One thing you need to know about us is that we take pride in our work, and we believe in following up on our promises. So, when we say we’re going to write a blog about building a sauna, gosh darn it, that’s exactly what we’re going to do!
Now, no more wasting time, Colorado, it’s already wet and cold and dark out there. In other words: it’s sauna season! So, let’s get started on that dream in-home-sauna.
Small rooms are perfect for saunas
Do you remember how we talked about making a small room look bigger than it is? Instead of trying to make it look bigger, make it look like a sauna. Better yet, make it a real sauna.
Using a smaller room is ideal for a sauna. As long as you can lay down comfortably on each bench and sit comfortably on the top bench, then you have the perfect room size.
Avoid a room with high ceilings. Heat rises, and you don’t want the bottom bench to be chilli or waste heating by having to fill a room with high ceilings.
One thing you also need to be aware of is how the sauna door is going to swing. You want enough room for the door to swing out, not into the sauna. Being whacked on the elbow or knee by an inward swinging door defeat the purpose of relaxing in a sauna.
Photo: Cedar rusting wall treatment
The best wood for your sauna
And now, to the exciting part: the wood. The type of wood will you use in your sauna. This is what really gets our blood pumping.
The sauna is going to be hot and dry. Avoiding grainy woods with a lot of knots will save your delicate skin from burning. The knots in the wood will get hotter than the rest and you’ll end up with skin burns. Again, this defeats the purpose of relaxing in your private sauna.
The best wood, considering that you want it to have a minimum reaction to the heat, both in swelling and shrinkage, but also in discoloration. The most stable wood, and the most recommended wood, for a sauna, is Western Red Cedar or Aspen. Both types have proven extremely durable and resistant to changing temperatures and moisture levels.
Now, all you need is a heater and proper ventilation, and you can laugh off the winter frost, as you relax in your sauna.
