How to Make your Own Sauna

If you want to make your own sauna the first thing to decide is whether you want an electric, gas or wood burning stove.

Your choice will probably be influenced by where you live.

Country style living may mean that wood is a plentiful commodity and it won’t pollute a pristine environment so a wood burning stove may be the best choice for you. It is also the choice that works the best so if it is practical it’s the perfect choice.

If not, what are the alternatives?

Those who choose to make their own sauna find that although electric and gas stoves are used in sauna building they don’t by any means match the wonderful smell and smooth feel of a wood stove.

However, if you live in a city they are definitely the most practical. You won’t need to cut and prepare or carry wood or prime the fire and this type of sauna is easy to clean.

Gas stoves are about three times cheaper than the cost of an electric sauna but electric ones are still far more popular.

It is also possible that your local building code may prohibit the use of a wood stove or the requirements for building one may be pretty specific.

Step-by-Step Plans to Making your Own Sauna

Once you have chosen the type of stove you will be using you will need to plan for the following when you make your own sauna:

* The size of the room where the heater will be placed – In general a room’s size will depend on how many bathers will usually use it, the stove’s capacity and the bench arrangement.

* A space for washing – If possible, plan for a separate washing facility, but if your budget or space is limited you may plan an area within the sauna itself. This is common in many Finnish country saunas. The most important thing to make provision for is a way to produce hot water.

* A dressing/relaxation area – This provides some protection from the elements and could be a basic wind breaker or open porch next to the sauna.

* A simple wood design – Using a warm material like wood brings the room a sense of peace and harmony and brings it in line with the natural environment. It will also create and area that promotes quiet, meditation and friendly socializing.

* Location – You and your guests will need a place to cool down after your sauna session so if you are able to place your sauna adjacent to a lake, river or ocean this is ideal. If these are unavailable a swimming pool or pretty shower is a great substitute. Always remember to be considerate of your neighbors when you make your own sauna.

* Orientation – When you plan your windows make yourself aware of the course of the sun and moon so that you can make the best use of the natural light effects.

Here is a list of Finnish words used in the text that follows. They will enhance your understanding of the instructions to come:

Kiuas (ke-wus)-a sauna’s stove or heater.

Loyly (lou-lu)-very hot vapor that rises off hot sauna rocks.

Sauna (sow-na)-now part of the English language. Often pronounced saw-na in America.

Kiuas – The Heart of the Sauna

If you plan to make your own sauna you need to understand the importance of the correct rocks and a heat source that will render them red-hot. The kiuas whether wood, electric or gas will distribute heat evenly throughout the sweat room and if hot enough, the water will explode off the rocks and fill the room with short bursts of loyly causing the right level of humidity

The Sauna Rocks

Only the strongest rock is able to survive constant heating and cooling and even the best ones will after time crack and crumble. They will no longer retain heat and will disintegrate, clogging the kiuas.

The best rocks for a sauna are those that have not been weathered, for example certain types of quarried rock. It is not recommended to use glassy rocks with a high quartz or iron content. Iron conducts heat very quickly and when in contact with water the heat gets trapped in a vapor shell and forms beads not steam. When this slides off the rock a very weak loyly is the result. Never use any rock that releases poisonous gas or horrible odors when you make your own sauna.

A quarried Finnish rock called peridotite is probably the perfect choice for your sauna. Kiuas makers ship this rock across the world but certain North American rocks work quite well too. Quarried basalt, black and fine-grained from the Sierra and Cascade ranges are ideal as well as hornblende which is found in many areas. Hornblende is a textured rock that has been re-crystalized at high temperatures so it is a good choice for sauna rock.

Use a geological surveying map from any Bureau of Mines or through the Government Printing office in Washington, D.C. to locate sources of these rock types.

When you make your own sauna learn about rock testing. This is important to avoid the danger of exploding rocks. To guarantee their safety, thoroughly heat a sample for two hours or more, then place it into a bucket of cold water and examine it for cracks. Once the rock has cooled down, hit it with a hammer or against another rock.

If it cracks or makes a soft grinding sound when rubbed against another rock, discard it and choose another source. If the rock survives the test you have a safe sauna rock. For a small fee a more elaborate test can be conducted by your local metallurgical laboratory.

How many rocks will you need and how big should they be? An ideal sauna rock is the size of a large potato. If the heat is replenished adequately, the amount of rocks can be as little as 55-75 pounds. If using a heat storage kiuas, which are only heated once, you need at least 264 pounds of rock. A savusauna takes anywhere from 600-1100 pounds of rock depending on the room size.

If you decide to make your own sauna, remember that if the rocks are too large or too many they will take a needless amount of time to heat up. Too few or too small rocks will cause the sauna to cool after only a few splashes of water. Don’t pack the rocks too tightly or too loosely as they won’t heat properly.

How hot should the sauna rocks be? – 950-1500 degrees F is perfect.

A wood burning kiua will heat rocks until they turn bright red. You don’t need to measure their temperature – test them by throwing some water on the rocks and if it makes a sharp cracking sound like opening a fizzy drink and one or two seconds later the room is filled with an invisible loyly they are good to go. Tepid rocks cause the water to bubble slowly and turn the sauna into a steam bath.

These basic pointers will get you started on the sauna making process. Of course, to make your own sauna you will need to choose a good building design or use a suitable pre-existing room. We recommend building a special, beautiful room to enhance the calm and relaxation offered by a sauna.

Fit it with your kiua and the best rocks you can find. Plant some flowers, plants or small trees outside the room to create a haven of tranquility and beauty and use natural running water or build a water feature to provide a pleasant bathing experience for you and your guests. You can make your own sauna with little fuss and not much financial outlay and enjoy the spa experience in the comfort of your own home and at the fraction of the cost too! Sound steamy? Go for it!