Do you dream of creating your own home spa for relaxation and well-being? Actually, it’s not that complicated to build a sauna room, if you are reasonably handy you will fix it yourself! This guide lists the things you need to think about. Select your materials, the most fun part, and get started!
1. Where in the house will the sauna be placed? Any room will work, even though it’s nice to have a shower nearby. Regardless of where the sauna is placed, the amount of energy consumed by the sauna, will result in decreased energy use for heating of the overall house.
2. The ventilation is the most crucial part when planning your sauna. It determines where the heater is placed. A sauna should be ventilated by self-draft, with the air intake directly beneath the heater. Air output is placed high, as far away from the heater and the air intake as possible. It should be led to the same space where the air is taken in. Please note - other heaters can have different restrictions so important to read the manuals for every heater.
3. The door should always be placed on the same side as the heater. The air circulation from the door helps spreading the heat in the sauna.
4. The heater. Carefully follow the instructions to install the heater, minimum distances to the wall and floor must not be underestimated. The volume of the sauna (floor area x ceiling height) and the choice of materials, decide which effect the heater should have. If you choose glass, tile, concrete or stone on walls or ceiling, the heater effect must be higher.
5. The ceiling height should be between 190 cm and 220 cm, depending on the heater you choose. Don’t build too high, since the heat rises it can be difficult to warm the lower parts of the sauna.
6. Sauna walls of glass is stylish. Make sure there are no glitches, the sauna must be tight. Note that a sauna with large glass areas is heavier to heat.
7. Always build the sauna as a room in the room. There should be a ventilated air gap of 20 mm between the outer wall of the sauna and the existing wall construction.
8. Once the placement of the heater, the door and the glass areas are decided, you plan the furnishing with benches, backrests, etc. Two levels of benches make it comfortable also for the ones who prefer the sauna a little cooler. Tip - please ask your dealer to put together a sauna kit based on your needs.
9. The floor should be non-slip and withstand some moisture. A drain leading to a draining gutter outside the sauna is a good idea. Remember, a draining gutter in the sauna might dry out and cause unpleasant smell. Decking on the floor is decorative and comfortable to walk on, but it makes cleaning more difficult.
10. Lighting is important to create a nice atmosphere in the sauna. Think through where you want it placed and how it shall be controlled.
Best of luck and enjoy your new sauna!