How to Build a Wood Sauna
Building a wood sauna comes with varying degrees of difficulty. You can choose to use a sauna kit or utilize some pre-fabricated parts to simplify your construction. After deciding on the location of your sauna-to-be, the next steps are designing a sauna that fits your needs and desires for your family or personal use. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 2-by-4 lumber
- 2-by-6 lumber
- Hammer
- 3-inch wood nails
- Insulation
- Foil vapor barrier
- Tongue-in-groove cedar
- Level
- Pre-made door
- Molding
- Pre-made benches
- Ceramic tiles
- Cement
- Grout
- Heater
- Ventilation pipe
Instructions
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1
Decide on the location of your sauna---indoors in an enclosed room, outside, freestanding or built into an existing wall. If you can, build next to a lake, pool or bathroom that makes the cool wash after a sauna easy. For indoor sauna construction, remember that you will get moisture from the heat of the sauna in the adjoining rooms and so will need appropriate ventilation.
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2
Choose what kind of sauna heating device you wish to use. Assuming an indoor location, your best options are electrical or gas heat that ties in to your home heating system. If you are building a sauna in the country near a stove, a wood burning stove is the most authentic and most effective heat source.
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3
Make sure the electrical outlets will support the wattage needs of the sauna. Hire an electrician if you are not skilled with wiring. You'll need electricity for the heater and an interior light if you install one.
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4
Install the frame of the sauna using 2-by-4's and 2-by-6's to create a rectangular box that will house the sauna room. Place upright 2-by-4's every 16 inches for attaching the sides later.
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5
Put insulation between the frame and the wall studs along the sides and ceiling. Use a foil vapor barrier to cover the insulation, protecting from moisture and reflecting the heat back into the sauna.
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6
Cut pieces of tongue in groove wood so that they fit from one corner of the wall to the other. Starting at the floor, nail the wood to the wall frames you've built. Place the nails at an angle to hide them within the wood and avoid any exposed metal surfaces inside the sauna. Complete all the walls from the floor up then attach pieces in a similar form for the ceiling. Check regularly to make sure the wood stays level.
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7
Attach molding to the inside corners to finish off the walls. Install one or more benches to complete the interior.
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8
Install a ceramic floor by gluing tiles to the floor beneath the sauna with ceramic cement. Let the cement dry completely and apply grout in the spaces. Once the floor is dry, cover it with wood panels. Build the panels separately then install them so that you can also remove them to clean the ceramic floor periodically.
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Install the heater by mounting it to one wall of the sauna in a corner. Build a heater cover that hides any exposed metal but still lets the heat fill the sauna. Connect the heater to the electricity.
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Tips & Warnings
True Finnish saunas use Nordic white spruce lumber, but Western Red Cedar lumber is a more cost-effective substitute. Use a pre-hung door and pre-made benches for greater ease than building your own. As you build the walls, remember to attach wood to frame the door. Attach the door to the doorframe.
Make sure all wiring will be protected from steam. Include ventilation plans in your design to make sure the heater is not drawing air from within the sauna. Hire professionals when needed to ensure safety.
