Building an Outdoor Sauna

I don't know if tiles outside are a good idea. Any expansion or contraction
of your sub-floor and the tiles will crack like crazy. Of course, I have no
idea of your climate. Perhaps others here can confirm or refute my
concerns.

Good Luck
"Robin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I am planning a sauna for my backyard and was trying to get a couple
> of questions answered.
>
> First of all, does it have to be on a concrete base? I was thinking
> that if I mounted the building on concrete pads I could insulate under
> the floor. Then I would just have a tile floor on top of that.
>
> Next, Western Red Cedar or Finnish Spruce? Saw this question before
> but no answer. The Finnish spruce would be cheaper.
>
> Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
>
> Robin

Wed, Jun 23, 2004, 8:22pm (EDT-3) [email protected] (Robin) wants to know:
<snip> does it have to be on a concrete base? <snip>

If it doe, then those Finns been doint it wrong all those
centuries.

Then I would just have a tile floor on top of that. <snip>

Hmmm, sauna, tile floor, yep, that should be the perfect way to do
in that pesky mother-in-law, first time she uses it. Your defense can
always be, "I didn't know a tile floor would be slick".

JOAT
Use your brain - it's the small things that count.
- Bazooka Joe

Thanks for the info - guess when I said tile I meant as something to
keep the moisture from the wood. Figured the duckboard on top of the
tile was something that didn't need to be said....

[email protected] (J T) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Wed, Jun 23, 2004, 8:22pm (EDT-3) [email protected] (Robin) wants to know:
> <snip> does it have to be on a concrete base? <snip>
>
> If it doe, then those Finns been doint it wrong all those
> centuries.
>
> Then I would just have a tile floor on top of that. <snip>
>
> Hmmm, sauna, tile floor, yep, that should be the perfect way to do
> in that pesky mother-in-law, first time she uses it. Your defense can
> always be, "I didn't know a tile floor would be slick".
>
> JOAT
> Use your brain - it's the small things that count.
> - Bazooka Joe

An Aunt & Uncle used to have one, concrete floor, cedar T&G vertically &
cedar siding horizonally over that & had cedar benches etc. Same basic
wood you'd use on a fence, not the expensive fancy cedar. For heat they
used a steel canister, 20/25gal or so boxed in & surrounded by river
rock. If you wanted steam, pour a little water on the rocks. The heat
source was wood. Fire was built & maintained thru a small access door
on the outside. Chimney up thru the roof. Worked great, & cheaper than
gas etc. I suppose you could adapt a propane tank to this too of necessary.

Grandpa

Robin wrote:
> I am planning a sauna for my backyard and was trying to get a couple
> of questions answered.
>
> First of all, does it have to be on a concrete base? I was thinking
> that if I mounted the building on concrete pads I could insulate under
> the floor. Then I would just have a tile floor on top of that.
>
> Next, Western Red Cedar or Finnish Spruce? Saw this question before
> but no answer. The Finnish spruce would be cheaper.
>
> Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
>
> Robin

I built an outdoor sauna two years ago. It is accessed from the deck by a
short bridge. It is high enough that I got a storage room under the sauna.
I insulated the floor but am going to remove the insulation because the
local critters enjoy pulling it down. Floor insulation is probably not
needed since the floor in a sauna stays pretty cool. I used local Eastern
White Cedar for the inside surfaces, all tongue and groove on the walls.
For the floor, I used slate in the entry room and fiberglassed plywood in
the sauna room pitched to a central drain to get rid of water. Duck boards
are cedar also. Wall construction (from outside to inside) is: one inch
vertical pine with battens on the seams, six inch spruce studs with 6 inches
of fiberglas insulation, plastic film to insure keeping moisture out of the
insulation, 3/4 inch strapping on the studs to create an air space, 3/4 inch
Cedar t&g. The t&g stops just short of the ceiling and about 4 inches off
the floor to insure air ventilation behind the t&g. Ceiling has same
construction as walls. Two levels of benches and a real Finnish sauna stove
complete the picture.
If you have questions, I will be pleased to help or send photos.
Dave

>

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (Robin) wrote:

> I am planning a sauna for my backyard and was trying to get a couple
> of questions answered.
>
> First of all, does it have to be on a concrete base? I was thinking
> that if I mounted the building on concrete pads I could insulate under
> the floor. Then I would just have a tile floor on top of that.
>
> Next, Western Red Cedar or Finnish Spruce? Saw this question before
> but no answer. The Finnish spruce would be cheaper.
>
> Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
>


Duckboards over concrete are traditional and make the sauna easy to
clean. I've never seen a sauna with a tile floor, but I don't see any
reason why that wouldn't work. One source says that ceramic tile is the
best floor, followed by heavy-duty seamless vinyl (?) and sealed
concrete. Me, I'd just go for inexpensive and easily maintained lightly
brushed concrete. Whatever floor you use, raise the edges so that water
won't rot the lower edges of your paneling.

In the US, most softwoods will work for walls: Alaskan Yellow Cedar,
Western Redcedar, Western Redwood, Aspen, Idaho White Pine, Western
Hemlock, Sugar Pine, Eastern White Pine, Eastern White Cedar....The
interior of the traditional Finnish sauna is Northern White Spruce, but
benches made of spruce will get too hot to sit on. For them, Obechi
(Abachi--sometimes misspelt as Apache) is the material of choice for
those that have larger wallets than I do. Aspen is said to do well -
pine, hemlock, and fir are okay if you can guarantee there are no knots
or pockets of pitch. Use only the highest grades if you do use them.

I like Western Redcedar for most everything - it's light, dimensionally
stable, and easily worked - but everyone else seems to like it too; it's
gotten really pricey in the past few years. Some people like redwood for
benches, but in my opinion it is far too prone to splintering for such
use.

Misc:
All wiring should rated to at least 90 deg. C. Have no exposed screw or
nail heads. Make benches removable for ease of cleaning. Learn how to
make and use a vihta. Drink homemade sima after sauna. Use your avanto.
:)