4 Spa Flooring Options for a Relaxing Installation Experience

Visiting a spa is meant to be relaxing, but installing spa flooring for a client in the health and beauty industry can be anything but. These multi-room premises can have lobbies, restrooms, massage rooms, treatment rooms, pools, saunas, and steam rooms. That’s a lot of different floor types with their own unique requirements. 

Here we look at some of the best spa flooring options for contractors, taking into account key requirements like moisture resistance, cleanability, and durability. 

Spa Flooring Needs     

Day spas and hotel spas have flooring requirements that reflect the unique nature of the business. For the customer, these are places of rest and relaxation, so it’s important that the flooring helps create a soothing atmosphere. However, functionality is equally as important as appearance. Let’s take a look at some of the top considerations contractors should keep in mind before choosing spa flooring. 

Spa Flooring Aesthetics  

From a purely functional perspective, spa flooring might seem to have the same requirements as, let’s say, a fish market or a sewage treatment facility: it needs to be solid, resistant to moisture, and suitable for regular deep cleaning. In reality though, spa flooring has fairly unique demands. 

Spas are designed to convey a feeling of calmness, and the physical elements of the building must contribute to this. When a customer walks into a spa, they expect a luxurious experience. So, it’s important that the facility’s floors encourage customers to kickback and relax instead of running for the door. Spa flooring must meet the baseline standards that clients would want to see, which includes cosmetic requirements like pattern, color, or finish. 

Moisture Resistance for Spas 

A spa will typically comprise a mixture of dry and wet areas. Dry areas include massage rooms, while wet areas include steam rooms and pools. Flooring in wet areas should be fully moisture-resistant to prevent warping and mold buildup. 

Some clients will require flooring for interior and exterior areas, with the latter potentially subject to rainfall if uncovered. 

A related consideration here is drainage. Regardless of the chosen flooring material, pool decks and other wet floors may require a slope to prevent buildup of standing water. 

Slip resistance 

Wet areas like pools should have slip-resistant flooring to prevent injury to visitors. Keep in mind that some spa visitors may use footwear like cotton slippers or flip-flops, while others may go barefoot. The flooring must be suitable to keep visitors safe no matter their footwear.  

Temperature Resistance 

Many popular spa treatments involve elevated temperatures to induce relaxation. For instance, a typical sauna will reach temperatures up to 190 °F. 

Spa flooring for these particular areas needs to be thermally shock-resistant so it does not crack or warp when the temperature is rapidly raised (and then lowered). Similarly, exterior flooring like pool decks should be resistant to the heat and UV rays from sunlight. 

Floor Durability 

While elegance is a high priority for spa flooring, so is durability. Areas like lobbies will see a high level of foot traffic, and flooring should resist scuffs and impact, so it does not wear out quickly. 

Spa Hygiene 

Spa visitors pay big money to attain a state of tranquility, so they’ll feel short-changed if they see a buildup of grime on the floors. 

Hygiene and cleanability is a hugely important factor in all areas of a spa, but particularly in wet areas like pools and steam rooms, where bacteria and fungi can grow freely if it is not dealt with. In practice, this means choosing smooth, hard flooring that won’t degrade upon contact with strong cleaning chemicals. 

Spa Flooring Options   

Finding a type of flooring that meets the lengthy list of requirements above may seem like a challenge. However, there are several suitable options for durable and attractive spa flooring. 

Polished Concrete    

Polished concrete is a type of concrete flooring that is ground down with various blade sizes to achieve a smooth and uniform finish. It is suitable for busy spa areas like lobbies, hallways, and treatment rooms. 

Benefits of polished concrete in spas: 

• High-quality appearance 
• Range of dyes and stains 
• More slip-resistant than surfaces like vinyl 

Our Products 

Duraamen’s polished concrete products include the sprayable Terrazzi system, which is easy to install and  abrasion-resistant, and the Param 5500 self-leveling concrete topping system, which is exceptionally strong, moisture-resistant, and stain-resistant. 

Urethane Concrete   

Urethane modified concrete (UMC), or urethane cement, is a type of floor coating that can be applied over a range of substrates. It is suitable for areas of a spa subject to high temperatures and steam, such as saunas and steam rooms. 

Benefits of urethane concrete in spas: 

• Impermeability 
• Crack resistance 
• Slip resistance 

Our Products  

Duraamen’s urethane concrete flooring solutions include Kraftig SL, a self-leveling UMC that withstands high levels of moisture vapor transmission while being highly resistant to bacterial and fungal growth, making it exceptionally hygienic. 

Metallic Epoxy    

Metallic epoxy is a type of resinous flooring that contains metallic particles suspended within an epoxy layer, creating a brilliant visual effect. In addition to its cosmetic qualities, metallic epoxy flooring is resistant to wear and abrasion. It is best suited to reception areas and lobbies where the spa aims to draw in customers. 

Benefits of metallic epoxy in spas: 

• Stunning appearance 
• Easy maintenance 
• Wear resistance 

Our Products    

Lumiere from Duraamen is a metallic epoxy flooring system with a primer, a metal-filled body coat, and a polyurethane topcoat. An optional non-slip coating can be added, although this reduces the gloss. Lumiere comes in a range of eye-catching colors, and clients can choose from a glossy or matte topcoat. 

Decorative Quartz     

Decorative quartz is a urethane cement floor coating containing quartz crystals that are broadcast into the wet cement. Functional and visually impressive, this flooring is great for spa areas like steam rooms, shower and locker rooms, pool decks, and restrooms. 

Benefits of decorative quartz in spas: 

• Durability 
• Slip resistance 
• Mold and bacteria resistance 

Our Products  

The Duraamen quartz urethane kit containing Kraftig SL urethane and Kwortz quartz crystals allows contractors to install tough and hygienic flooring for a range of applications. In addition to being slip-resistant and bacteria-resistant, the flooring solution can easily withstand thermal shock, making it suitable for thermal treatment facilities. 

Conclusion   

Meeting the flooring needs of a client in the health and beauty sector requires careful planning. However, with Duraamen’s range of concrete and resinous flooring solutions, the process becomes smoother and simpler. Shop our selection of products to find the right flooring for your next job.