A Finn's guide to adding a sauna to your home.
The sauna, in Finland, is not a luxury- it is an essential part of life: kitchen, bathroom, sauna. "A house without a sauna is not a home." This is perhaps why there are more saunas in Finland than cars. If president Hoover's "Chicken in every pot" campaign were conducted in Finland, it might be "A sauna in every home." Let's assume you're already convinced you need a sauna in your life, and you'd just like to figure out how to make that happen. This guide will walk you thru your options, from primitive to palatial (with price ranges), and show you how to start regularly steaming, no matter your situation in life. (This is a draft post, evolving as I get time to improve it, appreciate your grace).
Public Saunas
The quickest, easiest and cheapest way to get access to a sauna in America is most likely at your local gym, hotel or spa. You'll either pay $50 per month at the gym for unlimited sauna use or $50 per session at a spa, but in either case you can be sweating today. Unfortunately 90% of the gym/spa saunas found in America are a shit excuse of a sauna (not to even mention infrared "saunas") but any sauna is still preferably to none.
Portable Saunas
If you don't have the money or the space for a proper sauna, if you're a renter and can't build, or if you're a camper and want portability- good news. There is a small cottage industry emerging around portable tent saunas. They are almost all wood stoves in specialty tents, bulky but manageable for car camping. While not the luxury of a dedicated sauna structure, at the end of the day all you need are hot rocks and steam to get a great sweat going! This option can typically be had for around $1500 and offers an economical way to get sweating fast.
Shameless plug, for this category I invented a Bucket Sauna- a smaller, faster, cheaper way to sauna anywhere, anytime, affordably, portably, for <$500. The people's sauna, if you will.
OFF THE SHELF SAUNAS
There are multiple reputable companies that offer off-the-shelf Pre-Fab saunas, built in a factory and shipped to your house in a box where you can put it together in several hours like an advanced Ikea assembly project.
There are many advantages to this option:
-Quick setup time, half a day max.
-Not permanent- put it in your garage or basement, if you move houses take it with you!
-Solid sauna experience, good bells & whistles (wifi turn-on, lights & sound) without all the expense of a custom sauna.
For many people these traits make the pre-fab sauna the most suitable solution to getting a steam!
If you decide to go this route you can get a quality setup for $4,000-$12,000 (triple if outdoor). Don't forget you'll still need to have an electrician run a 220V electric line (same type as goes to your stove or dryer) which can add $750-$1500.
Barrel Saunas?
Barrels are popular because they look cool and they're cheap. Critiques and purists will say the barrel design forces unforgivable compromises in the quality and experience of the löyly (steam). The low benches, lack of insulation, and short-lifespan are frequently cited critiques. Any sauna is better than no sauna though, and the low price, ease of install, and beautiful aesthetic make it an attractive option for some. Available for between $5,000-$10,000, setup is a weekend project for a handyman. Don't forget the foundation underneath, roof overhead (always recommended), and the 220v electrical line ran from your breaker box- all of which can add thousands more to the total price.
DIY Sauna Kits
If you're comfortable doing DIY construction and you're willing to put in the time and sweat you can build a sauna for the cost of materials and your time. Materials generally compose around half of the cost of a project (labor being the other half) so you can save substantially by doing it yourself. Just be sure you're ready to spend alot more time than you think doing construction- for some it's therapeutic, for others a real slog.
Beyond your construction competence, it can be a pain to source all your parts/materials for a sauna. A good sauna requires specialty softwoods, appropriate heaters, specialty doors, etc. Fortunately there are multiple reputable companies who will sell you all the components you'll need in one package, you just give them measurements of your space and they will send you a kit with everything you'll need (that you can't get at your local home improvement store).
For an indoor sauna materials generally cost around $5000-$15,000
For an outdoor sauna materials generally cost around $10,000-$25,000
All variable but broad rules of thumb for typical saunas.
There are lot of great resources on the web if you're interested in this route. Search Facebook for sauna build groups, read, research and build your dream.
Custom Saunas
(A custom built Trumpkin Spec sauna I recently finished in Denver)
Nothing beats a well built custom sauna inside your home or outside in the backyard. A well built custom sauna will last for decades, and make a pre-fab sauna feel like a mobile home. They can also be built properly, with loyly (steam) that'll make a Finn weep with joy. While not cheap, it is a one-time investment that will pay rich dividends for your mental and physical health every time you turn it on. As an increasingly popular wellness amenity it can also add value to your home, beauty to your space, and solve all of your problems... nearly.,. As a rule of thumb if your budget is less than $15k for an indoor (double that if outdoor) you'll most likely be best served considering the above listed options rather than paying a professional for a custom. But if you have the means, a well built custom sauna will provide you decades of enjoyment, health, and happiness. There's alot that goes into a well designed custom sauna, but I've specialize in it so you don't have to. If you're ready to pursue a custom built sauna I'd love to help you from start to steam- just reach out by filling out this Sauna questionnaire.
No matter your source, happy steaming!
-Kaleb the Finn
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