Services
Wet room tiling in Exeter & Devon
Walk-in wet rooms, fully tanked before a tile goes down, with the floor set to fall to the drain and every niche lined up with the tile joints.
5.0 on Google6+ years · 350+ jobs£2m public liabilityExeter & all of Devon
What's included
Wet rooms.
- Tanking of walls and floor before tiling
- Floors laid to fall to a linear or square drain
- Level-access walk-in showers
- Recessed niches set out with the joints
- Large-format walls for fewer grout lines
- Slip-resistant floor tiles
How Mark does it
The bit you don't see.
Check the floor and the drainage
Mark looks at how the floor is built and where the waste can run before quoting, because that decides how the falls are made and where the drain can go.
Lay the floor to fall
The floor is set to fall gently to the drain, so water runs away and never sits. Tile size and layout are chosen to suit the falls.
Tank the room
Floor and walls are tanked before a tile goes down. Corners, the drain and pipe entries are where water finds a way through, so they get the most attention.
Set out around the drain and niche
The layout is worked out from the drain and the niche, so the floor cuts follow the falls neatly and the niche lines up with the tile joints.
Tile, grout and clear up
Slip-resistant tiles go on the floor, the walls are tiled, and the joints grouted and sealed. The room is cleared up at the end of every day.
Based in Exeter, Mark covers all of Devon. See more recent projects, or read what customers say.
What people worry about
The usual worries,
answered by customers.
Worried about dust and mess in the house?
★★★★★“Tidiest trade we've ever had in the house. Dust sheets everywhere, hoovered every night, and the wet room is honestly the best room we own now.”
Will they turn up when they say?
★★★★★“Mark fully tiled our new bathroom. His standard of work was first class as was his attention to detail. Always on time and cleared up after a day's work. We recommended him to a neighbour who he has already done some work for.”
Will it be finished to a high standard?
★★★★★“Extremely professional from start to finish, very precise with every detail, and left everything spotless when the job was complete. The quality of his workmanship is outstanding.”
Real reviews from Mark's customers, labelled with where each one came from.
What affects the price
Priced on what the job needs.
Every job is priced on what it actually needs. These are the things that move the number.
The floor underneath
A wet room floor has to fall gently to the drain. On concrete the fall is usually built into the screed; on a timber floor the boards often come up so a former (a ready-made sloping base) can sit between the joists. Timber usually means more work.
Where the drain goes
A linear drain (a long channel) lets the floor fall one way, so larger tiles can stay whole. A square drain means the floor falls from four sides, which needs smaller tiles or careful cuts. Moving the drain means more plumbing and more floor work.
How much is tanked
Some wet rooms are tanked in the shower zone only; others floor and walls throughout. The more of the room that gets wet, the more there is to tank.
Floor tile choice
Small tiles and mosaics follow the falls easily. Large-format floor tiles look cleaner but have to be cut to follow the slope, which takes longer.
Stripping out and walls
Old tiles off, damaged plasterboard replaced, and walls boarded or made good before tanking. Older houses often hide more work behind the tiles.
Niches, screens and details
Recessed niches, boxed-in pipes and a window in the shower zone all add cuts and finishing.
Prices aren't published here, because no two rooms need the same work. Mark quotes each job on what it involves.
Level access
A shower with no step
In a level-access wet room the floor runs straight into the shower with no tray and no lip, so there's nothing to step over. That suits everyone, and it matters most for anyone unsteady on their feet or using a shower chair.
Three things make it work. The floor falls gently to the drain so water never sits. The floor tiles are slip-resistant when wet. And the tanking covers everywhere water can reach, because without a tray there's nothing else to hold it.
A floor that's level at the door usually means building the fall into the floor rather than on top of it. On a timber floor that often means dropping the shower area between the joists; on concrete, the screed may need taking up and relaying.
Adapting a bathroom
Wet rooms for easier access
Mark tiles level-access wet rooms for people adapting a home so they can stay in it, and for families adapting a bathroom for a parent. A floor with no step, slip-resistant tiles and a tidy, calm job matter more here than anywhere.
A Disabled Facilities Grant of up to £30,000 can help pay for changes such as a level-access shower. Grants are usually means-tested and are arranged through your council, not through MH Tiling. In Devon, outside Plymouth and Torbay, start with Devon County Council's Care Direct on 0345 155 1007, who can arrange an occupational therapist's assessment; your district council (Exeter City Council in Exeter) then handles the grant. In Plymouth or Torbay, contact your own council. Don't start work before the grant is approved.
Who does what
The tiler's part of a wet room
A wet room takes more than one trade. A plumber fits the drain, the waste and the shower; an electrician wires the shower, the lighting and the extractor fan. Mark's part is the floor falls, the tanking and the tiling, in the middle of the job.
If you already have a plumber or bathroom fitter, share their dates when you ask for a quote. If you're starting from scratch, Mark can tell you what needs doing, and in what order, before he starts.
Ventilation matters as much as the tanking. A wet room that never dries out grows mould in the grout and silicone, however well it's tiled.
Recent work
Mark's recent jobs.
Case studies
See one start to finish.
Wet room tiling questions
Wet room questions, answered
Can't see your question? Call or WhatsApp Mark and ask. He'll give you a straight answer.
Call 07856 584175What is tanking?
Tanking is a waterproof membrane system applied to the walls and floor before tiling, so water can't reach the structure behind. Tiles and grout aren't waterproof on their own. In a wet room, where the whole floor gets wet, it's essential.
Is tanking a shower necessary?
In a wet room, always. Around a shower tray it's still the safe choice: grout lets some water through, and plasterboard or plaster behind a shower softens and fails once it stays damp. Tanking the shower walls before tiling costs far less than stripping out a leaking shower later.
Can any bathroom become a wet room?
Most can, but it depends on how the floor is built and where the waste can run. Timber floors usually need more work than concrete to form the falls. Mark will look at the room before quoting so you know what's involved.
How much does a wet room cost?
It depends mostly on the floor: how easily the falls can be formed, where the drain goes, and how much of the room is tanked. Tile choice, stripping out, and the plumbing and electrics (done by other trades) add to it. Prices aren't published because no two wet rooms need the same work. Send a few photos and rough sizes for a quote.
What tiles work best in a wet room?
On the floor, slip-resistant tiles laid to fall to the drain: ask for the tile's slip rating and check it's made for wet floors you'll walk on barefoot. On the walls you have more freedom, and large-format tiles keep grout lines to a minimum. For a stone look, see natural stone tiling.
How long does a wet room take?
Longer than a standard bathroom of the same size, because the floor is formed first and the tanking has to dry before tiling starts. The plumber's and electrician's work has to fit around it too. You'll get a clear timescale with your quote.
My wet room grout has gone black. Does it need redoing?
Not necessarily. If the tiles are sound and the room is dry underneath, it's usually a grout and silicone job rather than a new wet room. See regrouting and repairs.
Other services
More tiling services.
Floor tiling
More about floor tiling
Kitchen tiling
More about kitchen tiling
Large-format slabs
More about large-format tiling
Natural stone & marble
More about natural stone tilingCommercial tiling
More about commercial tiling
Regrouting & repairs
More about regrouting & tile repairsPlanning some tiling?
Send a few photos and rough sizes. Mark will come back to you with a written, itemised quote. Based in Exeter, working all over Devon.