Sauna

monseiur

Hi all,

I'm considering making a medium size (2 to 3 person) sauna, it's at the design stage at the moment. Just wondering should I fit a lava rocks type heater - (over which water is poured) or is the infrared heater a better idea. I have no experience of the infrared ones.
Thanks.

M.

BrokenArrows

monseiur wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm considering making a medium size (2 to 3 person) sauna, it's at the design stage at the moment. Just wondering should I fit a lava rocks type heater - (over which water is poured) or is the infrared heater a better idea. I have no experience of the infrared ones.
Thanks.

M.

Depends on what you want.

Traditional sauna with the rocks, water and iconic sizzle with steam rising.

vs

Modern, clean, easily maintained, safer.

Ultimately both supply a room which is hot so really its down to the experience.

Try and find an infrared sauna somewhere that you can try out.

monseiur

BrokenArrows wrote: »

Depends on what you want.

Traditional sauna with the rocks, water and iconic sizzle with steam rising.

vs

Modern, clean, easily maintained, safer.

Ultimately both supply a room which is hot so really its down to the experience.

Try and find an infrared sauna somewhere that you can try out.

Thanks Broken Arrows, will try on out first....if I can find one !

M.

I’ve never encountered an infrared sauna that gives anything close to an authentic experience. Without the rocks giving the ability to create plenty of steam and a a big enough heater to maintain temperature, it’s just a hot sweaty room.

As for safety, there are hundreds of thousands of resistance element sauna heaters with lava rock that are used weekly if not daily in homes across Finland. If you build your sauna, wire and use it correctly, it’s perfectly safe.

As for cleaning, there is no difference. The floors need to be mopped and the steps and benches oiled once in a while. If you think anything else needs doing, you’re doing something wrong.

Effects

I wouldn't bother with an IR one myself. They're just not as good.

no.8

Would you have any update OP? I'd completely agree with the other posters views, traditional all the way

If the sauna is a separate building you can't really beat a proper wood burning stove in a sauna. If you go for electric make sure there is plenty of fresh air entering and exiting the room and don't skimp on the volume of rocks/stones. I notice that in hotels etc. the builders always tend to block the 10 cm air gap under the door with a massive step and the stoves more often than not have hardly any stones.

The alternative for the air gap is to duct outside air somewhere near the bottom of the heat source. And the outlet vent at the top of the bench is really important to create exit path for the incoming air. Finally the bottom of the bench should be about at the level of the top of the stove so don't skimp on the height of the room. Otherwise your feet don't get properly warm.

And to wrap it up: You need plenty of steam and the infrared "saunas" are work of divil.

Richard308

I’m in the process of constructing a solid fuel sauna. Stove installed, but having issues locating suitable bench timber and cedar/iroko cladding at affordable prices. Any tips ideas

listermint

Price of timber is quite high at the moment due to covid over the last year. I don't think your going to get affordable unless you can source second hand from say reclamation yard for example or choose a different timber type.

Richard308

I suppose there’s different opinions on affordable. I’m being quoted €50 per metre

listermint

reach out here for Ceder Supplies, they tend to have reasonable pricing for alot of their stock

http://www.woodindustries.ie/