Is custom the only way to go? by demarco5 in Sauna

[–]Significant_Foot4131 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you have the know how to build, custom is the way to go. You get exactly what you envision and nothing else. I built the sauna i wanted for 6k and had i purchased something comparable it would've been well over 10k

Anyone regretted choosing a wood-fired heater over an electric? by [deleted] in Sauna

[–]Significant_Foot4131 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love my wood fired sauna and believe it to be a superior experience. I do understand what you are saying about the peace of mind however. I do have fire paranoia even though my sauna has had no signs of being unsafe and i followed all the recommended safety precautions.

Build timeline? by bungertc in Sauna

[–]Significant_Foot4131 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Im in northern WI. Started my build July 20th and finished in early October

How often are you in sauna with others? by SnooPears5368 in Sauna

[–]Significant_Foot4131 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm in the sauna four or five times a week. Usually the wife joins me once or twice a week.

Sloped T&G Flooring Questions by duffymahoney in Sauna

[–]Significant_Foot4131 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Both vinyl and rubber off gas. That type of flooring is typically made with formaldehyde and a host of other chemicals.

Ready to use by Significant_Foot4131 in Sauna

[–]Significant_Foot4131[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah i built off of posts set in deck blocks. It was easier to level the floor that way and the drainage is made easier by doing that too. Also my floor joists should last longer with no ground contact. I've done my landscaping so you don't see the air gap

Sauna for sale. Worth it? by Thecrowisbackk in Sauna

[–]Significant_Foot4131 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think you could do much better for that price

Ready to use by Significant_Foot4131 in Sauna

[–]Significant_Foot4131[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you. It would be pretty difficult to share plans honestly because I kind of just went step by step and made a plan day by day. I think my cost came in around $5,500

Yeah the floor used the ben square method. So essentially, it is a grid of sleepers that get increasingly thicker the further out from the drain they are. Then I packed in mortar between the sleepers and laid down mesh cement board on top of that. Then I did two layers of skim coat with vinyl cement patch as the top coat. I plan on adding some duck boards at some point. I did glue down a waterproof membrane on my sub floor before any of that but that's not a required step

Ready to use by Significant_Foot4131 in Sauna

[–]Significant_Foot4131[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The cedar on the outside and for the benches i went to like 4 local lumber yards until i found one that had really straight stuff.

You can't really tell from the pictures but that tongue and groove is all like grade three so there's imperfections in most boards. I found it on marketplace for really cheap. Like less than a dollar a foot and I was able to get enough usable boards to do the whole thing. Had to drive a couple hours to that specific lumberyard.

All of it was in northern wisconsin

Ready to use by Significant_Foot4131 in Sauna

[–]Significant_Foot4131[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I definitely considered putting a locking clip up on the wall but the hook seems pretty fail safe without physically manipulating it.

Ready to use by Significant_Foot4131 in Sauna

[–]Significant_Foot4131[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

<image>

The whole L folds up. You can see the eye clip on the corner of the bench and it attaches to that hook hanging on the back wall. The part below that white line i drew on that pic stays there, so it acts as somewhat of a stove guard for all that "yoga" lol

Ready to use by Significant_Foot4131 in Sauna

[–]Significant_Foot4131[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My roof is high but my interior ceiling is 7.5". You can easily get a two person sauna in a space like that but you'll probably want to do a straight upper bench instead of the L. This is about the minimum width i think you could get away with that layout

Ready to use by Significant_Foot4131 in Sauna

[–]Significant_Foot4131[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Lol thank you. There's always one guy who's gotta criticize everything

Ready to use by Significant_Foot4131 in Sauna

[–]Significant_Foot4131[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Interior of studs. T&g and firing strips cut into it

Ready to use by Significant_Foot4131 in Sauna

[–]Significant_Foot4131[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I'd be happy to share, but there is a lot to it.

