The sauna has been a part of human history since ages. Even during primitive societies, people used saunas as a way to relax, socialize and get multiple health benefits. In today’s age, where people face multiple health issues the saunas have become even more relevant to their lives because they offer a cure to multiple health issues and bring relaxation to the hustles of life. You can build and install a sauna at your home in your backyard. If you don’t know how to build a sauna? Don’t worry, and the Royal Sauna is here to help you.
Many people believe that building a sauna is a complex and complicated task. Surprisingly, building a sauna is an easy an easy task. A sauna is primarily a well insulated shed with an electric, wood or gas heating source. To build a sauna kit, you need twenty hours, however, if you want to get a custom kit with your preferred demands and needs, it may take a few days. You can build and get the basic sauna in $2,000 to $7,000. However, if you want a high and premium quality sauna, the budget will be more than this, but with its numerous benefits, the cost is worth spending.
How to Build a Sauna?
The Royal Spa reveals a step by step guide to building a sauna. However, before starting the discussion, you need to consider some factors before building a sauna in your home. So, let’s begin with the factors to consider and then proceed to the step by step guide to build the sauna.
Factors to Consider Before Building a Sauna
Before you start building a sauna in your home or backyard, the Royal Sauna suggests considering the following factors. These factors could be different for indoor and outdoor saunas. Therefore, let’s enlist and explore them one by one.
For Outdoor Sauna
If you are a nature admirer and love to spend time outdoors, you adore the idea of an outdoor sauna. However, the Royal Suana suggests considering the following factors before building an outdoor sauna.
The Location
The first and foremost thing that you need to consider is the location of the sauna in your backyard or garden. The Royal Sauna suggests to build the sauna in such a place that is easily accessible so that you can use the sauna whenever you want to. It would be best if you build the sauna in an area where you can enjoy the natural scenery and beautiful natural surroundings. Moreover, the location should be secure and protected from the unknown outside visitors.
Leveled Space
In addition to searching for the best location, the Royal Sauna suggests to find a leveled space near your house or in your backyard. The leveled space is vital for the functions and long life of the sauna.
The Natural Ventilation
If you are planning to install a wet sauna in your backyard, the Royal Sauna suggests installing the sauna at such a place that is naturally ventilated to air out the sauna’s steam. Otherwise, it will cause humidity in the sauna and damage its interior material.
The Indoor Sauna
There are some people who want to stay indoors in a cozy environment to have fun and enjoyment. If you are one of them, you may prefer the indoor saunas. However, before making the final decision of installing the sauna indoors, the Royal Sauna suggests you consider the following factors.
The Location
Just like the outdoor sauna, the location of the indoor sauna is equally vital. The Royal Sauna suggests you to install the sauna at such an area in your home where you can easily access it whenever you want to. Moreover, it would be best to install it in a place, where it adds and enhance the beauty and the interior of your home.
The Ventilation
If you are planning to install an indoor sauna, the ventilation of the sauna will be even more important and essential to consider. The Royal Sauna suggests you to even more considerate about the ventilation of the sauna if you are going to build the wet sauna. Otherwise, it will not only damage the interior of your sauna but the interior of your home as well.
A Step by Step Guide About How to Build a Sauna
After considering the above-mentioned factors for indoors as well as an outdoor sauna, you have decided the final building area for the sauna in your home or in your backyard. The next step would be building the sauna. Therefore, the Royal Sauna is here to help you. Follow the following steps and build your sauna in your home.
Build the Sauna Frame
While building the sauna, the first thing you need to do is build the sauna frame. The Royal Sauna suggests building the frame of the sauna with timber and not with metal. Make sure to place studs in every corner of the sauna. Moreover, it would be best to consider the ceiling of the sauna, and the Royal Sauna suggests that it should be 2100mm.
Install a Ventilation System
While you build the sauna frame, one of the most important things that you need to consider is the ventilation system of the sauna. The sauna has steam and vapor to cause heat and sweating to the user’s body, and they could damage the interior of the sauna. Therefore, if you want to save your sauna from the damages of humidity and vapor, the Royal Sauna suggests to build a proper ventilation system to air out the moisture and steam from the sauna frame.
Wire the Framework
Once you build the framework of the sauna, the next step would be wiring the framework for the light. Wiring the room is one essential step because you need light to light up and heat up the room, and it would be best if you install the control outside the room.
If you are going to install the electric heater in the sauna, then the electricity wiring would be enough. However, if you are planning to install the gas heater, you should bring the gas connection in the sauna. The Royal Sauna suggests considering the thickness of the gas pipe and how many appliances share the gas line. For gas and electricity wiring, the Royal Sauna suggests consulting the professional to avoid any sort of damage or loss.
