Sauna floor

The sauna floor is an important but often overlooked part of a sauna room. Most sauna kits include linings for the walls and ceiling of the sauna, however the floor covering may not be part of the kit.

So what kind of floor should a sauna room have and what criteria can be used to determine the best materials to use.

Selecting a sauna room floor

The first thing to consider is the heater that is going to be used in the sauna.

Electric stoves and all fossil fuel heaters generate hot air and significantly increase the temperature of the sauna room. This is naturally a dry heat, however water can be added to give a shower of steam. When this is the case the atmosphere can become humid and wet. If you think that water vapour and condensation will be produced in your home sauna, then you should consider using an anti slip floor finish.

By contrast the infrared heater does not warm the air. This type of heater only heats up objects that fall under its infrared light and are subject to radiated heat. This has implications on the floor requirements as moisture and humidity will rarely be present. For this reason the type of floor covering used in an infrared sauna is not as critical as that used in other formats.

Aside from considering the heater type within the sauna, the other main floor material determining criteria are as follows –

• The floor should be made from a material that can be washed or wiped easily.
• The floor covering should be able to retain small amounts of liquid without leaking through to the structural floor (or floor boards) below.
• The material should be antibacterial, or capable of being cleaned with detergents that kill bacterial and other germs.
• The floor material should not be able to harbour odours or smells.
• The floor material should not be one that is damaged by heat or humidity.
• Finally the floor covering should be in keeping with the other internal finishes within the sauna so that a relaxing atmosphere is generated. It should also be comfortable to walk on in bare feet.

Sauna floor materials

Taking all of the criteria and guidelines given above, the best sauna floor finishes tend to be those with smooth hard finishes that are waterproof and highly durable. The result is that the following are the most popular of sauna room flooring materials.

Hard wood in keeping with the wall lining - This matches the wall covering in appearance and performance and creates an attractive and consistent sauna finish.

Ceramic tiles – These are durable, resistant to almost all chemicals and can be cleaned easily. They also look good and have a pleasant feel under foot.

Concrete or screeded floors. Cement based floors are solid, impervious and provided that the finish is smooth, easy to clean.

Vinyl floor coverings – are water resistant and they do not harbour bacteria. They are easy to clean and they are available in designs and patterns that can mimic tiled or timber floors. They are also cheap and easy to fit.

Is a drain required?

A floor drain should not be required in a typical home sauna. Unless water is splashed on the heater rocks the heat is normally a dry one and the moisture in the air comes from the sweating of the occupants.

For this reason neither a floor drain or an extractor fan should be necessary in a home sauna.