Outdoor Sauna

Soldato
Joined
20 Feb 2004
Posts
24,250
Location
La Romana, Spain
Ok, so even though we're not in the house yet, i'm looking at my first project for when everything is done. My plans of a big workshop have gone out the window due to lack of funds and also space. There's a bit of land next door which i'm hoping i can pick up in the future which already has a huge outbuilding on it which would be perfect.

So onto a Sauna!

I like a good sauna and whilst i can easily go into one at the gym, it's not as convenient. Plus my wife has M.E and i've read a lot of positive articles on the benefits of a sauna for her condition.

As much as i'd love a more traditional steam/hot coals type sauna, they aren't as convenient. I've been reading about Infrared Heater based saunas. They seem to be very efficient and also heat up quickly, so i could just hit a switch before a run and come back knowing it was ready to go.

They're not too expensive either, considering they're little more than a glorified shed with some insulation and heater placed inside.

https://saharavalleysaunas.co.uk/4-person-outdoor-far-infrared-sauna-148-p.asp

They also do a big barrel shaped one which looks ace!

So, knowing that i could buy something for about 2 grand, i also figure i could build one myself because

1 - It's cheaper
2 - It'll be more fun
3 - It'll keep me busy

So my questions are

1 - Has anyone done/considered this before?
2 - What wood would be best? Lots of sites suggest Cedar, but they were American sites so could be different over here. It is meant to have a lovely smell though
3 - Some only seem to have a heater built under the seat, whereas others have them on the walls too. Anyone have any thoughts on that?
4 - I'd quite like to have a glass ceiling, i assume as long as it's well insulated this shouldn't be an issue. I'll probably be putting it close to trees though so not sure if it's a good idea as it'll probably get covered in bird poo!
 
will cost a fortune with a glass ceiling, would need to be triple glazed at least and it would be a large single pane - not cheap.

also running costs of a home sauna would be more than that of a gym membership.

really this is only an idea the super rich normally partake in and for good reason.

unless you get a wood burner type. stick a chiminea in there and vent out the fumes? or a wood burning stove with a flue and vent outside?

as long as you have access to cheap or free wood that would be much better.

also with a gym membership you get access to the steam room, swimming pool, gym, classes, etc. not just a sauna. plus there is also a whole host of entertainment at the gym as well.

it's much better for you mentally than doing it at home.
 
Yeah, i'm a member of my local Nuffield Gym, but i like the idea of just making this part of my daily routine in the morning and when i'm at the gym doing an hour workout/swim i struggle to find the time to also spend 30 mins in the sauna as then you turn an hour trip into almost 2 hours which starts to get a bit long to fit into real life.

Plus my wife can't really use all the other gym benefits so this is the best option for her. I need to look into running costs, but sticking a heater on for say 60 mins a day (30 mins warm up and then 30 mins use) shouldn't cost too much. Assuming a 5kw heater i'm making that about £15 a month which isn't too much.

The glass ceiling is more of a "nice to have" to be honest, but thought that if i was building the sauna myself i could try and pick up some glass offcuts (triple glazed) and make it fit, rather than needing to spec it up myself.
 
it's all about insulation to keep running costs down. the more you can insulate it the better. also the better materials you can use will be better for both insulation and longevity.

you could run it at a profit. build some mining rigs. then vent the heat of those rigs into the sauna. means it will be ready to use 24/7 and cost you nothing in running costs. as an added benefit it makes you money. have a little room behind the sauna with the rigs in it. with a fan pulling in hot air from that room into the sauna via a vent. would need to find a way to stop the heat coming back through the way it's going in.
 
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