EN 18164:2026

Wellness facilities for public use - Climated rooms - Requirements

This document specifies requirements for the design and construction of climated rooms and any associated equipment for public use.
This document does not apply to electrotechnical aspects of climated rooms.

Wellness-Einrichtungen für die öffentliche Nutzung - Klimatisierte Räume - Anforderungen

Dieses Dokument legt Anforderungen an Gestaltung und Bau von klimatisierten Räumen und zugehörigen Geräten für die öffentliche Nutzung fest.
Dieses Dokument ist nicht anwendbar für elektrotechnische Aspekte von klimatisierten Räumen.

Installations de bien-être à usage public - Salles climatisées - Exigences

Le présent document spécifie les exigences relatives à la conception et à la construction de salles climatisées et de tout équipement associé à usage public.
Le présent document ne s'applique pas aux aspects électrotechniques des salles climatisées.

Wellness objekti za javno uporabo - Klimatizirani prostori - Zahteve

Ta dokument določa zahteve za načrtovanje in gradnjo klimatiziranih prostorov in pripadajoče opreme za javno uporabo.
Ta dokument se ne uporablja za elektrotehnične vidike klimatiziranih prostorov.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 24-Feb-2026
• ICS: 97.220.10 - Sports facilities
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 136 - Sports, playground and other recreational equipment
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 136/WG 16 - Spa and Wellness centres for public use
• Current Stage: 6060 - Definitive text made available (DAV) - Publishing
• Start Date: 25-Feb-2026
• Due Date: 02-Feb-2027
• Completion Date: 25-Feb-2026
• Ref Project: SIST EN 18164:2026 - Wellness facilities for public use - Climated rooms - Requirements

Overview

EN 18164:2026 - Wellness facilities for public use - Climated rooms - Requirements is a European standard developed by CEN (European Committee for Standardization). This document outlines the key requirements for the design and construction of climated rooms and their associated equipment within public wellness facilities. The standard is relevant for various public environments, such as wellness centers, spas, gyms, swimming pools, and health resorts, promoting health, safety, hygiene, and comfort in climated spaces like saunas, steam rooms, and warm-air rooms.

Note: This standard does not address electrotechnical requirements, which are covered under separate European standards.

Key Topics

1. Classification of Climatic Rooms
EN 18164:2026 establishes clear definitions and specifications for several types of climated rooms:

• Sauna rooms: Timber-lined, high-temperature rooms (80 °C to 105 °C) with low humidity.
• Warm-air rooms: Can use multiple materials and provide moderate climates (30 °C to 80 °C, variable humidity).
• Steam rooms: Humid, warm rooms (40 °C up to 49 °C) usually constructed from closed-surface materials.
• Soft steam rooms: Lower temperature (30 °C to 70 °C), humidity under 100%, with special controls for humidity and temperature.

2. Construction Requirements
The standard specifies:

• Suitable materials for walls, floors, ceilings, and benches
• Hygienic, easy-to-clean, and slip-resistant surfaces
• Safe door and window designs (e.g., outward-opening, no locking mechanisms)
• Special requirements for waterproofing and vapor barriers in wet rooms
• Rounded edges and secure, easy-to-maintain seating/benches

3. Ventilation and Environmental Control
To ensure safe and comfortable environments, EN 18164 outlines:

• Sufficient technical ventilation with specific air replacement rates for each room type
• Temperature and humidity controls matching the intended function and safety thresholds
• Measures for heat recovery and prevention of condensation or microbiological growth

4. Safety Systems

• Emergency call system provisions
• Heaters protected against accidental contact and overheating (compliance with EN 60335-2-53)
• Requirements for control units and temperature sensors to prevent unsafe operating conditions

Applications

EN 18164:2026 is essential for:

• Wellness facility operators: Ensuring that new or renovated climated rooms meet current European requirements for safety, durability, and hygiene.
• Architects and designers: Incorporating compliant design practices from the outset for spa, gym, and wellness facility projects.
• Manufacturers and suppliers: Designing equipment and components, such as heaters, benches, or control systems, that fulfill the construction and operational standards.
• Public health and safety inspectors: Assessing wellness facilities for compliance with best practice requirements for climated rooms.
• Maintenance teams: Understanding cleaning, ventilation, and maintenance standards, ensuring ongoing facility integrity.

