Just replaced my sauna’s paneling and the boards last weekend. My sauna is small as it is in a Finnish duplex at only 1,5 m by 1,5 m, but I would add a few things for someone else building their sauna: -Remember to add wood on top of the aluminium foil. That way you create a space between the aluminium and the paneling so it can dry from behind the paneling. -Use the same parafin oil as used on the boards for the paneling to extend their life. As an option, if you don’t want to deepen the colour or want the color to be something else, there is this Supi Saunavaha (saunawax) from Tikkurila that is sold in a few colors and can be dyed to many other, atleast in Finland. I used saunawax on the paneling and parafin oil on the boards to create a nice color change. - I noticed that the top boards had a quite high difference to the bottom boards. In Finland, we use 40 cm from the top boards to bottom boards as a guide so people of many heights can go to sauna comfortably. Great video, nevertheless. I enjoyed it and it is very comprehensive. I’m sure there isn’t so much information about sauna building outside of Finland and in other languages so you did well. Have a great day and hyviä löylyjä!
Exactly what I was thinking on the first point. You need to add wood planks on top foil before covering with panels. That adds a gap between foil and panels for air to vent out all the moisture. Cedar panels or other rot resistant wood could probably hold it up as is, but adding ventilation there would increase the longevity of panels by a factor!
I was crying… it is magnificent.. I dream of having a sauna . How lucky a family to have you care for their health. So so proud of your achievements, your family must be so proud.
I've been a builder for many years and have seen quite a fair bit of sheds. The plans in ryan's package th-cam.com/users/postUgkxB7IXYxLzb_Ichhe45zM3Im5xfEiSp9vB have some of the nicest looking sheds i've seen in a while.
First off, great instructions and explanations. Thank you Marek. Second, you get additional point for your comm skills! English is not your birth language (guessing) but your comm was very clear ... extra points for using the work "doo-hickey". Lastly, after viewing dozens of tutorials on youtube about constructing saunas, you were the ONLY person who included details about how big a sauna you were building. Critical info. Well done Marek. Mine will be 8x6 and bench construction was very informative. Cheers.
Great video! I learned a lot and it was really well done. One thing I notice about non-native English speakers is that they're generally hyper critical of their English when they in fact have perfect English but make small mistakes that don't take anything away from what they're trying to say. Most native English speakers don't speak a different language fluently so you're already better than us in that aspect lol
In Finnish saunas the exhaust for humid air is always either in the ceiling or high up on the wall. This is because hot air rises up, and air circulates better. Intake is usually made by leaving door with 10cm space underneath it. No need for holes in the wall and vents.
That is probably the easy way to go construction-wise, but Harvia (traditional Finnish manufacturer) recommends to do a "chimney style" type exhaust, exactly like you see in the video. Also a 10cm gap under the door is WAY too much, maybe more like 1cm. But making the air intake behind or under the heater is superior solution.
@@Ronny.81 Well usually there is 1 door and little dressing room before actual sauna door. If its build like in this video there is wooden door with no gaps and ventilation is done differently.
Thank you very much for the very good information and the relaxed way of lecturing. I will incorporate the info into my sauna construction. You have a very good English pronunciation
I have been doing my homework to build a sauna at home and I must say you are the first to mention having ventilation . I also like the clips for the tongue and groove boards . Very nice build , thank you for sharing .
I have watched a bunch of these videos, and yours is by far the most informative and clear to understand. This is especially true when you talk about vents. No one else I've seen has clearly explained the vents. There is some mention elsewhere about a "vent above the heater" which you do not mention, and which I can not find a reason for.
Best video on self build sauna. Enjoyable watch, and very nice design. I’m planning on converting an underground air ride shelter for mine. If it comes out anywhere near as nice as this I’ll be happy. I’ll take my time and plan on doing a good job. Thank you for the tips.
Thanks for this video. I’m planning a sauna build, and your experience is helpful. I especially appreciate your willingness to use English. You are doing well with the language.
If you need to increase the flow of air, you can consider bypassing the exhaust tube that is down behind the benches and just punch a hole up in the wall straight to the current exhaust hole going out through the wall. But if the ventilation is working currently, no need. Good-looking sauna.
