Shower Wet Area

Hi Everyone

just after some knowledge here when we were building our supervisor advised us that a wet area is designed to always be wet ie constantly wet. Is this correct? The main reason I ask is since we finished building 2 years ago we have never used our ensuite shower we just use the main bathroom shower. Im just wondering if we never use it and then one day decide to use it could our wet area become damaged un useable due to no use over the past 2 years?

You should first find out whether your builder has used a "Performance Based Solution" aka "Alternative Solution" that allows wet areas to be water resistant rather than water proofed.

Not sure he said it right but what I would say about a wet area is;

The base and the lower part of the walls should be water proof, that is designed to prevent water penetration if the area was permanently wet. (that is not to say that the area should always be wet)

Rather than water resistant, which is 'it will not be damaged by occasional surface wetting' (This would describe the tiles high up on the wall which typically don't get waterproofed as the tiles and grout protect the plasterboard)

No, a waterproof membrane does not need to be conditioned by being constantly wet to maintain its integrity. Actually a membrane should never been actually in contact with any large amounts of water in a constantly wet area anyway. If is does, then .it suggests the tiling or whatever is on top of the membrane was not done properly.