Benefits include:

• Promoting user safety and public health
• Reducing liability and risk for facility operators
• Ensuring comfort and a positive wellness experience
• Supporting harmonization across EU wellness facilities

Related Standards

To ensure full compliance and best practice implementation, the following standards are closely related to EN 18164:2026:

• EN 16165: Slip resistance of pedestrian surfaces
• EN 60335-2-53: Safety for sauna heating appliances and infrared cabins
• EN 13451-1: General safety requirements for swimming pool equipment
• EN 15288-1: Safety requirements for design of swimming pools for public use
• ISO 23737: Assessment of humidity in technical ceramics
• German and Austrian guidelines such as DGfdB (German Sauna Federation) and ÖNORM M 6219 for sauna, warm-air, and steam rooms.

By adopting EN 18164:2026, wellness facilities align with contemporary expectations for health, comfort, and user safety within climated room environments.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-maj-2026
Wellness objekti za javno uporabo - Klimatizirani prostori - Zahteve
Wellness facilities for public use - Climated rooms - Requirements
Wellness-Einrichtungen für die öffentliche Nutzung - Klimatisierte Räume -
Anforderungen
Installations de bien-être à usage public - Salles climatisées - Exigences
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 18164:2026
ICS:
97.220.10 Športni objekti Sports facilities
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EN 18164
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
February 2026
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 97.220.10
English Version
Wellness facilities for public use - Climated rooms -
Requirements
Installations de bien-être à usage public - Salles Wellness-Einrichtungen für die öffentliche Nutzung -
climatisées - Exigences Klimatisierte Räume - Anforderungen
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 26 January 2026.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2026 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN 18164:2026 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 4
Introduction . 5
1 Scope . 6
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms and definitions . 6
4 Classification of climated rooms . 8
4.1 Sauna room . 8
4.2 Warm-air room . 8
4.3 Steam room . 8
4.4 Soft steam room . 9
5 Construction requirements . 9
5.1 General. 9
5.2 Floor . 9
5.2.1 General. 9
5.2.2 Finishes to wet areas . 10
5.2.3 Slip resistance . 10
5.2.4 Accessible pathways, floors . 10
5.3 Wall construction . 10
5.3.1 General. 10
5.3.2 Sauna rooms . 10
5.3.3 Warm-air rooms . 11
5.3.4 Steam rooms in element construction . 11
5.3.5 Soft steam rooms in element construction . 11
5.4 Ceiling. 11
5.5 Doors and windows . 11
5.6 Interior . 12
5.6.1 General. 12
5.6.2 Interior for sauna and warm-air rooms in timber construction . 12
5.6.3 Interior fittings for steam and warm air rooms in mineral construction . 12
6 Ventilation . 12
7 Heating and temperature control . 13
7.1 General. 13
7.2 Heating and temperature control for sauna rooms and warm air rooms in timber
construction . 13
7.3 Heating and temperature control technology for steam rooms . 13
8 Steam and humidification technology, room drying, fragrance system . 14
8.1 Humidification technology, room drying, fragrance system for warm-air rooms . 14
8.1.1 Humidification technology . 14
8.1.2 Room drying for warm air rooms in timber constructions . 14
8.1.3 Room drying for warm air rooms in other constructions . 14
8.2 Brine and aroma technology, fragrance system . 14
8.3 Steam technology for steam rooms . 14
9 Light and lighting . 14
10 Safety . 15
10.1 Safety system for switching on and off heaters . 15
10.2 Emergency call system . 15
Bibliography . 16

