Sauna Construction
Where should I focus my attention when I start designing a sauna?
The heater is the heart of a sauna. Selecting an intelligent heater model and its corresponding control options can significantly impact your sauna experience. Sauna temperature range and high-quality stones are also important variables to consider when designing your sauna.
What about sauna sizes?
For your sauna to achieve its maximum size, it must be insulated to a minimum of "R12" on the walls and "R16" on the ceiling. Additionally, it must have an equally effective heater that meets UL, CSA or ETL guidelines. Locate your local Finnleo dealer for sizing charts.
What is the optimal inside height for saunas?
The average sauna ceiling height is 84 inches. However, the minimum permitted ceiling height of any given sauna is 77 inches. Remember to check the minimum sauna height in the heater brochure or installation instructions for your particular application. A maximum safe ceiling height, however, is 96 inches.
How should benches be arranged?
Maximizing bench space and minimizing wasted floor space offers efficiency for your sauna and allows you to maximize how many people can enjoy it at one time. Typically, a sauna plan should include room for both a lower bench and an upper bench. The upper bench is the main calculation in terms of how many bathers your sauna will accommodate. Allow about 2 feet of bench space per bather.
What woods are appropriate for the benches and the walls?
Seating boards are usually made of Abachi or Cedar woods. Walls are most often covered with Nordic White Spruce, Hemlock, or Cedar wood types.
What is an ideal sauna door solution?
The glass door has become the standard, because it is stylish and durable. The glass is resistant to high heat levels as well as wet and dry steam fluctuations.
Where should my heater be located?
Newer sauna heaters, such as the Tonttu series, allow for unique bench designs - and even designs that allow benches to wrap conveniently around the heater. Your local Finnleo dealer will be more than happy to sketch out the potential heater and bench layout options with you and will provide professional two or three-dimensional CAD drawings.
How should saunas be ventilated properly?
Cold air always moves towards the ground. The room temperature air in a sauna sinks to the floor unless it can be circulated properly with the hot air in the sauna. The Finnleo Sauna heater pulls fresh air into the sauna room by creating an airflow through a vent located directly under its heat source. You should place your exhaust vent opposite this vent so they are as close as possible to each other, maximizing air exchange and optimizing the level of your out-vent (which is often positioned 2 feet above the floor). If you choose to use mechanical ventilation, please contact our technical staff or your local dealer for more information about how to vent your sauna properly.
Some Important Notes About Finnleo’s Vulkanite Heater Stones:
Good heater stones must meet certain criteria:
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They should be able to withstand high temperatures and significant heat fluctuations
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They cannot create dust or discharge any odors
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They must sufficiently deliver the heat, grab water and prevent dripping
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An uneven surface is preferable as opposed to an even one
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Stones must be large enough so that the air can circulate well between the stones and so that the elements operate efficiently; and heater stones must hold heat well. Once the room reaches temperature, a rock that holds the heat well will use less energy to stay hot yet produce wonderful steam."