Hi Marek Thanks for posting this video I am building a sauna here in Western Australia and followed most of your tips If you're ever down here let me know and I'll buy you a beer
Also, I forgot. A tip for nailing tongue and groove is to work with the tongue side open. Then you nail in the top of the tongue angling back towards the board. Then when you slip the next groove over, it's like it's pre nailed on that edge and you only need to nail the tongue again. And you can get away without clips. Unless the moisture in a sauna is the reasoning behind them, I'm not sure
perfect instructions, and please what about insulation of floor ? now im starting with buíding sauna outside in the garden, we are staring with base from concrete and i do not know if insulate it under concrete.
Mine floor isn't insulated, and it doesn't cause any problems. If it's in the garden, the floor will stay cool either way, heat rises up, so most important is insulation of ceiling and walls. More importantly put some water barier on the concrete (I used painted-on hydroinsulation), so the wood doesn't get wet from the bottom, that is more pressing concern.
hi folks…btw very nice project Martin. I would strongly suggest to insulate floor base as well similiar way as other walls. It is pretty large thermal bridge and i believe that during cold winter times it helps remarkably to speed up heating time and save cost as well. Simply in this case we are cooling down already heated air. Considering entire budget it will be worth of investing few more euro in to the insulation of a floorbase. A este raz Martine pekna prace a vdaka za zdielanie videa! ja viem, ze kazdi je mudry po boji 😉Tolko len moj pohlad na vec. Uzivaj saunu.
I really wish Finland was open so I can go back and purchase a Finnish heater and wood for my sauna. Traveled there in 2018, beautiful country. Btw-Good video
Ahoj, díky za video. Zrovna řeším rozměrově velmi podobnou saunu a celkově hodně obdobné řešení, tak jsem rád, že jsem narazil na tohle video. Pokud se můžu zeptat, dostane se teplota v sauně s těmito kamny na cca 100 stupňů? Zvažuji, jaké použít dveře, zda takové celosklo, nebo nebo dřevěné s izolací a dvojsklem. Zvažoval bys nyní jiné dveře, nebo jsi s těmito spokojený? Jak po těch letech vypadají palubky za kamny? Furt dumám nad nějakou akumulační ochrannou stěnou, ale je fakt, že já chci použít kamna na zeď, tak nevím, jestli se dá srovnávat. Předem díky a měj se. Robert
Did you put any other weather barrier / wrapping on the outside? Or just that exterior wood over the foil barrier? I saw you put the foil barrier on inside and outside. I will have enough left over to do that as well. You just put the exterior siding/wood over that?
If you have the sauna outside as I do. You need to protect it from outside only from rainwater. So any foil, that stops water that get's through your siding from reaching your insulation, is good enough.
THANK YOU@@MarekVacek Yes, free standing outdoor sauna. I hadn't thought of just doing another layer with the foil, since I have double what I need that should work out well. Appreciate the response.
Really nice build! You really know what you are talking about! There is just a couple of things I would do differently. First, i think the benches are a litte overworked as you also stated. And the planks you mounted under the bench as a cover is preventing air to pass to your air outlet when it's placed under the bench. If you go with that bench design I would definetly have the outlet near the ceiling or I would keep the benches wall mounted without front covers.
Thank you for this very nice explanation video. I watched it a lot of times when building my own sauna. It's almost finished now. The attached drawings are also very helpfull. Great job!
Genuinely appreciated this video. Many thanks. Have you considered filling the space below the benches in order to reduce the size in cubic meters for quicker heating?
I just made a cross cut in the foil, folded it inside of the pipe, and secure it around with the aluminium sticky tape. Nothing fancy. You can see the result between 11:36-11:37 of the video. The opening was then left as is.
Amazing. My wife and I are planning to build one in our backyard with a 9kW heater... did you run a dedicated 240 volt electrical line to your heater? The electrical stuff is where we are the least knowledgeable.
- I'm not good with electrics and had it done by a professional. - I ran a dedicated line from my breaker box to the heater. In my case this was an easy enough to do. And also had enough space for the extra breakers (otherwise you'd have to add extra breaker box). - My heater is on a "three-phase" connection, where I live it's a common thing to have it hooked up in a house. I know it's not so common in US for instance. Either way talk to a professional and he'll tell you if your current wiring can take it or not. You may not need the extra line necessarilly. Maybe just a higher amperage breaker. It all boils down to the thickness of the cable already installed.
Extra tip: if you're doing outdoor installation be weary of fancy heater controll units with LCD displays. They're not designed to take the freezing temps and will go after a couple of years. Get an simple analog unit which is much more resilient to frosty temperatures.
