How To Build Your Backyard Sauna?

Looking for something useful for your backyard? If yes, then what about backyard sauna? You can build your backyard sauna and take a break from your everyday lifestyle. The sauna baths are extremely relaxing. In this article, you will get to know everything about sauna and how to build it in your backyard. Sauna is one of the highly popular shower ideas to have a fanciable bathroom.

What is Sauna?

The sauna is also known as sudatory and is a small building or room in which people can relax in dry heat sessions. Sauna rooms or bathhouses provide you heat to promote sweating and relaxing environments. 

Types of sauna

There are several different types of sauna. Each one of the saunas offer different experiences from one type to the other one. Here are some of the unique saunas that you can try to relax your body:

Traditional Finnish sauna

This type of sauna is commonly known as a traditional sauna and is wood-lined. You can see heated rocks, a ladle, and a bucket of water inside this sauna. One who uses a traditional Finnish sauna can easily control the humidity by putting some water onto the rocks. However, the sauna’s temperature goes higher from 20% to 40% because of this humidity and steam. 

Steam Bath Sauna

Steam bath sauna is built with glass, tiles, or acrylic inside of a packed space. In this sauna, you can experience a temperature of around 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Unlike traditional Finnish saunas, this sauna contains lower temperatures where humidity rises to 100%. Moreover, the rise in humidity makes the person feel hotter than the actual temperature.

Dry Sauna

These types of sauna are quite similar to the traditional Finnish sauna because it also contains rocks inside. However, there is no logic of water to be ladled upon the rocks. The presence of humidity is less inside this sauna. You can easily find a dry sauna in gyms. Moreover, only a few people know that putting some water on the heated rocks can make it a dry sauna. 

Infrared Sauna

An infrared sauna is completely different from all the other sauna types because there is a complete absence of humidity. The infrared sauna feels extremely relaxing to a person as it heats the body temperature and envelops the body into a heat glove.

Smoke Sauna

Doesn’t this name sound interesting? Smoke sauna is highly popular in Finland, but it does not contain any chimney or stove. Inside this sauna, a fire is built under a pile of rocks. As the rocks get completely heated, the fire goes out, and the smoke is aired out. After this process, the sauna session can start. 

Electric Sauna

The experience of an electric sauna is quite same as the wood-burning sauna. However, there isn’t any fire to stoke. Electric saunas are highly popular in urban areas. In this sauna, the stove and rocks are heated with electricity, and water can be ladled onto the rocks to create steam.

Steam sauna

The steam sauna is also known as Turkish rooms, hammams, or steam rooms. In this sauna, moist heat comes into use to boil the water that let the steam release inside the chamber.

How to Build Sauna?

Do you know that you can build up your backyard sauna? You read it right. Now you must be thinking, how to build sauna? Relax. Now you do not need to go anywhere else to use the sauna as now it can be installed in your home’s backyard area. But, you must be thinking now about how to build a sauna? The design and style of the backyard sauna can be designed in the following way:

• Make use of a solid, level foundation. Select the wood since cold or concrete surfaces can affect the heating
• Select an area that is protected from climatic conditions to avoid water damage to the heater or structure
• Ensure that there is good drainage if you are installing a wet or steam sauna

Choose the Backyard Sauna Heater 

There is an electric sauna, gas sauna heater, and wood sauna heater. Among these several types of heaters, which one should you choose for your backyard sauna? These heaters generally have heated rocks on which water can be poured on. Some more heating sources, such as infrared lights, are commonly used for building penetrating heat. The electric heaters are highly popular and easiest. 

For creating a backyard sauna, you can have a carbon heater sauna or a ceramic heater sauna. Ceramic heats the entire space upto around 150 degrees. However, there can be hot spots. A carbon heater raises the temperature of the room and is good at heating the body.

Best Wood For Backyard Sauna

The backyard sauna can lie upto 150 degrees or even more sometimes. You require a flexible softwood and cannot get easily damaged by the wrapped or moisture by the heat. Cedar planks are the most popular choices for backyard saunas. Cedar planks give a captivating look with a cool and pleasant smell so that one can sit comfortably. They are antifungal and antibacterial. 

You can also use other sauna wood such as basswood, poplar, and hemlock. The poplar and basswood sauna are odor-free and hypoallergenic. Moreover, if you are looking for a budget-friendly sauna wood, then hemlock is the best choice.

Selecting The Sauna Size

For creating a sauna in your backyard, one should make the selection of the right sauna size. The backyard sauna’s size will depend upon the number of users, the number of benches required, and the heating system. Both the lower and upper bench is a popular choice because the lower one is used as a cool-down spot and the upper one is used for lying and sitting.

Consistency in temperature and comport is necessary to experience so that there are just a few rules of thumb to follow:

• A sauna in your backyard can be as large as 8-12 feet or as small as 3 feet. The smaller the sauna room will be, the more heat will be present.
• Make sure that the 2 feet of seating space area along with the 6 feet of bench space for reclining/person are available there.
• The width of the upper bench should lie between 18 inches to 24 inches. On the other hand, the upper bench should be around 36 inches high, while the lower bench should be 18 inches high.
• The gazed glass door or windows makes the sauna feel more open.

Sauna Tips And Accessories

Before taking a sauna, it is a good idea to have a look at the things that can improve your experience. We have some vital sauna tips for you that you should try to make your experience a relaxing one:

• Make sure that you use a timer so that you do not spend overtime in the sauna.
• For listening to a piece of peaceful music, you can place a waterproof sound system.
• Add some scented herbs to the water bucket or hang them directly on the heated rocks. You can make use of an essential oil diffuser. However, you will have to select one that is made to resist heat and moisture.
• Keep the thermometer near the heater to keep on checking the temperature and avoid overheating.
• Make use of backrests and pillows with a washable cover and a natural filler. Ensure washing them frequently.

Sauna Benefits

What are the sauna benefits? Regardless of the humidity level of the sauna and its heating process, several sauna benefits work effectively on the body (Source):

• Easing pain
• Lower Risk of Alzheimer
• Reliefs Asthma
• Improves the cardiovascular health
• Reduces the stress level
• Relaxes the body
• Skin rejuvenation
• Pain reduction
• Detoxification
• Relieves stress
• Improves immune function
• Increases metabolism rate
• Weight loss
• Anti Aging

Sauna Safety Tips

After the installation of the backyard sauna at your house, you should ensure to follow some vital safety measures:

• Make sure that you consult with your doctor before taking the sauna.
• Completely avoid the consumption of alcohol before or while taking the sauna.
• Ensure that you do not overeat or take a large meal before taking a sauna bath.
• Never use the sauna if you are sick.
• Take at least one full glass of water after and before using the sauna to avoid dehydration.
• Exit or leave the sauna if you are feeling sick, dizzy or ill
• Consult your doctor before taking sauna if you are pregnant or planning to conceive.
• Never make usage of recreational drugs after, before, or while taking a sauna.
• Ensure that you are awake during the sauna use.
• Avoid taking the use of sauna if you take medications that interrupt your body’s capacity to regulate the temperature. Medication may also make you feel drowsy. 
• For the time being, Saunas increases the temperature of the male’s scrotum. This does not mean the usage of sauna will work as a birth control method. However, if one uses the sauna regularly, there may be a reduction in the sperm count.

Final Words  

Install backyard sauna at your house and give your body a relaxing and calm feeling. Enjoy the benefits of the sauna and ensure following the safety tips. Let us know your experiences and views on the sauna in the comment section below.