Last winter, my husband and I received a Sun Home Luminar 5-Person Sauna to test. I live in gray and rainy Portland, Oregon, which has a pretty robust sauna culture to combat the February blahs.
Not only was I ecstatic, but almost everyone I knew was too. For the several weeks that I had the Sun Home box in my driveway, I received a constant stream of texts from friends. “Do you have a sauna?” they all asked, hoping to get invited over soon.
Since then, I’ve had several friends build their own backyard saunas, and I realize my experience may have been atypical. Still, I gleaned a few useful learnings that you can take away if you’re looking to install one of your own. If you’re considering dropping several grand on an outdoor sauna, here are a few things you might consider.
Lesson #1: Choose Your Sauna Type
There are several kinds of saunas. Traditional Finnish saunas use a wood stove and stones to heat the interior.
If you’re looking at modern electric-powered saunas, there are two types here. You can either choose an electric sauna, which has a single electric heat source, or an infrared (IR) sauna, which uses light panels to heat the body. If you opt for a sauna with an electric heater, you can also choose a dry or wet model. Pouring water over the heated rocks creates what the Finns call “löyly,” the steam that can help make a hot room more comfortable.
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Photograph: Adrienne So
Devotees of one or the other can argue back and forth forever. Traditional wood-burning saunas are more likely to catch on fire. A dry sauna is more sanitary and therefore easier to maintain. The health benefits of a traditional sauna have been more widely studied, and so on.
Most people I know who have chosen to install saunas have opted for an electric wet model. This is the most similar to the public sauna that you might find at a gym. An IR sauna is usually cheaper. However, you might find multiple heat-emitting light panels more uncomfortable than a single heat source, where you can avoid direct contact more easily.
Lesson #2: Choose Your Location Wisely
When it comes to deciding where to install a sauna, there are a few common-sense nonnegotiables. Sun Home details these in its installation manual (which has been revised since I tested the sauna). You need a tile, concrete, carpet, laminated, or wood surface; depending on which sauna you pick from Sun Home, it must be able to support 870 or 1,270 pounds.
You must hire an electrician to modify your 240-volt, 30-amp power supply and use a NEMA L6-30P outlet; converting it yourself will void the warranty. The company now notes that it should also be installed in a dry, weather-protected area, although I have multiple friends who have installed outdoor saunas on graveled areas that are not under cover.
In sum: Although it is marketed as an outdoor sauna, you should treat it as if you’re installing an indoor sauna.
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