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Laying the Groundwork for More Adaptable Bathrooms

11 Sep 26

Writing exclusively for UK Construction Online, Chris Hambley, from patent attorney firm Withers & Rogers, looks at a newly granted UK patent for a convertible bathroom flooring system, and considers what this innovation could mean for accessibility, renovation costs and commercial advantage across the care home and healthcare sectors.

“Bathrooms are traditionally designed around either a bath or a shower, with each requiring different floor constructions and drainage arrangements. As a result, converting a bathroom from one configuration to another can be costly, time-consuming and disruptive.

“Whilst bathroom conversions can be problematic in any property, they can be even more so in care homes and healthcare settings where the resident’s or patient’s requirements may change over time.”

Wet Rooms?

“To address this issue, UK patent GB2640004B, granted to On the Level (Wet Rooms) Limited in July 2026, describes a floor installation that can be readily converted between a bath and a shower arrangement. The patent describes how first and second floor formers (see diagram below, fig. 22, 24) can be positioned one on top of the other, with the first floor former being removable. The second floor former includes an angled floor surface (36), which allows it to be used as a shower tray.

“In the preferred arrangement, the first floor former provides a level surface (26) for supporting a bath, whilst the second floor former includes a recessed section (38). The first floor former is received within the recessed section and conceals it during normal use. Aligned waste outlets and drainage devices allow bath water to be directed into the underlying drainage system without requiring further plumbing modifications.”

Scope for Innovation

“If a shower installation is required at a later date, the bath and first floor former can simply be removed, exposing the recessed second floor former and its integrated drainage arrangement. This enables the creation of a level-access shower without extensive reconstruction of the bathroom floor.

“This patented design serves as a useful reminder that even in a well-established field such as bathroom fixtures and fittings, there remains scope for innovation. By enabling bathrooms to adapt more easily to changing user requirements, this invention could help reduce renovation costs, improve accessibility and provide a valuable competitive advantage for manufacturers and installers. Having secured patent protection, On the Level has the benefit of commercial exclusivity for up to twenty years – plenty of time to realise value from the sale of products or solutions that utilise their innovation.”