I want to introduce you to a good friend of mine I got know Steve about 20 years ago. Steve has embraced the authentic sauna experience at my island cabin sauna "up north" through dozens of "boys weekends." Some of the cabin visits have been in winter. Yet, most often we go to my cabin in the fall when we close up, and in the spring when we open up. Steve has always been a great help and supporter of that process. Cabin maintenance can be a pain in the neck, but with a guy like Steve to boss us around, the work gets done. And we have a lot of fun. An amateur sauna builder This Sauna Talk episode is significant for me because it allows me to share with you first hand, the nuances of sauna building. For some time now, I have … [Read more...]
He tackles his sauna build with a full time job and two young children and the result is a lifetime of pride and enjoyment
Guest post series continues. We welcome Mike, from Northwest Minnesota, who has created his own authentic sauna backyard retreat. For those of us busy with full time jobs and demands like a spouse who also works full time and young children at home, let us take a deep breath and share the appreciation for Mike's commitment to his sauna building project. Time is a construct. "Not enough time" may just be another way of saying "I'm not sure I want to do this." And that's ok. Sauna building is not for everyone. Yet for those of us who understand and accept the challenge, we are invariably rewarded with arguably the most beneficial improvement we can make to our homes or cabins. Want evidence? Enter Mike: What compelled you … [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 … [Read more...]
Ben builds an awesome backyard sauna and his only regret may surprise you
Guest post series continues. We first heard from Ben here, who shared the now famous "Ben Square sleeper method" concept for sloping a sauna hot room floor. Well, good news: Ben has completed his sauna, and we are excited to share his story with you. Enter Ben: What compelled you to build your own sauna? We have had a sauna at our deer camp north of Orr, MN since 1983. It is a rare night that we don't sauna when we are there. I have always wanted one at home, and this summer we didn't have any large projects to do on our house, so I decided that this was the year to build it. How did you find saunatimes? Give us a few examples where the DIY ebook helped you out. I started planning the sauna last fall. I bought several books and … [Read more...]
Your own backyard sauna: are you ready yet?
The outdoor backyard authentic sauna experience is being enjoyed RIGHT now by many hundreds of people. How do I know this to be true? I have helped hundreds of people build their own authentic backyard saunas. But that's not important. What IS important is that our own backyard outdoor free standing sauna buildings are significant structures. They don't have steeples, but they are our churches. And our health clubs. And our Doctors (both mental and/or physical). Our own backyard saunas are health and wellness sanctuaries. It doesn't matter who we are or what is going on. For some of us it is a bad day at work, or we can't set down our cell phones, or we are back from a shitty war and are trying to get our life back together. We … [Read more...]
Straight scoop from a sauna builder who has built hundreds of saunas
Guest post series continues. Pleased to welcome Matt Bergstrom from Finnleo. Matt has most certainly built more saunas than anyone in North America. What comes forward is not just Matt's knowledge of authentic sauna building, but a true joy and appreciation of his craft. Within this post, we will follow along with a recent sauna build of Matt's. This sauna build was for renowned ex NHL player and current NHL Assistant Coach Darby Hendrickson. Darby is an authentic sauna fan who understands the value of a backyard retreat, the virtues of wood burning, and the health and wellness of sauna - both physical and mental (mental in that after a tough Minnesota Wild loss, Darby can often be found with his eyes closed, sweating it out on the … [Read more...]
Does the sauna changing room need a new name?
As we know, sauna is more than a hot room. The hot room is where we have our sauna stove and benches, where we enjoy heating up, tossing water on the sauna rocks to create steam, ahhhhhhh (loyly), and as we sweat it out on the bench and consider when to exit (when a cold plunge is about the best idea we've ever heard). So, we leave the hot room to ideally jump into a cold lake or hit an outdoor shower enjoying the clean rinse. Then what? Brrrr.. the wind is cold but our body is warm! We are conscious sauna bathers. We listen to our core, not our skin. We want to equalize and feel that endorphin rush. We want to enjoy our cool downs, where do we go now? The changing room In winter, the changing room is where we can seek shelter … [Read more...]
What I Learned from Building an Outdoor Sauna with a Wood Burning Stove
Guest Post Series continues. Part II with Russ, who first shared his corbel system to support sauna benches here. And given his building skill and meticulous attention to detail, we thought it a good idea to bring Russ back to share: What I Learned from Building an Outdoor Sauna with a Wood Burning Stove Plan the whole space, not just the sauna footprint. You’ll need a deck, patio or other lounging area to rest between rounds in the hot room. You may also want to install an outdoor shower of some sort – and that should be easily winterized if you live in a cold climate. Plan the interior of your sauna carefully, so that windows from the hot room see the outdoors directly, or indirectly through a window in the door to the hot … [Read more...]
Built from reclaimed and collected materials, this DIY sauna build will make you want to step right in
Guest Post Series continues: Welcome Ken from the beautiful and awesome sauna climate of Whidbey Island, Washington USA Ken shares with us how sauna design and construction is an expressive opportunity to exercise one's right brain and creative design ambitions. Ken is a poster child for the saunatimes formula of WIT/M = :)2. With your own Will, Information, and Time, you can create your own authentic sauna. This will allow you to dig yourself for many years. Ken's sauna is a wonderful example of a backyard health and wellness retreat. Enter Ken: I was introduced to the sauna in high school through one of my best friends. His father grew up in Finland and had built a fine basement sauna. His family decided it was a shame I had no … [Read more...]
Sauna Talk: Terry DeGroote. He’s one of those rare breeds who can build or fix anything
Terry is a career handyman and caretaker. His territory is the islands of Lake Vermilion, Tower, Minnesota. Terry was brought to Pine Island in diapers. He endured small stretches of time away from Lake Vermilion, with his family living in Hawaii for a few years and a career with the Duluth News Tribune in Duluth. Yet, primarily, Terry has spent his life on the lake. He has been an invaluable help to many dozens of Lake Vermilion cabin owners. His skills as a handyman and builder are infinite. He has hands in 40-50 different cabin projects. He manages 40-50 cabins, which includes such tricky annual work as docks in and out, water systems shut down and opened up, plus the myriad of things that come up from roof leaks, to bees … [Read more...]