How to Build an Indoor Sauna

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By offgrid
User-Submitted Article

Article Rating: (12 Ratings)

sauna

How to build a sauna from a kit or your own design.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Step 1

Before you start your indoor sauna project do some research online. Decide how many people will typically use your sauna. If it is only for you and your spouse make sure you don't build too large or else you will be heating a lot of extra space at an enormous cost. The smaller they are the faster they will heat up. A sauna for 4 is probably a good size. 5' x 7' x 7' high is a good dimension. You can always take turns if you have more company.
Step 2

You can purchase indoor sauna kits online or search your yellow pages. It's better if you can buy the kit locally and visit the store to see what they are like. There is nothing like walking into a model sauna kit to make sure you are buying the correct dimension sauna for you. The best part of buying a kit is that everything you need is there, including the heater, rocks, doors, lights and even water bucket.
Step 3

We found a very good selection of Sauna kits at Saunafin.com. They have a 5' x 7' kit for $2,440 + $100 shipping. It includes a 6 kw heater and seats 4 with an "L" shaped bench. They also offer economy kits that use knotty cedar (5 x 7 for for $2,100)
Step 4

We recommend you hire an electrician to do the wiring for you. Choose a spot in your basement that is near a source of plumbing so that you can also install an enclosed shower unit. After your hot sauna will definitely want to cool down and an enclosed shower unit (from Home Depot) is the best option.
Step 5

If you decide to build your own sauna from scratch, you will need to purchase 2 x 4's to frame the walls, vapor barrier to seal the sauna, tongue and grove cedar planks to finish the interior. You will also need to purchase your own electric sauna heater. Many of the online stores that sell Sauna kits also sell the heaters separately. You just need to email them the dimensions of the sauna and they can tell you what size heater you need.
Step 6

GreatSaunas.com plans

Greatsaunas.com has a very good selection of sauna plans and designs to consider before starting your project. They have an excellent 5 x 7 family sized sauna. They show the details so you can determine the # of 2 x 4's you will require to frame your sauna. You will still need to hire an electrician to wire your heater and any lights that you want to include. Home Depot can provide good contacts for an electrician and even a plumber to help you install an adjacent shower unit.