You may be wondering: Is it possible to make a DIY sauna at home? In the Nordic countries, over half the population reportedly boast their own home saunas—in fact, there are more saunas than people in Finland. In other parts of the world, not so much, but a home sauna could be in the cards for your personal plot of planet earth, as long as you’re not afraid of a DIY project.
If a sauna inside an average-sized home or apartment seems excessive and expensive, we’re here to tell you it actually isn’t such a crazy idea. Plus, can you really put a price tag on your health and sanity? According to some studies, 10- to 15-minute sessions in a traditional wood-burning sauna can improve blood flow and can release endorphins, which is good for both heart and mental health. We won’t bore you with the statistics about these wellness rooms—but we will give you the rundown on how to build a sauna step-by-step so you can see all the benefits firsthand.
Dry saunas are key for a DIY project
There are six types of saunas, and these classifications come straight from the North American Sauna Society (NASS—yes, that’s a thing), so you know the taxonomy is legit. Their official breakdown categorizes the wellness spaces into wood-burning saunas, electrically-heated saunas, manufactured sauna rooms, smoke saunas, steam rooms, and infrared saunas.
The biggest difference between all of these options is the heat source. Traditional Finnish saunas use wood-burning stoves, though now electrical heaters mimic the experience. These two options are types of “dry saunas,” and unlike steam rooms or other more modern variations, dry heat saunas don’t require plumbing. If you opt for the wood-burning stove option, it wouldn’t require a power source, either.
What all of this means is that dry saunas can go virtually anywhere—in the corner of a bathroom or guest bedroom, a garage, the yard—and can be built as small as four-by-four feet. Although an outdoor sauna, like a barrel sauna, leans more traditional (and is a chic addition to the backyard), building a sauna room inside your home is really not as disruptive as it sounds.
DIY sauna kits or precut packages are great for beginners, so explore some of those options if you don’t want to build a custom sauna completely from scratch. The kit will include all interior materials, but you would be responsible for framing the walls and ceiling with studs and pulling together the exterior material. Whether you do it yourself or use a home sauna kit, once you’re ready to build it, follow these steps.
How to DIY a sauna
1. Pick your location
The beauty of a dry sauna, as we mentioned earlier, is that it does not require running water, so you don’t have to install one near plumbing. You would, however, need a power source for electricity (the lights, heater, etc.), so if you are considering an outdoor sauna, it has to be located somewhat near the main structure. We suggest hiring an electrician for that portion of setting up a sauna, and keep in mind that it will use 220V power.