Sauna Accessibility: Requirements and Common Mistakes

Saunas are an amenity we commonly see provided for tenants at multifamily housing as well as for guests at hotels. We have seen dry, steam, infrared, aufguss, and banya type saunas get installed, but there are countless more variations each with their own unique experience.

Prefab saunas are also specified for a lot of projects, they offer ease of installation since they can be assembled on site and provided in an existing space. But be cautious when using prefab saunas as the majority of these, in our experience, will not meet the applicable accessibility requirements.

When two or more saunas are provided clustered at a single location, the code requires that at least 5 percent of each type must be accessible. (2010 ADA Standards, Section 241 & IBC 2018, Section 1109.6) Saunas that are separated by gender or by features are considered different types of saunas, that means 5 percent of each would be required to be accessible.

While there's always benches provided, the lack of an “accessible bench" is a common problem we see in saunas. The accessible bench needs to be 42” min in length, with a depth of 20” min to 24” max and a seat height of 17” min to 19” max AFF. The bench must have back support the entire 42” length and in wet locations the bench needs to be slip resistant. In addition to the bench, a clear floor space needs to be provided at the end of the bench parallel to the short axis (refer to image below.) 2010 ADA Standards, Section 903

The sauna needs to be large enough to provide a space for an accessible 60” turning space (circular or T-shaped.) Turning spaces shall have a 2 percent level floor surface and are allowed to use knee and toe clearance underneath any overlapping elements.

If your local code jurisdiction uses ANSI A117.1- 2017, a 67” turning space would be required rather than the typical 60” turning space, in addition the overlap depth for knee and toe clearance was changed.

It's common to see sauna doors be somewhat more decorative in nature, typically made out of wood or glass but they are not exempt from the accessibility requirements. The door is still required to meet all the requirements of Section 404.

Which includes but is not limited to the following items: providing a 32” minimum clear opening width, a vertical 10” smooth surface across the width of the door at the push side, operable door hardware at both sides of the door, and if a window is provided then the bottom leading edge of the glass will have to be no greater than 43" maximum AFF.

If temperature, humidity, lighting, or timer controls are provided at the sauna then they all have to be accessible. That means providing controls within an accessible reach range from an adjacent clear floor space - for example 15” min to 48” max AFF for an unobstructed reach range.

In addition all the controls have to be operable with one hand without the need for tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist to operate. It's common to see knob style controls (like in the image below) that require pinching and twisting to operate, but those are not acceptable.

A lot of saunas are provided with wood plank flooring (typically square mats), added to the top of a floor surface in order to help with drainage and to prevent slippery surfaces. If these are provided, then threshold at the entry becomes an accessibility concern.

When added to an existing floor it can create a raised floor surface, which means a potential issue with meeting the 1/2” high threshold requirement. Changes in level greater than 1/4", and not more than 1/2" maximum in height shall be beveled with a slope not steeper than 1:2.

If these accessibility items are taken into consideration early in the design process, a lot of headaches and costly problems can be avoided later. If there's questions or comments about anything discussed feel free to contact us. We have accessibility experience working on all types of projects across the country and would be more than happy to work with you.

Did you know that MAPS offers accessibility presentations on various topics, interested in having us present to your company or group? Let us know.