What to Consider When Choosing A Home Sauna Design
The decision to install a sauna at your home is an exciting project to tackle that will end up providing access to a relaxing and rejuvenating spot for you to enjoy. To make sure the investment in a home sauna is a worthwhile one, there are several factors to consider.
Figuring out if your home sauna will be placed indoors or outdoors will help determine the home sauna design that is right for your needs. A sauna located inside your house will need a considerable amount of space, either through a closet, a room being converted into a sauna, or a room that is added to accommodate the home sauna installation. Installing an indoor sauna in an existing location does not need a foundation or insulation installed, but they do require a necessary draining system and the correct ventilation.
If you are planning on using a home sauna regularly, then installing it indoors is a great option. If the sauna will be located at a vacation home and will not be frequented as much, then an outdoor sauna is a solid location choice.
Once you have selected a location for your home spa, you can then determine the size and heat source for the spa. Furthermore, a home sauna design that is right for your needs will depend on how many people will use the spa at one time. When measuring space for a home spa, a good rule of thumb is at least two feet of bench space per user. Also, the ideal ceiling heat of seven feet to minimize heat loss is recommended. A typical bench height within a home sauna is 36 inches high and a lower bench is around 18 inches in height.
Determine Sauna Type and Heat Source
The source of heat your sauna will use, whether it is gas, infrared, electric, or wood-fired, will also be something to decide. Installing a gas line involves some expert knowledge, along with any vents for exhaust. You will need a separate electrical circuit to power an electric sauna. The traditional wood-burning sauna is a prime example of classic sauna design. Electric-powered saunas are also a more traditional sauna design, while a FAR infrared sauna is a more modern sauna design. Infrared saunas use heat lights that heat up in half the amount of time that it takes a traditional sauna to warm up. The heat produced by an infrared sauna is much like how your body is warmed up by the sun. However, traditional saunas are more affordable to maintain and provide a milder form of heat. Good Health Saunas recommends you make sure the heater source you select includes a timer that shuts the heat off, as an embedded safety feature.
Choosing Wood Type For A Sauna Design
The type of wood that makes up the interior of a sauna will not only determine the aesthetic of the space but also how comfortable the space will be. A traditional design style of a cedar interior is a very popular choice of wood as it has nice aromatics, weathers well over time in the interior environment of a sauna, and is naturally resistant to decay. A more modern sauna design wood selection would be Nordic white spruce. The white, fine-grained wood is comparable in price with cedar and only darkens a little bit over time with age. Pine and spruce produced domestically have the same white-wood style as the imported Nordic white spruce and feel to it, however, they have larger knots that may eventually fall out as the wood ages. Some other wood types that may be used for the interior of a spa include redwood, hemlock, and aspen, but redwood Is rarely put to use because it is expensive and darkens very quickly in the sauna environment.