Constructing a sauna in your yard seems like a dream, doesn’t it? An ideal, cozy escape from the hustle and bustle of day by day life. Someplace you’ll be able to unwind, loosen up, and benefit from the therapeutic advantages of warmth remedy. Not less than, that’s what I believed once I determined to tackle the venture of constructing my very own sauna.
I envisioned a fast weekend venture, a day of hammering away, and earlier than I knew it, I’d have a fantastic little oasis of heat and wellness in my yard.
Spoiler alert: I used to be mistaken.
Seems that constructing a sauna isn’t so simple as throwing some wooden collectively and plugging in a heater. It’s a course of that requires planning, endurance, and a complete lot of studying alongside the best way. I’m so glad I caught with it, regardless of the challenges and setbacks. The ultimate result’s greater than price it, plus I bought some nice instances with pals, and also you get to learn this overly-detailed weblog put up!
On this put up, I stroll you thru my sauna-building journey, sharing the teachings I discovered the arduous means. From understanding the distinctive Finnish model of sauna constructing to picking the proper warmth supply (and sure, a LOT about air flow). So, seize a cup of tea, get snug, and let’s dive into how I constructed my very own outside sauna—and what I discovered within the course of.
Why Sauna?
Earlier than we leap into the step-by-step of constructing a sauna, let me let you know why I made a decision to tackle this venture within the first place.
If you happen to’re something like me, you’ve most likely learn in regards to the quite a few well being advantages of sauna use. All the things from enhancing circulation and relieving muscle stress to boosting your immune system and detoxifying your physique. I’ve mentioned many instances that if the sauna had been a capsule, we’d all take it. However because it isn’t, I made a decision to construct one!
A 2015 Finnish research checked out the advantages of sauna 4-7 instances per week, and for this to be even remotely sensible, a house sauna is admittedly useful. After all, there are sauna kits and pre-made saunas, and I hyperlink to all those I’ve tried and favored beneath. It’s really an embarrassingly great amount. However I like doing issues the powerful means, so DIY it was.
Lesson 1: Planning Is Key (And Even Then, It’s Nonetheless Arduous)
The primary lesson I discovered was that planning is essential in relation to constructing a sauna. Even with the very best intentions, issues don’t all the time go as easily as you hope. I believed I had every little thing mapped out completely. I measured the house in my yard, researched supplies, and even watched a couple of YouTube movies on do it your self sauna constructing. A DIY sauna venture could be a weekend venture—nothing too loopy, proper?
However right here’s the factor: it’s simple to miss all of the small particulars once you’re caught up within the pleasure. The complexity of the sauna building began to change into clear fairly shortly. There are such a lot of components to contemplate once you construct it your self, from the inspiration to the insulation to the sauna door. One of many greatest challenges I encountered was getting the sauna to be correctly insulated. Saunas are all about retaining warmth. With out the precise insulation, all the hassle you place into constructing the construction received’t outcome within the cozy heat you’re after.
I additionally discovered that constructing a sauna is a bit like fixing a puzzle—it requires a variety of trial and error. Particularly once you’re working with totally different constructing supplies and determining the best way to match every little thing collectively. The method wasn’t quick, and it positively wasn’t simple, however the satisfaction of finishing one thing by handcrafted all of it price it ultimately. (Unrelated: I additionally discovered that I’m not the very best at spacial drawing and mapping out dimensions. Fortunately, that ended up all being fixable, although the sauna grew a few ft within the course of… whoops!).
The constructing supplies I used after a lot analysis:
- Untreated pine lumber because the body
- Smartside siding on the skin for sturdiness
- Mineral wool as a non-toxic insulation contained in the partitions (as a substitute of fiberglass)
- Aluminum vapor barrier on the within as soon as insulation was put in
- Exhaust fan for mechanical downdraft
- Alder wooden and a few cedar for the inside and sauna benches
- Two 4-light infrared panes from Creatrix for pink gentle and close to infrared: https://www.creatrixaffiliates.com/208.html (sure, this technically breaks the foundations of a pure conventional Finnish sauna, however my pores and skin loves it, so it’s staying)
- Huum heater (extra on that later)
These similar supplies can be utilized to refinish/repurpose an current outbuilding. Simply make certain all handled wooden and something that may offgas is sealed inside the vapor barrier. Or, as I did, these supplies can be utilized to construct a sauna from scratch.
Lesson 2: The Finnish Model of Sauna Constructing
One of the crucial essential issues I found throughout this venture was the Finns model of sauna constructing. Finland is the birthplace of the sauna, and their conventional saunas are the gold normal for sauna fanatics worldwide. To really respect the artwork of sauna constructing, I knew I needed to perceive the rules behind it.
