There are a couple schools of thought regarding sauna construction and sauna walls: Insulate, foil vapor barrier and tape the seams well. Don't do anything, let the walls breathe. Those that prescribe to #1 (insulating and sealing our sauna walls with vapor barrier) believe that we need to keep heat and moisture away from our wall cavities (and nowhere near the inside). Those that prescribe to #2 (letting their sauna walls breathe) believe that heat and moisture want to escape and permeate through the building (and out the other side). This casual sauna builder is very much a proponent of #1. Why? 3 reasons: Log sauna goodness: Most agree that traditional log saunas feel the best. Sitting on the sauna bench, solid wood logs give the sauna bather a more solid, dense, soft heat kind of feel. This is the best way I can describe the affinity towards solid wall saunas. But the point is that a well insulated stick frame sauna plus a well sealed vapor barrier … [Read more...]
Who keeps the rodents out? squeek, squeek, squeek squeek.
For those who are building their saunas in areas known for mice and other rodents, it's important that we prep our build to keep these critters from nesting under our sauna buildings. Further, there's a tribe of sauna enthusiasts who are building their saunas with decking as their hot room floors, thin pencil width spacing between their 5/4" round or 2x decking material. This method is certainly doable, but if one is building their hot room floors with an opening to the world below, AND their locale is home to mice and other rodents, we have to take care to isolate our buildings from any infultration. Thanks to Bill, who is just now completing his sauna build. He has information for us and here it is: Enter Bill: Hope that you are well. I did my research and am confident that I have a solid multi pronged solution for keeping my deck floor sauna free of critters. I spoke with a number of people and was directed to a number of websites. Below are the two that were the most … [Read more...]
Ice fish house manufacturer transitions his business to building mobile saunas
Minneapolis, MN, July 24 2018 Maybe it started back in 2015, when Saunatimes visited Eric Bongard, founder of Custom Cottages. Always impressed with DIY manufacturing, we are even more impressed with folks who produce quality from the ground up. Fast forward to today, and we find Eric immersed in the production of quality mobile saunas. Key features of Eric's saunas include longevity of the unit light weight, all welded and glued, never fail, nothing to pull loose, no fasteners to fail, rock solid frame, epoxy to hold to the studs 1000 psi per inch pull off strength to the substrate siding to Studs. Everything is built in a jig to ensure perfection and squareness in each unit. More photos to follow. The AUTHENTIC sauna cat is finally out of the bag. "We have two sold and are building 3 more. I anticipate selling 20 of these by the end of the year." … [Read more...]
Could “phase build” be the most liberating, empowering, motivating way to build your own authentic kicks ass sauna?
98.6% of us are not professional builders. And most professional builders are overly intimidated (and don't return phone calls) from homeowners looking to have a sauna built. And for good reason. When it comes to building a sauna, there are big issues such as venting, moisture, insulation, off gassing, and Aufgussing. If building an electric sauna, we have high voltage and water splashing. (220/221 volts, whatever it takes). If building a wood burning sauna, we have clearances to non combustibles (even though fire good). So, because most contractors want no part of sauna building, 98.6% of us undertake our own sauna builds. Obstacle is The Way. We are not professional builders. We have motivation and resources, like the Googlator and the book DIY Sauna Build Start to Finnish, but our time is scarce and choppy! We have our day job. We have kids' baseball practice. We have our inbox, and our social media feed. How do we build our own sauna given all the demands … [Read more...]
How to design the perfect size and location for your sauna candle window
A recent email exchange from an authentic sauna DIY builder: Question: Do you have a recommended size for a candle window between the sauna and changing room? Planning on using a piece of tempered glass. Answer: Candle window: Great question as the answer is really simple: "whatever size feels right." And great direction by using a piece of tempered glass. It's not too expensive and it can be exactly the size you like. What I would do is: Frame your common wall (the wall between your sauna hot room and your changing room) 16" on center, as usual. Get a piece of cardboard and cut it out to what you think would be a good candle window size. Tack up the cut cardboard where you think it makes sense. Imagine your sauna benches in place. Walk around to ensure you've got it in the perfect location. Fold or add cardboard to ensure you've got it the perfect size. Keep in mind views and angles and the wall on either side. Mark your … [Read more...]
