A sloped hot room ceiling with the high slope to the heater suffers from the Triangle Trap. This article explains what it is, and how to just say “no.”
We are one with steam
Those of us who have been throwing water and making löyly for decades have become one with steam. Sitting on the bench, it is as if steam is a part of who we are. Like a seasoned surfer who can feel a wave from the undertow, or a barista who can taste a mojito just by looking at it, most sauna aficionados can easily relate to how steam rolls, and wants to roll.
A flat ceiling or a sloped ceiling pitched high side to the upper bench is much better for steam rolling.
Because steam wants to roll, if building a sauna with a sloped ceiling, it is miles better to position the heater on the low slope. Otherwise, a heater positioned on the high slope will trap much of that wonderful steam in the triangle above. Wimped out steam is what ends up hitting you. All the good steam is “left on the table,” up there in the triangle.
The Triangle Trap sloped hot room ceiling means that if steam were EMTs, your first responders aren’t arriving on the scene.
Bonus function
If going with a sloped ceiling, designing and building our saunas with benches to the high slope are more apt to get our feet up there at the height of the rocks, while sitting stoically on the upper bench. The Law of Löyly police will not scold you, but instead, will be more apt to give a thumbs up (and a like on Instagram).
Speaking of Instagram, some prefer the look of big wow Windex saunas. In this configuration, the sauna heater sits by the glass. And the sauna designer’s temptation is to slope the ceiling high side to the glass. This looks “wow”, but misses the mark. Steam gets trapped up there in the triangle. For some, this a functional compromise that they may never feel. (Impressing friends and influencing others).
For others, function is more important than form. And for others still, we can go with big wow Windex window, build with a flat ceiling, and embrace steam rolling as it is meant to: up from the rocks, hitting the ceiling, and layering down from there, over our bodies, from head to toe.
We build our saunas one time. And during the construction phase, it’s pretty easy to say “no” to the Triangle Trap. Flat ceiling: yes. Or, if a sloped ceiling: put the heater on the low slope.
4 thoughts on “The sloped hot room ceiling Triangle Trap: what it is, and how to just say “no.””
In my world, this is like people that buy a bent shaft canoe paddle (a paddle born from the racing side of canoeing) and hold it the wrong way. Worse is when they argue with you about their incorrect method. Like, it’s not about looking cool, it’s literally physics.
Hey Glen,
I agree 100% with everything. Ceiling sloping forward might look nice, but it doesn’t work well for sauna air.
That’s why none of my designs have the ceiling going the wrong way – either flat ceiling or ceiling going the other way.
I wonder if a gentle slope functions more or less as flat. Like, is it worth hanging a second false flat ceiling to make up for for a 5 degree incorrect ceiling slope (eg 7 inch rise over 7 foot run?) Windows will usually face the view and sloped shed roofs appear backwards from the outside if they are inclined to be low on the front of the building/shed.
Hi Todd: good thinking.. a gentle roof slope is to shed water above. Makes sense. We’ve cut our rafters to give the sloped roof, and then provide a flat ceiling, below, without hanging a second false ceiling.