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Outdoor saunas with and without electricity

May 11, 2013 By Glenn 4 Comments

wiring an outdoor sauna for power and in this case speaker volume control.

As mentioned in this video here, many country and lakeside saunas don’t have electricity.

In Finland and everywhere, many traditional saunas were built before electricity.   Also, many saunas are built away from the main house, cabin, cottage.  To the positive, this reality is what helps make the sauna building a true escape, a step back in time and towards simplicity.

There is a wind of change: solar and wind systems are becoming more affordable for the average bear.

Saunas that have been lit exclusively by candle or lantern may now, with the flick of a switch, be powered up like the LM in Apollo 13.

When building an outdoor sauna, spend the extra time and cash to wire the structure for lights and outlets.

A simple hot room light, a couple wall sconses in changing room, and an outdoor patio light is all is needed (the power of three).   Oh, and put ‘em all on dimmers.  One can bring power into the structure by wiring an RV electrical plug (expensive) or a simple male plug tucked under the structure outside.  The system can be tested and powered for sauna parties by running extension cord from nearest power source.

Run 12/2 wire from the outside plug under the bottom plate directly to a GFI outlet, then run power to lights and additional outlet(s). This keeps your entire system safe from power surges and accidents eg. when a drunken guest thinks your triple light switch is a sink.

When you step up to get the solar panel or wind turbine, your structure is wired and ready to go.

 

Filed Under: Building a sauna Tagged With: , , , , ,

An authentic sauna enthusiast chimes in

February 12, 2013 By Glenn 3 Comments

Below is an email received today from Mike in Wisconsin.

This is why we do Saunatimes: building a tribe of sauna enthusiasts who overcome their lizard brain, and put their own dent in their universe, making something happen for themselves that embraces:

  • Health and wellness.
  • Escape.
  • Fun.

These are the three pillars that keep saunatimes afloat, from our inception four years ago, amidst all the misconceptions of what sauna is, its false claims, and marketing theater.  Thanks Mike for joining our tribe.

Enter Mike:

“I have been reading your blog for a couple years now.  I love your humor and insight.  Our kids are a bit older now, and we were at a crossroads of whether to put more money into our house in Wisconsin or move.  We agreed to stay put, and I have to say, your website influenced our decision!  My wife doesn’t enjoy sauna as much as me, but our two children love sauna – we get to use my uncle’s cabin from time to time and kids love taking multiple sauna rounds there.

Anyhow, we were so liberated to hear about how to add an outdoor sauna to our backyard.  It makes so much sense!  We both work, and facing traffic on weekends and holidays has become such a strain on us. We would arrive at my Uncle’s cabin whipped out and spend all day Sunday dreading the trip home.

My wife wanted to look at moving somewhere warmer.  She was fed up with winter.  We read on your site about how other people with saunas love winter.  We wondered if they are crazy or if it’s true.  I have to tell you.. it’s true!  We all love winter now!

So, we started with what you said, some string and four sticks, and we staked out an outdoor sauna space in our backyard.  We followed your 8′x12′ plan, and my wife designed a deck courtyard area in our back corner lot.  We had a shed company build the structure and me and a friend finished the interior.  Not sure if you remembered me, but I emailed you a few times and you were great about answering my questions.

My brother has plenty of wood on his property, and so built a wood burning outdoor sauna… what a great decision!

I can’t begin to tell you how much we love our outdoor sauna.  Kids bring friends over – they all say we have the coolest backyard in town.  We look forward to checking the weather and cross our fingers for fresh snow.  Twice now, i’ve taken off work early to be home for snow storms.  We love to hunker down in our backyard and sauna, watching the snow fly and doing snow angels.

My wife used to suffer from lower back pain.  She started going to yoga, and she tries to use the sauna more too.  Her back is much better.  I find I work out more frequently.  I used to use the health club sauna, but now, I hit the gym on my way home from work, and avoid the smelly health club sauna completely.  What a difference my sauna is compared to the health club sauna!  I’m thinking about buying an exercise bike and losing the health club membership.

We can’t wait for spring.  I”m hooking up an outdoor shower like you suggest (that was one of the first articles I remember reading from you).  Thanks for all your work on your website.  If you’re ever in the Milwaukee area, please come sauna!”

EDITOR: Here’s a few links to posts that Mike talked about:

Sauna in the snow.

Bring the family together.

Building your own sauna – where to start.

Kids in the sauna.

Build your own backyard shower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Sauna Culture Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What about using a cell phone in a sauna?

