Wetrooms are a watertight hit with clients

Transforming tired old bathrooms into a modern marvel of accessible, spa-like spaces is a specialty at Cheshire Wetrooms, and owner Richard Davis uses the products from Kudos Showers to design and build wetrooms for customers looking for a bathroom that meets all needs.

Richard has been installing Kudos products for over a decade. His introduction to Kudos started when his van, advertising that he was a wetroom installation specialist, was spotted by the founder of Kudos Showers Bruce Ledwith while creating a brand new wetroom product solution, Aqua4Ma, back in 2011. Bruce got in touch to see if Richard would test his new product invention, and Richard has been installing Kudos products ever since. Aqua4Ma is unique in that no tanking is required, simply solvent welded boards that allow fitting and tiling within the day.

Cheshire Wetrooms has been installing domestic wetrooms since 2007 and more than 50% of their projects are for people with some form of disability or aging customers who are future-proofi ng their bathrooms. They are largely customers who don’t want to move house and they are often fitted at the same time as a stair lift to make access up the stairs and in the bathroom easier.

High-end renovations

Cheshire Wetrooms focuses on top end installations, and its USP is the ability to create truly bespoke designs suited to the customer’s needs.

A recent example occurred where his client wanted a room that was functional but not institutional looking. The resulting design had a 150mm weight bearing shelf flow around the room which could be used for support, and it included a seat within the shower of a completely open plan room. It wasn’t a constant reminder of a person’s limitation; it was like a boutique hotel spa bathroom to be enjoyed. His installations cost on average of £12-15k per bathroom and each install takes around two weeks.

Overcoming hesitancy

Richard readily accepts that there is still a nervousness about installing a wetroom. He agrees that many older wetrooms he has seen have leaked but he explains that a badly installed shower tray can leak too. It’s a lot about the quality of the installation and products used.

“The benefit of Kudos wetroom products is that there is no tanking to destroy, which is a main source of leaking in a wetroom,” he says.

After

 Began installing wetrooms in 2007

 Over half of customers are people with disability or concerns about aging

 Specialises in high-end, bespoke wetroom designs

 Projects cost on average £12,000 to £15,000 per bathroom

 Each installation takes around two weeks to complete

Attention to detail

When asked what else he likes about Kudos products, Richard says: “I love the attention to detail. It’s the little things like on the bottom of the screens the plastic strip to stop glass from touching the tiles. Little holders that you make for the screws, so you don’t have to fiddle about. You’d be surprised, it makes a lot of difference that someone has thought about it and the process we go through to install it. No one else does that. It’s that thought level that gives Kudos the edge on anyone else.”

Favourite things

So what’s Richard’s favourite Kudos product? “Aside from the detailed fittings, the quality is great and the add-ons too, like the deflectors, they work well. I visit many bathrooms where I am taking out Kudos products that were fitted 20 years ago and they are still working well, it’s just a dated design that I am removing. They stand the test of time and that gives me confidence to install the brand.”

Trendsetter

Richard concludes with his views on latest trends in the market:

“All my current installs are in Brushed Brass which is weird as I’ve spent the last 10 years removing gold enclosures. They look great, although it takes the industry a while to line up a new fi nish, so you can end up with a brass profi le for a shower screen and then taps, furniture, handles, shower heads, basin wastes and everything having to line up and match. Micro cement is also becoming very popular as it’s available in any colour and it’s easy to clean.”

So, what’s the future for Cheshire Wetrooms? Richard says: “To continue creating lovely wetrooms for lovely customers and I’ll keep installing lovely Kudos products too. And the future looks bronze, according to the soon-to-be-launched glass sample you’ve just shown me.”

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Keeping all family members clean!

Ideal for busy homes and beloved family pets, the Abode wall outlet handshower in antique brass makes daily showering tasks quick and easy. The shower is available in exposed (AB2728) and concealed (AB4534) options and is part of the company’s Serenitie shower collection.

Paul Illingworth, design manager at Abode, comments: “Given the recent rise in pet ownership, the latest trends continue to embrace a practical choice of hardware with specially designed shower areas for our furry companions now a common feature of the UK home. Whether an extension to the main family bathroom or dedicated mud room on the ground floor, homeowners are now looking at incorporating these pet-friendly features in the home, which are convenient and save both time and money being spent at the groomers.”

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