European foreword
This document (EN 18164:2026) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 136 “Sports,
playground and other recreational facilities and equipment”, the secretariat of which is held by DIN
(Germany).
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by August 2026, and conflicting national standards shall be
withdrawn at the latest by August 2026.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards body.
A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organisations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North
Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the United
Kingdom.
Introduction
The objective with this document is to design climated rooms in such a way that they are safe and
promote health and well-being.
The electrotechnical aspects regarding the construction of climated rooms are important. This document
does not cover those aspects as well as infrared heaters. CENELEC has European standards for
electrotechnical aspects, and some are listed in the Bibliography.
1 Scope
This document specifies requirements for the design and construction of climated rooms and any
associated equipment for public use.
This document does not apply to electrotechnical aspects of climated rooms.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 16165, Determination of slip resistance of pedestrian surfaces — Methods of evaluation
EN 60335-2-53, Household and similar electrical appliances — Safety — Part 2-53: Particular
requirements for sauna heating appliances and infrared cabins
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
3.1
public use
use of an installation open to everyone or to a defined group of users, not designated solely for the
owner's/proprietor's/operator's family and guests independently from paying an entrance fee
[SOURCE: EN 15288-1:2018+A1:2024, 3.5]
3.2
sauna room
cabin with a temperature of 80 °C to 105 °C with internal surfaces covered with timber
3.3
automatic infusion
technical equipment that carries out an infusion at regular intervals
3.4
heater
unit, incorporating heating elements which can have a container filled with appropriate rocks
3.5
appliance
combination of heater, sensoring and control unit
3.6
humidifier
equipment producing humidity
3.7
sauna infusion
action of pouring water or scented water mixture onto the hot stones of a heater to increase the humidity
in the room for a short time
3.8
climated room
room with heated air and a temperature of at least 30 °C
3.9
air replacement rate
the air exchange rate n is the volume of air from outside the climated room supplied (in m /h) divided by
the air volume of a room (in m )
3.10
convection
mechanism for transporting thermal energy
3.11
fog
cloud of fine water drops in air saturated with moisture
3.12
thermal conductivity
transfer of heat through direct contact
3.13
protection temperature limiter
technical equipment that switches off a heater after a specified maximum temperature has been reached
3.14
relative humidity
ratio of water vapor partial pressure to saturated vapor pressure at a given temperature
[SOURCE: ISO 23737:2021, 3.6]
3.15
solid construction
construction using mineral building materials, without any plaster parts, with ceramic or natural stone
or made in solid wood
3.16
steam
gaseous aggregate state of water
3.17
steam generator
equipment producing steam
3.18
heat transfer value
U-value
measured energy or heat-flow loss per hour through 1 m of wall space when the temperature on the
inside is 1 K higher than on the outside
4 Classification of climated rooms
4.1 Sauna room
The sauna room is made of timber with ascending stepped benches and with a room climate of
80 °C to 105 °C and a relative humidity of < 10 % measured 1 m above the top bench, which is set by a
stone-filled heater.
The climate has a low humidity, which can be briefly increased by sauna infusions. It can be executed by
hand or automatic infusion.
The wooden surface shall be minimum 65 % of the walls and ceilings.
4.2 Warm-air room
The warm-air room may be constructed of any kind of material(s) or combination of materials, for
example timber, ceramic tiles or natural stone.
The warm-air room is equipped with single or multi-level seats, or loungers, as well as means of
generating steam or heat, or both.
The room climate has a temperature of 30 °C to 80 °C and maximum relative humidity measured 1 m
above the highest seating, according to Figure 1.

Key
X temperature
Y relative humidity in %
NOTE To avoid health hazards, the balance of the combination of material, temperature and relative humidity
is essential.
Figure 1 — Temperature/relative humidity characteristic curve for proper use
4.3 Steam room
The steam room may be constructed of any kind of material(s) suitable to humid environment and with
a closed surface or combination of materials.
The steam room is equipped with benches as well as means of generating steam and heat. The room
climate has a temperature of 40 °C up to a maximum of 49 °C and saturated air humidity measured 1 m
above the top bench level.
NOTE For the maximum temperature, national regulations can apply
4.4 Soft steam room
The soft steam room may be constructed of any kind of material(s) suitable to humid environment and
with a closed surface or combination of materials.
The soft steam room is equipped with benches as well as means of generating steam and heat. The room
climate has a temperature of 30 °C to 70 °C and a relative air humidity of under 100 % measured 1 m
above the top bench level, see Figure 1.
The control technology shall contain a humidity and/or temperature controller.
NOTE To avoid health hazards, the balance of the combination of material, temperature and relative humidity
is essential.
5 Construction requirements
5.1 General
The frame construction for walls and ceiling of the sauna rooms shall be made of suitable timber and/or
other suitable materials. The interi
...