Conscious Choice: Home Saunas

February 2000 | Sensible Home

Home Saunas

by James Dulley

Dear Jim: After all the holiday stress and overeating, I would like to relax and sweat off a few pounds in a sauna after work. Are there any small, home-size sauna kits that do not cost a fortune to heat? — Donna W.

Dear Donna: If you ate like I did over the holidays, it will take more than a little perspiration to get the waist back in shape. Seriously though, saunas are very relaxing and supposedly cleanse the body of toxins.

Some of the smaller personal-size saunas use only about $5 worth of electricity per month, assuming three sauna baths per week. When you are feeling chilly, a short sauna bath can make you feel toasty warm so you are less apt to set the furnace thermostat higher.

There are many sauna kit options for your home ranging from small, one-person snap-together kits on casters to fancy, multiperson models with electronic controls, timers, fiber-optic lights, built-in stereo speakers, etc.

If you are on a limited budget, a portable personal sauna kit is a good choice. It is delivered in two completely finished halves. Each half is on casters and it is small enough to roll through a standard door opening. This makes it simple to move from room to room for your entire family.

The two halves slide together and are locked in place with a simple lock mechanism. These have either a small 1.7- (for 15-amp wall outlets) or 2.1-kilowatt (for 20-amp outlets) electric heater. It takes about five minutes to attach the two halves. Then all you need do is plug in the cord and switch it on.

For a very stylish "Euro" look, consider getting a studio sauna kit. These are larger and have curved glass doors and colored laminate exteriors instead of wood. This allows it to be wallpapered or finished with tile.

When you select a sauna kit, western red cedar is the most common wood. It stays cool to the touch, it cleans up easily with soap and water and it does not splinter. Redwood, hemlock, spruce, and aspen are also used. Soft sauna baths are becoming increasingly popular now. Instead of the 180-degree, very dry heat, a soft sauna uses lower temperatures and more moisture. To have the option of either in the same sauna kit, select a "Misty" or "Steamy" heater that adjusts to either type of sauna bath.

If you are handy with tools, save some money by buying a precut sauna kit. You build the basic 2x4 framed walls and the kit includes everything else you need — interior cedar walls and ceiling, heater/controls, bench, door, etc.

For the simplest construction, select a modular kit. It consists of prebuilt insulated panels, prehung door, etc., that you quickly assemble.

Write for (or instantly download) Update Bulletin No. 771: buyer’s guide of eleven sauna kits, sizes, materials, designs, heaters, controls and features. Please include $3 and a business-size SASE. James Dulley, Conscious Choice, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244

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