Insulation
Insulation is one of the most important factors that could increase or decrease the functionality and efficiency of the sauna. A well insulated sauna would function properly and efficiently than a poorly insulated sauna. The sauna would retain the heat for a longer time, and hence it will work efficiently and reduce the running cost of the sauna by keeping the temperature at an ideal level.
The Royal Sauna suggests insulating the interior walls of the sauna with R-11 and exterior walls with R-19. Additionally, fiberglass insulation is also available in the market, and you can choose either 16 inches or 24 inches thick insulation for your sauna framework. However, if you prefer polyester insulation, you can go with it. Make sure to install a thick insulation for heat retention in the sauna.
Wrap the Suana Interior With Aluminum Foil
Sauna and specifically the wet sauna, have the steam to cause sweating in the user’s body. The steam of the sauna could damage the interior of the sauna. Therefore, the Royal Sauna suggests you to wrap the sauna interior with aluminum foil or with the vapor barrier.
The vapor barrier or the aluminum foil protects the insulation of the sauna and keeps the sauna safe from the damaging effects of the water vapor and humidity. It would be best to completely wrap the interior surface such as the walls and ceiling of the sauna, with a vapor barrier or the aluminum foil.
Clamp the Wall and Ceiling
To keep the sauna functions properly, it would be best to build an air barrier between the foil and the sauna cladding. Therefore, to build an air barrier, the Royal Sauna suggests to clamp the wall and ceiling of the sauna. It will not only work as an air barrier but it will also provide support to the ceiling of the sauna.
Panel the Sauna with Your Selected Softwood
After clamping the wall and ceiling, start paneling the ceiling of your sauna. It would be best to start from the one side of the ceiling of your sauna and move it across until the ceiling is fully covered.
After completing the ceiling of the sauna, start paneling the insulation of the walls. Put the panels horizontally on the walls of the sauna. The Royal Sauna suggests adding the panels in rows. However, cut the panels from the area where you want to install lights, switches, and boards in your sauna. Continue the process until the insulated walls are fully covered with the soft wood.
If you are confused about the wood you should use to panel the sauna walls and ceiling, the Royal sauna suggests to use the cedar paneling as it looks good and soft in texture, and you can easily break it to create the space for boards and lights.
Installing the Sauna Heater
Once the insulation and paneling of the sauna get completed, the next step should be the installation of the heater in the sauna. The Royal Sauna suggests putting the heater near the wall.
Mount the Sauna Heater
The Royal sauna suggests to install the sauna heater according to the manufacturer guide. The sauna heater needs cooler air than the sauna. Therefore, make sure to have a ventilation point behind the heater and the mounting brackets under the heater. the outer air is vital for the smooth and efficient functions of the heaters.
The Royal Sauna suggests to hang the sauna heater a few inches above the floor. Every sauna heater comes with the installation instructions, and you can get an idea from the user guide about how high a heater must be installed in the sauna.
Adding Rocks to the Sauna Heater
Once you mount and install the sauna heater, the next step would be adding the rocks in the sauna. The sauna rocks are vital for the sauna experience, and they radiate the heat waves that penetrate in the human body and cause sweating to improve the health of the user.
Therefore, adding the rocks to sauna heater is mandatory. However, before adding the rocks in the heater, it would be best to wash and clean them properly to remove any sort of dust and dirt from them. Once they are washed, clean and dry, the rocks are all set to be put in the heater of your sauna. It would be best to place the rocks at the right spot in the heater, the Royal sauna suggests keeping them close or behind the heater element. Otherwise, the room will not reach at the ideal temperature. In addition to putting the rocks at the right spot, it would be best to keep them close to each other.
Set the Sauna Benches
After installing the heater and setting rocks in the sauna heater, the next step should be setting the sauna benches. Most of the saunas have two benches, the low bench, and a high bench. The Royal Sauna suggests installing the strong benches in the sauna so that they can endure the weight of the users.
If you love lights, you can install lights under the benches, and they will enhance the beauty and look of the sauna benches and give you light therapy to enhance your mood. You can install your favorite colored lights in the sauna benches.
Install the Sauna Door
To avoid the hustle and save time, the Royal Sauna suggests installing a pre-design and pre-built sauna door to the sauna. These doors come with a frame and the swing is already attached to the door. It would be best to install a small door to the sauna because it keeps the heat inside the sauna and decreases heat reduction.