In a Finnish-style sauna, there are two fundamental components that make it really distinctive: warmth and air flow.
Warmth: The Secret to Sauna Remedy
The warmth in a sauna is what provides you that satisfying, enjoyable expertise. It’s additionally what makes the sauna such a robust device for selling well being and well-being. When constructing my sauna, I had to consider the best way to generate the proper of warmth. This wasn’t nearly selecting a heater (we’ll get to that later) however about creating an setting the place the warmth could be evenly distributed all through the room.
Conventional Finnish saunas typically use wood-burning stoves to generate warmth. Nonetheless, there are different choices, like electrical heaters, that may work simply as nicely. The bottom line is to make sure the warmth is ready to flow into successfully, making a constant temperature. That is the place the right design and insulation come into play and the place I bumped into a couple of hiccups early on.
On the subject of the well being research on sauna advantages, the primary mechanism studied and recognized is the warmth itself. It’s up for debate if infrared sauna gives a “deeper warmth” or helps with detox. But the info is obvious that with the correct amount of warmth and time, sauna may be very useful.
For that reason, I knew I had to verify the sauna may get to 170 levels at a minimal. I then added the infrared/pink lights as a bonus.
Correct Air flow: The Lacking Piece in Many Saunas
Now, right here’s one thing I didn’t totally respect earlier than I began constructing my sauna: it’s not simply the warmth that makes a sauna efficient, it’s the air flow. The truth is, I shortly discovered that warmth alone is just not sufficient to forestall fatigue or discomfort throughout sauna use. It’s really the CO2 buildup within the room that may trigger us to really feel drained or lightheaded. Take a look at my podcast with Mike Feldstein the place we delve extra into CO2 right here.
To keep away from this, it’s important to have correct air flow. That is the place the downdraft system is available in. There are two fundamental varieties of downdraft: mechanical downdraft and guide downdraft.
- Mechanical downdraft makes use of a fan or vent system to flow into the air and take away extra CO2 from the sauna. It is a extra fashionable resolution and may be efficient in guaranteeing the air stays contemporary and breathable.
- Handbook downdraft is the normal method, the place you depend on strategically positioned vents to permit contemporary air to movement into the sauna naturally. Many pre-made saunas both don’t have air flow or depend on this kind.
I selected the mechanical downdraft technique for my sauna as a result of I knew we’d wish to have longer sauna classes and be capable of host greater teams. By putting in a vent above the heater and a fan beneath the bench, I used to be capable of enable for the right movement of air and maintain the CO2 ranges in examine. This setup not solely made the sauna extra snug to make use of but in addition ensured that the warmth remained environment friendly.
Lesson 3: The Legislation of Löyly – Why I Selected Taller Partitions and an Elevated Bench
One of many key design decisions I made when constructing my sauna was to go for a taller construction with 8-foot partitions. This choice was pushed by a deep respect for the normal Finnish sauna expertise and a want to honor the regulation of löyly—the tenet of sauna warmth distribution.
In Finland, the sauna is way more than only a room with a heater; it’s a ritual and a science. The Finnish idea of löyly refers back to the tender, enveloping warmth and the sense of heat that fills the house when the sauna is correctly designed. It’s all about making a harmonious stability between the temperature and the airflow. This fashion, the warmth circulates evenly all through the room. The regulation of löyly emphasizes the significance of warmth rising to the higher benches, guaranteeing that the individual sitting there enjoys the very best of the sauna’s warmth.
In conventional Finnish saunas, the higher bench—the place individuals usually sit to benefit from the sauna—is positioned above the heater, permitting the physique to be uncovered to the most popular air. To make this occur, the sauna will need to have sufficient top to permit the warmth to rise naturally and envelop the person. I ensured that the higher bench could be positioned on the excellent top by choosing 8-foot partitions. This allowed my ft to sit down at or above the extent of the sauna rocks, the supply of the warmth.
It wasn’t nearly creating extra room; it was about aligning the sauna with the rules of löyly. This positioning permits the warmth to rise and flow into across the physique, creating an immersive expertise of heat with out overheating or discomfort.
The Advantages of Taller Partitions and Elevated Benches
- Even Warmth Distribution: The primary cause I selected a taller sauna was to offer the warmth room to rise and unfold evenly. With the higher bench positioned increased than the heater and the person’s ft positioned at or above the extent of the sauna rocks, the nice and cozy air naturally fills the higher a part of the sauna. The air then creates a extra constant and delicate warmth. This setup encourages higher warmth circulation. Your physique additionally stays heat from head to toe whereas avoiding the discomfort of sizzling spots or cool zones.
