work in, choosing a floor that looks exceptional is just as important as it being easy to care for and durable.

Commercial flooring options like luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) can be an ideal choice, as they’re not only hardwearing and simple to keep looking stunning, but they can also create a stylish image for your premises. This cleverly designed flooring solution is offered in a wide range of different styles and can resemble a broad selection of natural materials. It’s available as tiles that look like stone, or planks that appear like a variety of woods, for example.

For those still keen on the warm appearance of carpeting for their commercial property, carpet tiles may be a suitable solution. This modular flooring option is simple to care for with light vacuuming, and if damage occurs, individual tiles can easily be swapped out for spares.

With many options available, commercial enterprises should carefully consider their needs to find their ideal flooring solution.

Why is artificial grass ideal for dogs?

If your household has a canine member, there’s a good chance you’ve experienced your fair share of garden disasters – maybe they ate some unwanted plants you’d tackled with weed killer and upset their stomach, or they dug up the lawn, making muddy potholes before dragging the dirt inside across your clean carpets. Either way, artificial grass could be the answer. In the following passages, we’ll explore some commonly asked questions about man-made lawns in homes where a dog is a part of the family.

Is artificial grass safe for dogs?

Safety is always an important consideration when it comes to our four-legged friends. The good news is that leading manufacturers of synthetic lawns have created solutions that are perfectly safe for animals. Artificial grass is specially designed to be 100 percent non-toxic. Since it’s entirely man-made, you’ll never need to worry about weeding, which means no harmful chemical use is necessary.

Many dogs suffer from allergies, but unlike humans, where symptoms involve our respiratory systems, dogs’ allergic reactions tend to involve their skin. When they roll in grass pollen, this can cause excessive itching and scratching, which can lead to lesions and infections. Fortunately, with a synthetic stretch of artificial grass, there will be no risk whatsoever.

Artificial grass is also less attractive to insect life, making it a safer place for dogs to play without picking up any unwanted bugs in their coat.

Can pet mess be cleaned off artificial grass?

If your dog goes to the toilet in your garden, you don’t have to worry about your synthetic grass getting ruined. The yellowing that can happen to regular grass damaged by pet mess isn’t a problem with a man-made lawn, which will stay green and lush all year round. Any pet urine will filter down through the cleverly designed drainage holes, and any solid matter can be simply scooped up and disposed of. Artificial blades of grass can be easily cleaned with a simple hosing and a little mild detergent at most. While man-made grass holds up well under these circumstances and is easy to maintain, the best policy is always to tackle these tasks as soon as possible.

What are the other benefits of synthetic lawns for dogs?

Completely synthetic, an artificial lawn can be used by your dog every day of the year, which means you don’t have to keep them inside when the weather gets wet for fear of muddy footprints. Your dog will be able to get out to play whatever the weather, and you won’t have a job on your hands afterwards when they come back indoors. Unlike a real lawn of natural grass, you’ll also never have to contend with them digging it up and ruining its appearance.

From being an easy to care for option that ensures your garden always looks great to being a safe place where your pup can play free from harm, there’s no doubt that an artificial lawn can be a perfect pick for you and your dog.

New carpet designs offer reprieve from lockdown troubles

Carpet makers have responded to people feeling troubled by the pandemic restrictions by creating bright designs and patterns that evoke optimism and delight.

The Hotel Designs LIVE event in February 2021 explored new design trends that will affect how hotels will look in 2021 and beyond. For some time, it is expected that social distancing rules will be in place, but this does not mean that spaces need to look sombre. The themes of many carpet designs at the event invoked playfulness, fantasy and surrealism

The new designs had district geometric patterns, but some featured liquid-style designs. Colours featured were bright, contrasting shades.

Talking to Hotel Designs, carpet designer Andrew Cenita explained his design philosophy:

“My objective was to create a visually-intriguing collection that elicits a sense of elation and happiness, offering an aspirational escape from the current state of the world.”

Cenita’s carpets will soon be seen in high-end hospitality venues, The carpet designs exhibited at Hotel Designs LIVE may not be available for residential consumers, but when hotels and hospitality venues reopen, many of them will have been refurbished during the lockdown closure. Guests may be inspired by the bright, bold interior design trends in hotels, bars and restaurants, and decide that they want their new carpets in Chester, Wrexham and North Wales homes to be bright and cheerful too.

Many people are experiencing a new optimism and are looking forward to the ending of coronavirus restrictions. Bright colours and bold patterns fit the desire to escape from the negativity of lockdown.