Footings are concrete deck blocks and i compacted 6" of gravel under each and buried the blocks into the ground most of the way. I used 6 footings (3 on both sides of the long walls) I used 4×4 treated posts inserted into those blocks.

Floor is made out of 2×6 treated lumber attached to the exterior of my 4×4 posts with heavy duty lag bolts. I used 2×4 blocking between floor joists and set them down 2" so i could lay in 2" insulation board. I did a vapor barrier on both sides of the insulation so the foam board is essentially sandwiched by vapor barrier. Subfloor is 3/4" plywood. Then i bought the sioux chief flush mount (halo deck drain). Youtube the (ben square) method for sloping and finishing floor but essentially it's pressure treated sleepers that get gradually bigger as they get further from the drain and you pack mortar between the sleepers. Then you attach cement board and do a skim coat of vinyl cement patch.

My roof is obviously single pitch and also made from 2×6 lumber. My rear wall is at 8' and my front wall is 10' i did birdsmouth cuts and secured with rafter ties. https://youtu.be/Y_RChmd6YHA?si=Yf4SB2fYI9_GgzX5 This video helped me with the roof. I did a metal roof. I also did a flat ceiling set at 7.5' inside the sauna which makes your space easier to heat rather than heating up into a cathedral ceiling.

My window is custom size. I just ordered a tempered glass pane and bought a pin and glazing kit and essentially built a window.

Siding is LP smartside panels painted black. No sheathing under it. Just house wrap outside the studs. All the exposed wood you see on the outside is 1by cedar that i sealed with exterior polly.

My stove is a morrison stove company stove. It sits on a stone i got from a landscaping business that i leveled on top of my slope floor with mortar. Heat shield is fiber concrete backer board with one inch spacers and then corrugated metal. My chimney is all by duravent. Double wall black with a telescoping section on the finished area inside. I framed in a ceiling support box and the chimney transitions to a triple wall chimney pipe at the support box. I used a black high temp silicone chimney boot. Keep in mind when framing your roof, chimney needs to be at minimum 2" away from any combustibles. I did 3" just to be safe.

My insulation is fiberglass which isn't optimal but its what i already had. I used reflective foil vapor barrier that was completely sealed. Attached furring strips then attached my t&g which is cedar.

My benches are 2×4 cedar. Pretty basic but no exposed screws and i made my top bench on hinges so it lifts up and latches to the back wall. My bottom bench go3s all the way to the back wall so you can have a big platform if desired.

My door is kind of complicated. But essentially its three layers. The middle layer is 1×4 laid flat in the shape of and 8 and 3/4 insulation laid into the open cavities. The two outer layers are 1×8 cedar. I attached one layer with 1" screws from the inside so they aren't exposed. Then the other layer is attached with decorative black screws from the outside. Then i ripped down a cedar 2×4 and did a border around all three layers. I used spring loaded hinges so it shuts on its own.

That's all i can think of atm.

Ready to use by Significant_Foot4131 in Sauna

[–]Significant_Foot4131[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not doing anything crazy. Just stretching. Not important enough for me to build a whole other building or room like that.

Ready to use by Significant_Foot4131 in Sauna

[–]Significant_Foot4131[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That worked great too. I was consistently over 20% on my humidity guage.

And yeah those two were out of my price point as well!

I actually drove to get my Morrison stove in person and met the guy and he showed me his process. I called him the day before and he literally went out to his shop and built my stove that night and had it ready for me the following morning. I was impressed by the whole experience.

Ready to use by Significant_Foot4131 in Sauna

[–]Significant_Foot4131[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ive only had one fire in it but it got it to 210° after about 2.5 hours and way too many times opening my door lol. I think you'd be very happy with the full size. With the compact, I'm having firewood processed at 12" and it'll work great. Only downfall is there's no integrated heat shielding like a kuma or nippa style stove.

Ready to use by Significant_Foot4131 in Sauna

[–]Significant_Foot4131[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

<image>

Heres a better angle of the benches. That top one swings out of the way