Building Your Own Home Sauna

admin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 03:08:47 +0000

If you would enjoy owning your own home sauna but find the cost prohibitive, you may want to consider actually building your own sauna. If you are a decent handyman and can follow directions it will probably be pretty easy for you to get your own sauna built in no time. Before you start building you should consider any special needs for your sauna, whether you want a modular sauna or a pre-cut kit, and also be aware of any special warnings or precautions you need to be aware of.

Special Needs

Before you get started on your home sauna there are a few special needs that you need to be aware of. First of all, you will need to know what size you want your sauna and if you want to have it inside or outside of your home. If you only want a small sauna for two people, then you will only need to build it large enough to allow 2-3 feet of space on the bench for each person. You should also know, that while you will not need a water hookup for the home sauna, you will need to be sure that there is an available electrical circuit, which will be needed to operate the heater for your home sauna.

Constructing a Modular Sauna

One option that you will have for building your own home sauna is a modular sauna. This is a great choice for people who do not want to do as much work or who are not qualified enough to use a pre-cut kit. A modular sauna comes with most of the work already completed and your only job is to put it together. This is also a great choice for those who relocate often, since you are able to easily disassemble this type of a sauna so it can move with you. Usually everything you need for your sauna, including the heater, will come with your modular sauna kit.

Using a Pre-Cut Kit for Your Sauna

Those who have a bit more experience with building may want to choose a pre-cut kit for building their home sauna. While this will take a bit more time for you to construct, it will also save you a great deal of money as well. The great part about using a kit is that all the boards and necessary trimmings come with the kit, so you do not have to worry about going out and buying the right amount of materials. You will only want to use this type of a kit if you are proficient at building, or you may mess up on the project and it may be difficult to replace the materials.

Warnings

There are a few precautions and warnings that you should keep in mind when you are building your own home sauna. First of all, all the electrical components you use should be UL rated for your safety, and unless you are an electrician, you should leave the wiring to someone else who is an electrician. Also make sure that the door is easy to open and that no locks are used on this door to prevent someone from accidentally being locked in. It is also highly important that no paint or stain is used on the inside of the sauna or the steam may cause there to be very harmful fumes. Keep these warnings in mind as you build and you will be able to construct a great Finnish sauna for your relaxation and enjoyment.

By: Thomas Oak

Home Sauna Kits – Do It Yourself

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:41:05 +0000

Used to be that, if you wanted a sauna, you’d either have to join a gym or book some time at your favorite health spa. Because of a growing awareness of all the healthy benefits that come with using a sauna, the demand for private saunas has increased to the point that now there are “Do-It-Yourself” ( or DIY ) sauna kits available.

Before jumping up on the DIY bandwagon, it’s important that you look into the following and use them as your guidelines when considering which sauna kit is right for you:

What type of sauna do you want or need? Where are you planning to place it in your home or office? What type of materials will work best for you? How much “sweat equity” do you plan on contributing to it’s construction? What design are you considering?

Before you get overwhelmed with all of the different types of saunas out there, keep in mind that saunas basically fall into two different general categories: Infrared and Traditional.

The Traditional Saunas employ a separate energy source which will heat rocks that are placed within the structure as well as providing a way of circulating the heated air within the sauna chamber. Additionally, many sauna devotees feel that the true core of the entire experience is to sprinkle the heated rocks with water to generate body cleansing steam. These other energy sources are supplied by electric, gas, even wood burning stoves. With any of these steam-type saunas, you must make sure that there is an approved ventilation system installed and with the gas and wood burning stoves, you must also make sure that safety codes are adhered to implicitly.

On the other hand, there are the state of the art Infrared saunas which use infrared wave emitters that are very effective in making you sweat. Instead of expending additional energy to heat the entire sauna, these emitted waves actually go right to the heart of the matter, by penetrating your skin, without wasting as much time and energy that the Traditional Saunas do.

The difference is that the Infrared Saunas do not produce steam: they are a dry-heat sauna, so any type of exhaust or ventilation needed as with the Traditional Saunas is not necessary.

Now that you’ve decided which type of sauna you want, you need to decide where you want it to be set up. If it’s for your office, then the next point may not be as much of a consideration for you, but if it’s at home, do you want it to be an indoor or an outdoor sauna? Many enthusiasts say there is nothing like walking out of your hundred plus degree sauna into the “great outdoors”. If that’s not for you, then you will probably want the advantage and convenience of having your sauna installed indoors, where it will not only be more readily available: the operating costs involved in heating and maintaining a high temperature will be much less than the outdoor location.

Besides being able to get dressed without shivering and to relax after your sauna if you’re indoors, it’s also much easier to connect to an indoor power source, so that should also be taken into account.

The next most important thing is to ensure that you have the right type of materials to construct your sauna. Most saunas are made of wood, so it’s very important to inspect every piece before you buy your sauna, especially what will be used in the inner chamber.

Whether or not you choose to go with the Traditional or the Infrared Sauna, keep in mind that the wood used for the sauna interior needs to be knot-free. Cedar is the most commonly used wood for this part of the sauna as it stays relatively cool and will absorb moisture as needed. If the planks are not of uniform length and width or there are any knots in the wood, you do run the risk over time not only of having the wood split, but it may also start seeping sap. Not a good thing to have happened after all your planning and hard work.

Speaking of which, just how much time can you invest in this DIY project? If you are an accomplished handyman, there are kits available that can challenge your skills for a week or more. But if you’re like most people, you are a “Weekend Warrior” and there are kits designed with you in mind: they have a modular design and will require much less time to assemble. Pop onto the internet and you will be sure to find the perfect kit, price wise and otherwise, for you.

While you’re browsing the internet there, you also need to keep in mind the overall sauna design that will work best for you. You’ve decided where it’s going to be place, how it’s going to be heated and how many people you want it to be able to accommodate. Most kits have a pre-set design so make sure that the one you buy has all of the “amenities” you deem necessary.

If you’re more experienced with DIY, you can let your creativity work overtime by buying individual components to customize your sauna. Either way, don’t feel overwhelmed by all of the available choices and options: sauna construction is very forgiving in that as long as you can produce heat and contain it, you’ve got a working sauna!

By: Radoslaw Czajkowski

Home inprovement » Sauna Kit

Building Your Own Home Sauna

Home Sauna Kits – Do It Yourself