December 30, 2012 By Glenn 2 Comments

Have you heard the urban legend about putting your cell phone in your microwave and calling it?  If it rings inside your microwave your microwave has a dangerous leak.  If it doesn’t ring, your microwave is properly sealed.  I submit the same theory:  If you can call your cell phone as it sits on your sauna bench, you haven’t sealed your hot room well enough with foil bubble wrap.

I am kidding.

But there may be some truth here, if nothing more than using a cell phone in a sauna should be dismissed out of principle, for etiquette and sanity sake.

Three guiding principle’s of sauna do not overlap with cell phone use:

  1. Health and Wellness
  2. Escape
  3. Fun.

Filed Under: Sauna etiquette Tagged With: , , , ,

An authentic sauna we built, then delivered to Ohio.

December 8, 2012 By Glenn 5 Comments

We consider this the perfect authentic Finnish sauna outdoor retreat.

Yet, we welcome any input, suggestion, idea on how it can be improved.

8'x12' structure. (under 100sf - no building permit!). Door to changing room. window to hot room. Half log siding that could easily be cedar shake or siding to match existing primary house or cabin.

 

12′ side with exterior light and reverse gable, a perfect side to extend the space with a deck or screen porch overhang.

6'x8' changing room. 2'x6' cedar bench. Upper shelf for storage. Two 28"x36" double hung windows for plenty of cross light and open feel.

24″x80″ cedar sauna door with 12″x12″ tempered glass window leading into hot room along 8′ wall.

 

6'x8' hot room. 2'x8' upper bench. 18"x8' lower bench. Wood burning sauna stove with glass window and aluminum hot water tank.

 

 

loading sauna on flatbed trailer.

Looks crazy, but we carefully loaded sauna on flatbed trailer and..

...delivered it to a backyard 644 miles away. Don't you deserve your own health and wellness retreat?

Filed Under: Building a sauna Tagged With: , , , ,

Refuge spa at Carmel Valley Athletic Club helps folks rebalance and find equilibrium

June 14, 2012 By Glenn Leave a Comment

The San Francisco Chronicle recently visited The Refuge Spa at Carmel Valley Athletic Club.  Axel Binneboese, General Manager, has a very clear and experienced understanding of many of the elements the authentic sauna experience.  We applaud his efforts as we preach the rubber band theory and have spoken at length about the escape elements and reset button.

Here’s an excerpt from the article and quotes from Axel:

“It requires you to shut off from the world,” says Refuge general manager Axel Binneboese, originally from Germany. “The Refuge is designed to take you out of it, and that’s hard for many people.”

Binneboese helped owner Scot McKay refine his concept of a relaxation spa during the athletic club’s recent rebuilding. Patrons are encouraged to raise their temperature in the large wood sauna or smaller eucalyptus steam room, then to cool down quickly in one of four rock-lined cold pools (marked “cool” and “cold,” which might feel more like “bracing” and “arctic”), and last to recline outdoors around one of many fire pits, or indoors on lounges designed to hug the body and ease the pull of gravity.

“That’s where it all happens, when the body rebalances itself and finds equilibrium in terms of circulation,” Binneboese says. “If you just go from hot to cold and cold to hot, you steel your body, but you’re not getting the relaxation effect.”

Equilibrium.

 

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: , , ,

Best weather for a sauna

January 3, 2009 By Glenn 1 Comment
Keep it comfy.

Keep it comfy.

Some say snowy days are best; others like a cold rain.  But as a rule of thumb, the worse the weather, the better the sauna. Some say snowy days are best; others like a cold rain.  But as a rule of thumb, the worse the weather, the better the sauna. Some say snowy days are best; others like a cold rain.  But as a rule of thumb, the worse the weather, the better the sauna.

  • Some say snowy days are best; others like a cold rain.  But as a rule of thumb, the worse the weather, the better the sauna.
  • Some say snowy days are best; others like a cold rain.  But as a rule of thumb, the worse the weather, the better the sauna.
  • Some say snowy days are best; others like a cold rain.  But as a rule of thumb, the worse the weather, the better the sauna.
  1. Some say snowy days are best; others like a cold rain.  But as a rule of thumb, the worse the weather, the better the sauna.
  2. Some say snowy days are best; others like a cold rain.  But as a rule of thumb, the worse the weather, the better the sauna.
  3. Some say snowy days are best; others like a cold rain.  But as a rule of thumb, the worse the weather, the better the sauna.

Filed Under: Health and wellness, Weather Tagged With: , ,