Building a sauna

Anyone built an outdoor sauna? My girlfriend owns her home and I've always wanted to build an outdoor sauna.

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Grant Hughes

There are kits - but the space is simple you want it as small as possible to still meet your needs. Get the right heater, wood, gas or electric is the real question. Wood makes it hard to regulate the temp but likely has the lowest operating cost.

I would use ridged foam insulation such as the blue stuff called I think XPS (expanded polystyrene) as it is not likely to mold or brake down in water.

Something about 7'x 5' x7' should work well.

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In the long run reality always wins.

You HAVE to have a wood stove. That electric/gas/infrared stuff is crap and will do nothing for your sisu. I've never been in an electric sauna that got hot enough, never more that 150-160 degrees it seemed. Wood stove you can crank it to 200+ with a good fire. 180-190 is what I like, though. And its just not right unless there is the crackling of a fire and the faint smell of smoke. The electric crap doesnt seem to be able to stand up to the water as well as a wood stove, either. A few good splashes of water on the rocks and it really cools things down on an electric heater.

I have dreams of tearing down my current (old and uselessly small) garage, building a new garage attached to the house, and building a sauna in place of the old garage. So I've been looking in to this a little too. It seems like insulation and moisture control are the only main things separating a sauna from any other building. Of course you'll want a floor drain, a changing area, and a clear shot out the front door to the lake/snow for jumping in. And having a shower in there is nice too, but that required heated water. Its simpler just to have a faucet and then a water heater built in to the stove to get hot water from for bathing. The interiors are almost always done completely in cedar, except the floors which are usually concrete.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/2009 09:04PM by Carl S.

Sisu in this case = chi or 气

And you're right, electric is for lightweights like Swedes and Norrmen.

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

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Grant,

Now I know that you are a superior human being! Sauna is one of the most civilized pleasures known to man! Can you tell that I love sauna?

I have a nice wood fired sauna out at my farm. I didn't build it but it works ok. I have buit a native american sweat lodge. Within the next year or two I will build a new sauna at my farm to replace the old one.

I agree with what Carl said. Wood heat is a must. Everything in my sauna is home made. My stove has a copper pipe that snakes around inside the fire box. I have a large steel tank exposed inside the sauna that stores the hot water. It is so nice to be able to take a shower. The inside of my sauna is a combination of ceader siding and plywood. Insulation, venting and drinage are very inportant. I am going to install a marine port hole in my sauna so I can vent it quickly.

Have you seen a sauna made out of log rounds? They are sometimes called cord wood saunas. Check out the book called: The Sauna by Rob Roy. Chelsea Green Publishing Co.

Keep us posted.

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Robert.

"You are way too normal to be on Rally Anarchy." Eddie Fiorelli.

I am pretty sure a toyota starlet is the perfect size for a sauna...


Seriously, this is good stuff. I wanna make one too... The traditional cedar ones with the sod roof and all are the shizzle.

Well, I was thinking of basically building a 6X8 shed then finishing the inside in Cedar. This will be outdoors and stand alone so definitely wood fired.

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Grant Hughes

GF? I remember voting for some wedding photo. Are you our Tiger? Top Gun!

Anyhow, cedar is good because it resists rot. That's what you usually see saunas made of. Aren't you supposed to have hot rocks above the firebox to pour water on?
55 gallon drum standing up, maybe. Fire box below. Top open and filled with round stream rocks to pour ladles of water onto to create steam?

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Ted Mendham
www.rensport.net

I am very happy to see my rally anarchy peers are real men and women and think nothing of the extra work to keep a wood fire box stocked. I heat my weekend place with a wood stove and am often asked if I mind the work - no that is what a cabin is all about.

I have been thinking of building a sauna myself here at my Seattle home, I am thinking of a wood fired hot tub for the cabin.

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In the long run reality always wins.

Guess who cut and stacked dern near 2 cords of deadfall this last week that, sadly, will be great for keeping the house warm *next* winter.... dammit I may have to.....
....
....
...
buy... firewood.

Boy I hate that prospect. Everything out here is too damn wet to burn decently though

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Jay Woodward
Snohomish, WA
'90 Mazdog Frankenprotege
Chronologically, 46...

I heat my house with a wood stove, in addition to the fuel oil furnace. But a nice fire can get the whole house up to 80* in the coldest weather no problem.

I HATE to hear the oil burner come on, so the wood stove keeps the living room a balmy 80 most of the time and the rest of the house is 65-72. Got through last winter on about 100 gallons of oil and 5 cords of wood (hot water is on the oil burner, too)

I have about 5.5 cords to get through this winter, and I have another 2 or so waiting for next year. Need some time to get out in the yard with the chainsaws and drop a few more damaged trees to try to keep ahead of the game. I'm probably going to have to buy some for 2011.

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Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

I've found some pretty interesting stuff today looking around.

http://www.castordesign.ca/ (Click on Sauna Box under Products)
http://archidose.blogspot.com/2007/10/half-dose-38-secret-sauna.html
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/11/ari_leinonons_f_1.php
http://www.dailytonic.com/kyly-sauna-by-avanto-architects/
And my personal fave, though it's lacking a quick route to the lake...
http://www.julie-wimmer-interior-design.com/en/blog-novinky/workshop-in-sweden-sauna-built-in-9-days

So getting lots of cool ideas. I really like the porch idea of the latter one with an outdoor shower and relaxing area.

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Grant Hughes

http://www.heaterstore.com/13_000w_woodburning_sauna_stove_harvia_m3_sauna_heater_452_prd1.htm

http://www.saunastore.com/polar16sblackline-p-143.html

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In the long run reality always wins.

Ideas: http://images.google.fi/images?hl=fi&um=1&q=sauna&sa=N&start=72&ndsp=18
- I meant SAUNA ideas, you perverts...

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- RWD rocks -