What elements make for a great sauna design?
While sharing a sauna with a couple architect friends and a contractor, as the endorphins started rushing, voices started rising, and concepts became more agreed upon, I started jotting down some of the key elements about designing and building a sauna. TRANSLATIONS: outdoor shower double glass door to outside lighting: dimmers & control center to set the vibe nature wins glass to lake - all windows tall ceilings (in changing room) sound system deck wrap around symmetry simple, elegant treatments large overhangs What can you add to this list? … [Read more...]
a 12’x16′ sauna design with an additional screen porch, Alaska room, and generous deck
7'x7'hot room. (7' tall ceiling = 343 cubic feet. Optimal size, from sauna professionals in Finland). 12'x 16' overall building. 8'x8' additional/optional Alaska room (for cold climate settings, such that snow and boots can be left to warm/melt/dry: radiant heat floor). 12'x10' screen porch. (for four season climate settings, such that bugs need not apply). 26'x10' deck. Not all of us have this kind of space or are willing to build to this scale. Yet above offers many features for decades of awesome sauna enjoyment. Alaska room: we leave our clothes, and the conventional world behind. Changing room: ample space for temperate cool downs, vistas out the front window, interaction with hot room (via candle window), easy access to screen room as bonus space. Screen room: perfect cool down zone for those perfect 40f misty wet with rain sauna days. Front deck: generous space for relaxation in nature. All these zones flow together. No steps. Same level. … [Read more...]
The best base for our sauna building: a pour, some piers, or just a bunch of gravel?
In my ebook Sauna Build Start to Finnish, I detail the pros and cons of different options for UNDER your sauna building. Building a sauna in the basement or inside an existing structure? None of this applies. Building a sauna as a free standing structure at the cabin or in the backyard? All of this applies. Let's digest the three different options for the base of your sauna building. OPTION 1: The cement pour Pouring a slab base is the way to go when building a garage. Most cement pours include a thicker perimeter, up to one feet. This is important as the load from the garage will be carried along the perimeter of the garage. The cement pour for our backyard garage (including sauna) was under poured. The contractor who built our garage sub contracted for the cement pour and it was lame. If I were to do it again, i'd insist on a thicker perimeter, rebar throughout, and fiber cement. But back to a pour for your sauna. This is the most expensive and involves the most … [Read more...]
Three cheers for transom windows
When designing and building our own saunas, it's important to be thinking about windows. In the "ole country" (Finland), with the exception of the candle window, few sauna hot rooms were built with windows. Who knows why. Maybe it was cultural timidity, or structural platitudes, or heat loss concerns. Whatever the reason, today, the hot room window concept is "opening up!". Like music in the sauna, traditionalists may scoff, but any sauna bather of any origin sweating it out on the upper bench will smile that much wider being able to gaze out of their hot room and take in a bit of nature. A transom window offers: a great vista from the sauna bench. privacy while standing. natural light without being a fishbowl. What size transom window? Let's start with 18" tall by 36" wide, cut in about 8" below the 7' ceiling. A sauna with a hot room transom window and a common wall candle window feels airy and nICE. Don't have these windows? No big deal. We can make it … [Read more...]
A simple formula: A good contractor + Sauna Build Start to Finnish ebook = an authentic sauna.
As AUTHENTIC sauna is becoming more popular, many homeowners are excited with the opportunity to have their own sauna, yet frustrated because contractors are too busy building additions, decks, and garages to undertake a sauna build for a client. For these same homeowners, despite the prospect of not having to quit their day job, building their own sauna is too daunting. So, what's a homeowner to do? Find a good contractor. Invest in my ebook: Sauna Build, Start to Finnish. Have the contractor read #2. BONUS: After your contractor builds you a kick ass authentic sauna, they will be empowered to build another sauna for the next person, or more likely, one for themselves. I have worked directly with a bunch of contractors, helping them understand the nuances of sauna building. It's easy to get freaked out about moisture, stove clearances, and "aufgussing" but a good contractor isn't afraid to get out of their comfort zone and learn something new. A good … [Read more...]