- A Extra Genuine Finnish Expertise: In Finland, saunas are an artwork type, and the expertise is all about stability. Taller partitions and correct bench positioning make sure you’re sitting in the precise place to really feel the true essence of löyly. The rising warmth ought to fill the room naturally, creating that signature soothing heat important to the Finnish sauna expertise. Once I sat on the higher bench of my sauna for the primary time, I instantly felt the distinction. There was a clean, enveloping heat that felt prefer it got here from throughout, not simply from the heater beneath.
- Improved Air flow and Airflow: By permitting the warmth to rise and flow into freely all through the sauna, the design additionally helps with air flow. Taller partitions create an area the place the hotter air rises naturally and the cooler air flows downward, selling the perfect change of air. That is particularly essential in conventional saunas the place guide downdraft air flow performs an important position in guaranteeing contemporary, breathable air.
- Comfy and Enjoyable: When your ft are positioned at or above the extent of the sauna rocks, it additionally permits for a extra relaxed sitting posture. You’re not sitting too low to the bottom, which implies you’re uncovered to extra of the nice and cozy, rising air. This setup helps create a extra snug and therapeutic sauna session. Right here you’ll be able to really loosen up and really feel the total advantages of the warmth.
Lesson 4: Selecting the Proper Heater
One of the crucial essential choices I made in the course of the constructing course of was selecting the best heater. In spite of everything, that is the center of the sauna expertise. The precise heater could make all of the distinction in relation to warmth high quality, power effectivity, and general expertise.
I did a variety of analysis earlier than deciding on a heater, and in the end, I went with the HUUM Hive heater. Right here’s why:
- Vitality Effectivity: The HUUM Hive is designed to be extremely energy-efficient. This implies I can take pleasure in lengthy sauna classes with out worrying about excessive power payments. It additionally heats up shortly and evenly, offering a snug and constant temperature.
- Design: The glossy, fashionable design of the HUUM Hive matches completely with the aesthetic I wished for my sauna. It’s minimalist but trendy and provides to the general ambiance of the house.
- Efficiency: The HUUM Hive makes use of high-quality stones to generate warmth. This helps preserve a constant temperature and create that tender, enveloping heat I really like.
- Dimension: The HUUM Hive is available in numerous sizes, which was excellent for my sauna. I used to be in a position to decide on the precise dimension based mostly on the house I had out there and the extent of warmth I wished to realize.
The heater dimension may be very particular to the scale of the sauna and the specified temperature. This heater wouldn’t be acceptable for smaller saunas and there are extra budget-friendly choices for heating smaller saunas. I used this heater from Vevor once I needed to substitute the heater in my barrel sauna.
Right here’s the best way to calculate the scale of a sauna heater:
- Measure the quantity of your sauna room in cubic ft.
- As a basic rule of thumb, allocate 1 kilowatt (kW) of heating energy for each 50 cubic ft of house. Basically, divide the cubic footage by 50 to get the required heater dimension in kW. At all times spherical as much as the closest out there heater dimension if essential.
- You may also use a device like this one to calculate your heater dimension.
Lesson 4: Study Some Persistence
I feel one of many greatest classes I discovered all through this course of is the significance of downtime and endurance. When issues don’t go in keeping with plan, it’s simple to get pissed off. Nonetheless, taking a step again and permitting issues to come back collectively slowly could make all of the distinction. There have been loads of days once I was tempted to hurry by means of the venture, however ultimately, I’m so glad I didn’t.
The method of constructing my sauna took longer than I anticipated, but it surely gave me the chance to make changes, enhance my design, and study alongside the best way. Now, I’m capable of respect the top outcome much more as a result of I understand how a lot effort went into making it excellent.
The Closing End result
After months of labor (and a few occasional setbacks), my yard sauna is lastly full. Nicely, aside from the ultimate roof, however that’s a narrative for one more day. It’s a comfy, heat, and welcoming house the place I can escape from the world and deal with my well-being. Each time I step inside, I’m reminded of the teachings I discovered, the errors I made, and the enjoyment of constructing one thing with my very own fingers.
If you happen to’re contemplating constructing your individual sauna, I hope this put up has given you some useful insights and sensible suggestions. Constructing a sauna isn’t simple, however the finish result’s completely price it.
Don’t Wish to Construct?
If my expertise deterred you from wanting to construct one (wouldn’t blame you for that), I’ve additionally tried a variety of different varieties of saunas over time. These have included numerous sizes of moveable, pre-made, indoor saunas, and build-from-kit saunas. A few of these embody wooden burning saunas, whereas others are moveable, private saunas (like a blanket).
These are those I’ve tried and would suggest:
Do you utilize a sauna? Is that this one thing you’d wish to attempt or incorporate extra into your well being routine? Go away a remark and let me know!
