Saunas aren’t just for health spas, and there are many kinds that can go right in your home. Not only are they great for relaxation, they are great for your health as well. What a great way to unwind after a hard day at work, or a strenuous workout. If you are thinking about purchasing one, you may have come to discover you have lots of factors to consider. Here are just a few core considerations to get moving in the right direction and purchasing the perfect sauna for your needs.
Precut Sauna Kits
Precut saunas may require assistance with construction. You must provide the exterior walls, insulation and wall studs, and then build the unit from the precut pieces. The kit usually includes ceiling and wall boards, pre-hung door, assembled benches, floor decking, the sauna heater and various accessories, such as vents, heater fences and back rests. Some manufacturers may modify their kit to allow for custom sizing. Unless you have a very odd space, you probably won’t need customization as there are a variety of sizes and configurations available.
Modular and Prefabricated Saunas
These types of saunas costs more than precut but because you will save on the labor costs that are associated with the latter, the total cost ends up being pretty similar. You can get your sauna up and running in half a day. They are easy to relocate and reassemble if you want to change the location. There are two-sided, pre-insulated walls and ceilings that just lock together. The floor decking, benches and back rests are all put together already. In recent years, more people are moving towards these saunas rather than the precut. The designs have gotten more attractive and contemporary, with more luxurious interiors, interesting angles and lots of glass.
Types of Wood
Saunas are made from softwoods that remain cool and absorb steam well, making for a more comfortable experience. Regardless of the type of wood, you do want to consider the environmental factor. If that is important to you, you might want to consider purchasing a Finnelo sauna, for example, as this brand uses wood from forests that use sustainable practices, and has received special certification for such.
Cedar is very popular wood in North America. It is attractive, highly resistant to decay and fares very well in the harsh sauna environment. It also smells really good too.
If you want a Finnish feel to your sauna, consider one built from Nordic white spruce. It is a beautiful wood with white tones, fine grains and tight knots about the size of a pencil eraser. It costs about the same as cedar and it is grown in Finland’s sustainable forests.
Abachi wood is great for backrests and benches and looks good with Nordic white spruce. Other popular woods for saunas include clear vertical-grain hemlock, clear aspen, clear all-heart redwood, though this last kind is not used as much anymore.
Domestic spruce and pine look white when new, but are not as high-quality as Nordic white spruce.