Hello,
This is slightly off-topic since I don't actually plan to actually
build a sauna out of wood but here it goes anyway.
I'm thinking about trying to build a sauna in my home for relaxation.
Looking around the Web has revealed several different types of kits
you can buy to build an actual stand-alone sauna. However, the
simplest method I have found involves just buying some red heat bulbs
and activating them in a small room such a closet or bathroom.
However, I am not entirely sure how safe this
would be and was hoping I could get some of your opinions. Here are
the directions in a nutshell:
Materials:
--Four 250 watt red heat bulbs (commonly found in hardware stores).
--Apiece of 1/2" plywood, 40" high and 15" wide.
--Four flush-mount bulb sockets.
--Fifteen feet of heavy lamp cord.
--A medium-heavy duty male wall plug.
--8 wood screws to fasten the sockets to the plywood.
--Small bathroom or closet at least 4' long, 3' wide and 6' high
Directions:
1) Mount the sockets on the plywood in a diamond shape. The bottom
socket is in the center, 1' from the bottom of the plywood. Two
sockets are 28" from the bottom of the plywood and 10" apart. The top
socket is centered on the plywood and 3' from the bottom. This should
form a narrow diamond shape. Large sockets sold as fixtures can only
be wired from the back. Drilling the holes will be more work. You may
find smaller flush mount sockets that can be wired from the front.
Wire the sockets together in parallel so one bad bulb won't disable
the unit.
2) Lean the unit against a bathroom or closet wall. Secure it so it
won't fall over. Plug it in to operate. The enclosure needs be small
enough to hold the heat, and large enough to turn around.
And that's it. The author also recommends installing an optional
thermometer and an on/off switch. If a suitably sized enclosure is
not available, he also recommends building one out of wood, glass, or
(seriously) cardboard refrigerator boxes. I would probably just use
my bathroom since its the proper size and contains no flammable
objects except perhaps my plastic shower curtain.
FYI, here's a link to the original article:
http://www.mercola.com/2002/aug/14/sauna.htm
Seems like a fairly simply way to enjoy a sauna without joining a
health club. But I also don't want to burn down my house. Opinions?
Thanks for your help,
--Swann
> Here's a link to info about building saunas, including some information
> about infrared saunas:
The instructions that I am considering (linked in my previous post)
are actually for a conventional sauna using normal heat bulbs rather
than infrared bults. When I saw the term "bulbs," I also initially
thought that the author was describing how to build an infrared sauna.
However, that's not the case. He believes that one can construct a
conventional sauna safely with heat bulbs. That said, does placing
heating up my bathroom with four heat bulbs actually sound safe? My
intuition is that it would probably be too dangerous, but, then again,
it would really be a fantastic alternative to building one with rocks
or joining a health club.
I will note that the instructions for the bulbs mention that they are
suitable for "body warming" purposes, but I am sure they did not
intend for people to use them as a heat source for saunas!
--Swann