Hold the sauna door and the frame at the required point and place the screw in the frame. Put 2 or 3 screws in the frame and test the opening and closing the door. Make sure that the door frame is rightly placed and there is no gap between the frame and the door. Otherwise, the gap may cause heat reduction in the sauna.
Give a Finishing Look to the Sauna Corners
After installing the sauna door, the next step would be finishing and trimming. If the corners of the sauna look fine and smooth, leave them. However, if they are not fine and smooth, you need to do some finishing and trimming.
Flooring Panel
You have already done paneling of the ceiling and walls. However, you have to do paneling of the floor to give the sauna a finished and complete look. Many users prefer paneling at the entry of the sauna. However, you can add it all over the flooring of your sauna.
These are the steps to design and build the sauna, and however, if you want to keep yourself safe from the hassle of building the sauna, you can get the excellent quality sauna from the Royal Sauna. The Royal Sauna designs infrared, dry, and multiple other saunas, and you can get the custom made saunas according to your taste and demands. So, what are you waiting for? Contact the Royal Sauna team and get the best quality sauna at a competitive price.
Some FAQs About How to Build a Sauna
How Much Does It Cost to Build a Sauna?
Budgeting is very important, and many users ask this question before getting to the sauna. An average sauna costs $3,000 to $5,000. However, the cost could be more or less than this depending upon the material, size and area you are getting the sauna.
Can You Build Your Own Sauna?
Many new users ask this question, can they build their own sauna? The answer is yes, and you can build your own sauna with the help of kits that are available in the market. You can install the kit in a spare room of your house. Moreover, you can get a pre-designed and ready to install sauna from the Royal Sauna.
How Do You Build a Sauna in Your Backyard?
Build a sauna frame and wire it with light. Build a sauna doorway, install the benches in the sauna frame and place the frame at the required spot.
What Kind of Wood Do You Use for Sauna?
Many sauna manufacturers prefer the red Ceder to build a sauna. The cedar wood is colorful in appearance. It is soft, and you can easily cut it to place the boards and lights in the sauna. Moreover, the wood is heat resistant, and it could retain the heat for a longer time to give you the best sauna experience.
Is It Worth Building a Sauna?
The sauna offers you multiple health benefits. It cleans your body, cleans your skin, helps you in fighting the diseases, release your stress and tension and offers you multiple other health and psychological health benefits. Therefore, to get all these benefits and comforts, it is worth building a home sauna.
Are Home Saunas Worth It?
You can build the sauna with the help of the kits readily available in the market, and you can install a pre-designed sauna in your home. The home sauna will give you the same comfort and health benefits.
Where You Should Put a Sauna in Your House?
Many new users ask this question that where they should put the sauna. The answer is you can put and install the sauna, indoor and outdoor, according to the available space. You can put the sauna on concrete, carpet or wood. However, one thing that you should make sure while installing the sauna is that it should be perfectly leveled space. Moreover, if you are planning to install the sauna outdoor, make sure that there is a proper drainage system so that the water should not gather around the sauna.
Can You Put a Sauna in a Garage?
If you are planning to install a dry sauna, it will need nothing but a power source. So, wherever you have a power source, you can take and install the sauna.
What is the Best Home Sauna to Buy?
Multiple brands are working in the market and manufacturing the home saunas. However, if you want to buy the best home sauna, you can get it from the Royal Sauna. The Royal Sauna manufactures multiple saunas with high qualities in a very competitive price. Moreover, you can get custom saunas from the Royal Sauna that will be designed and constructed according to your demands and needs.
How to Build a Small Sauna?
If you are planning to build a small sauna but don’t know the process. Don’t worry the process of building a small as well as a large sauna remains the same. You just need to set the dimensions of the sauna frame according to your preferred size and measurements.
What are the Different Types of Sauna you can Build?
You can build the following types of saunas;
- Wood fired sauna
- A shed turned into a sauna
- Ceder barrel sauna
- Build a steam room for a sauna
- Convert a concrete building or a spare room into a sauna
- Cordwood sauna
- Outdoor sauna
- Build a sauna in your bathroom
- Portable sauna
- Underground sauna in the pool
You can build multiple types of sauna. However, if you love modern saunas such as infrared sauna, you cannot build, and you have to buy them from the hot tub manufacturers. Therefore, if you are planning to get an infrared sauna, you should look no further than the Royal Sauna. So, what are you waiting for? Contact the Royal Sauna team and get the sauna at the earliest. The Royal sauna offers you custom designs also, so share the details and get the custom sauna.