Saunas are known to have health benefits in addition to the relaxing experience. Building a home sauna gives you 24/7 access to shelter or relaxation and the benefit of knowing your place is clean and infection free. A sauna can take up space and is quite expensive to build, but recently they have become more affordable and easier to install. Here are some things to keep in mind:
1. Choose a place for your sauna. Any area averaging fifty square feet would suffice. You can turn a closet, a basement, a garage and an additional bathroom into your relaxation corner. Outdoor saunas are best located near swimming pools such as in a shed or an outdoor shower. When choosing a location, consider the additional cost you have to pay for plumbing and electrical wiring.
2. Build the walls, floor and ceiling of your sauna. 2-by-4 wood beams would be great materials for all sides of the room. Make sure to leave space below the floor and above the ceiling for wiring. Insulate your sauna with conventional 15 “wide fiberglass insulated baths. Your sauna wall insulation rating should be 13 to conserve heat, while the ceiling should be rated 22-26. You can also cover the exterior of your sauna with cedar, as it is a hard wood that can withstand high temperatures.
3. While creating the walls, be sure to include at least two vents. One should be directly above the heater to reduce the risk of dangerous fumes. The other can be installed on the other side of the first to ensure proper air circulation inside. This will ensure that you have evenly dispersed the heat and enough oxygen inside.
4. You can install a window on the side of the door that acts as the largest vent. The sauna doors open and must fit properly into the frame to prevent heat loss. Sauna doors are available from most sauna vendors.
5. A stove is essential to generate heat. You can have a stove that generates heat by burning wood. This type usually needs 60 to 90 minutes before you feel the desired temperature. Burning wood is also tedious and can be dangerous due to smoke and fumes. Electric stoves take only half the time to generate enough heat. They come in different sizes and different wattages depending on the type and size. Singing a gas stove is less expensive than electric and safer than firewood. This is easy to maintain, but you should check for carbon monoxide production, as this type of air molecule is dangerous when inhaled in large amounts.
6. The seats in a sauna should be made of cedar planks. The seats are usually in the style of a bunk stacked on top of each other and the length should be long enough for someone to stretch out. The size of the sauna will be your indicator of the seating capacity you can install.
Creating a sauna for your own home is an investment that you will surely appreciate as you age.
