Selecting a sauna room can be an over whelming task as there are so many types of saunas available on the market. Marketing hype is plentiful so you must do your research. Buying a home sauna room is an investment in both yourself and your home. Here are some guidelines when choosing a sauna room.
Size of sauna room is important. How many people will be in at a time? Is your sauna going to be used for therapy or social? When choosing a sauna room ensure the area is not too large, you don’t want to heat up more air than you have to. Sauna ceiling should be no more than 7′ tall, any higher is a waste of space.
Indoor sauna or outdoor? If you are choosing an outdoor sauna then you need to ensure it is built properly with thick walls and a good roof. The sauna heater will need to be bigger than in and indoor sauna room. Wood fired sauna heaters are popular for outdoor saunas.
Type of sauna door? This is important if you want privacy. Glass doors give the illusion of more space but also allow anyone to look into the sauna. If you bath naked, then you may opt for a privacy sauna door with out a window.
Types of sauna heater. Infrared saunas are becoming popular but I suggest before you buy you try it out as many sauna enthusiast do not consider this a proper sauna room. If you want high humidity and higher temperatures then a Finnish style sauna heater should be chosen. Companies also make hybrid or combo rooms that have both types of heaters in them.
Type of sauna wood? This important as it will ultimately determine the life of your home sauna. Cedar has always been considered the best but comes with a higher price. Sauna made from cedar will not decay and cedar wood does not heat up like other woods. Avoid woods with knots at they can cause problems. Ask how thick the wood is for the sauna room? Avoid woods with odors such as Hemlock.
Ventilation? All sauna rooms need to breath, circulating the air is important. A home sauna should draw in fresh air and vent out the heated air. This vented air is hot and can be humid so you need to have an exhaust preferably to the outside of your house.
Home saunas come in DYI sauna kits and modular stand alone sauna packages. The DYI kits require more skill assembling but can often make for a nicer custom sauna. Modular saunas go together quick but are generally not as durable and well constructed. Watch out for sauna rooms from Asia, they are cheaper but the quality is generally inferior.
These are just a few decisions you must make when investing in a sauna room. Home sauna are becoming more popular but I suggest you look at quality 1st as this is an investment that should last 20 years.
About the Author: Danny Jung has been building sauna rooms for over two decades. He is co-owner and founder of Northern Lights Cedar Saunas. Dan’s company manufactures high end cedar sauna rooms for both indoors and outdoors. Their unique Home Sauna Rooms features both infrared and traditional heat, combined in one unit.