Jointless bathroom: How to avoid joints in your bathroom!
Jointless bathrooms impress with a modern and attractive atmosphere – but they have many practical benefits too. We explain here why jointless bathrooms are more than a passing trend and pass on some tips for avoiding joints.
Timeless and modern design with jointless bathrooms
Our requirements for bathrooms have changed over time: Once a purely functional room, it is now an important living and well-being space. Design also plays a role: Small tiles on the floor and walls can often make the room feel less restful and look smaller and narrower. Jointless designs create a harmonious and spacious impression for an elegant and – depending on the selected materials – wonderfully luxurious effect. The peaceful atmosphere sets the scene for relaxation – ideal for daily time out to recharge batteries. Modern wall coverings without joints now offer lots of design scope for elegant bathrooms – and cost less than you might imagine.
The ultimate easy-care bathroom: Advantages at a glance
As well as creating an exclusive look, a jointless bathroom has many practical benefits. These include:
Cleaning: Water accumulates in joints – and limescale, dirt and unsightly discolouration quickly become visible. While these can be removed using everyday household products, cleaning can be very time consuming. Jointless surfaces are much easier to care for.
Hygiene: Joints are vulnerable to germs and bacteria. Microorganisms can accumulate in porous cement joints or behind gaps in silicone seals.
Durability: Joints that are not perfectly finished or that are showing the effects of time can start to come apart: Crumbling grout can potentially cause tiles to become unstable. Silicone seals can peel off, allowing water to infiltrate the gaps and wreak damage. In the worst-case scenario, defective seals will need to be removed and repaired. You will generally need to call in a professional for this – and costs can quickly mount up.
Health: Moisture can accumulate in joints and silicone seals – and this creates an ideal breeding ground for fungal spores. Mould is a health risk that should not be underestimated. It can spread all over the house and is difficult to remove.
If you are considering a beautiful jointless bathroom for your home, there are a few things you should consider. Lots of different solutions exist for jointless bathrooms, most of which require skilful installation. We therefore recommend you seek expert advice and appoint experienced professionals to handle the installation, as well as choosing tried-and-tested materials that are impervious to moisture or specially waterproofed. Sealing can be a particular issue and this requires great care and expertise.
Villeroy & Boch acrylic, Quaryl or ceramic flush-fitting shower trays.
Villeroy & Boch’s exclusive free-standing baths and flush-fitting showers made from acrylic, Quaryl and ceramics are ideal for jointless designs. Our ultra-flat rimless Architectura MetalRim shower tray impresses with its high quality, functionality and an elegantly shiny, non-porous and extremely easy-care surface. It was selected for the Red Dot Design Award in 2014 and is a beautiful eye-catching feature in any bathroom. The flush-fitting shower tray integrates seamlessly into the floor. As well as allowing barrier-free access and easy cleaning, this also creates a beautifully open and harmonious effect in the room. MetalRim shower trays are available in a wide range of sizes and colours to open up maximum design scope. Villeroy & Boch freestanding bathtubs with feet are also an ideal choice for jointless designs.
More solutions for your jointless bathroom
Modern solutions and innovative techniques now allow easy implementation of jointless concepts.
Here are a few tips:
Large tiles:
Instead of traditional tiles, you can use ‘XXL’ tiles. These require fewer joints or can be installed edge to edge.
Plaster:
Special water-repellent plaster or waterproofed plasters can be used to implement a wide range of individual and creative ideas. Marble plaster, cement plaster, concrete plaster or lime plaster add character to a bathroom.
Jointless wall panels:
Special robust waterproof wall panels and decorative plates are available in a wide range of designs.
Waterproof wallpaper:
One relatively low-cost alternative is washable wallpaper. However, this should only be used in areas where it will not come into direct contact with water. Waterproof wallpaper is therefore only suitable in combination with other wall coverings.
Synthetic resin:
This is a synthetic material that is applied to walls in a similar way to plaster. Synthetic resin is exceptionally durable and also effectively prevents mould.
Summary: For beautiful jointless bathrooms
As well as looking attractive, jointless bathrooms have practical benefits too, such as easy care and greater hygiene. Villeroy & Boch’s innovative shower trays and freestanding baths, as well as modern solutions such as large tiles, waterproof plaster, wallpaper, synthetic resins and special wall panels, provide lots of scope to create very individual looks for jointless bathrooms.