@@MarekVacek thank you for your response! We live in Minnesota, USA, and it's normal in the winter to hit -40C. That tip was really helpful because we were planning on touch screen controls. I got a quote from an electrician that they would charge $6000usd, which is far too much, so I wanted to see what it would take for us to do it and only have the electrician inspect and connect it to the box.
Sure thing, ask the electrician what cable to run, run it yourself and then just have him connect it. As the control units go, basically all that I could find were marked as "indoor only", so your best bet is getting the simplest one and hope that it will take the condensation from freezing/thawing cycles. I was warned about this from a professional installer, who told me the digital units usually go bad after 2 or 3 winters.
@iantimberlake Some generic things to watch out for in your build. Your outdoor project means you'll be running wiring through your yard. A) you'll need conduit. A large PVC pipe should work. I think you need the gray stuff, rated for burial. Sink it below the "frost line." B) Yes, you'll be running several large gauge cables underground. Don't make the mistake of running romex wire inside the conduit. Run separate wires. Romex in conduit causes heat issues that degrade the wire's insulation. I'm not an expert, so don't rely on my advice. Consult an expert and ask him about these issues. Good luck!
Great video, I notice you seem to have put another layer of alu foil on the outside of the rock wool insulation. Any concern this will not allow the wall to breathe trapping moisture causing wood to rot ?
I'm in Louisiana I'm building my sauna with all types of wood . Pine frame Cypress and cedar for the inside with cherry wood trim. Black River stones on the concrete floor and I'm rigging up pipe for steam coming out the stones on the ground. I'm definitely buying a heater from Finland. Good thing for me I live in a logging town wood is everywhere old new Orleans house wood . I find alot of it in dumpsters by construction and demolition sites. Thanks for the inspiration any heater brand you recommend besides the one you have?
Cheers to New Orleans. As the heater brands go, it's a lot about what is most available in your area and here (Czech Republic) most common are: Harvia - from Finland EOS - from Germany Sentiotec - from Austria (actualy a subdivision of Harvia) But I think the heater brand is not that crucial. As with everything: see some online reviews of your particular model, check it out somewhere in person to see if you trust the build quality and then you can go with any brand.
Very nice job but thing that i should do different is that between inside paneling and aluminium foil there should be a gap of some kind for the air to go move behind the paneling, otherwise the aluminium keeps the moist and it gets stuck to the paneling from the inside. Then there is a gap at the bottom and where the wall and ceiling meet to make air circulation possible. Same with ceiling panels. Sauna looks awesome though
You're second person writing this, so that may be the case. The sauna is 3 years now and the panneling doesn't show any degrading, but maybe that will show later. Cheers
@@1Ron5mith yes, and screwing the paneling into the battens minimizes holes on the vapour barrier. when you screw the paneling through the aluminum you make holes that let humid air travel into the walls. it is also good to use the battens to hang the foil, or at least tape over all of the staples, they are also holes in the vapour barrier. looks really good though
Can you guys please elaborate more on the gap on the bottom and where the wall and the ceiling meet? Also for the ceiling panels? I'm not sure if I'm understanding this, but I feel it will be quite important not to skip this step. How exactly do you do it? Please describe a little more. Thank you!
@@gablan1468 after the insulation and heat reflector installment, where in the given video you installed wood paneling, there would have to be what we call here a distance wood, for ceiling and walls Its about 21x45 wood which length varies by need, idea is they leave a gap between the heat reflection and wood paneling for the air to circulate. Between ceiling and wall i leave a gap the thickness of the builders pencil and between wall to wall connection there are two options. One, to match the wood paneling connection point, the thinner lines , helps air to circulate or leave a gap same as ceiling to wall. Wall from the bottom beed to have a slightly bigger gap. Hope this made any sense.
I am planing to build my sauna. I have building skills for building house, but sauna is a little bit different. Thumbs up for effort to share the information :) I also wanted to add that when you do paneling inside, you must do an extra framing on the top of aluminium layer, and you leave also the gap at the bottom, so the moisture which traps behind the panel could be dried out and there would be no mold. Speaking about what type of panels are good to use, i just can tell that pine and fir is not good to use, because it has resins which can start dripping when sauna is heated..
Agree...this is the first seriously informative video! Great stuff, with great comments for consideration for improvements. Am I the only one who has questions about the outdoor shower? I am in Canada and would like to know if the "shower" is able to be used in all seasons? If so, what is the freezing protection?
Outdoor shower: I have it set-up that I pressurize the outside pipes only when I enter the sauna, then as you go through the cycles, the water moves every 20 minutes or so as you are taking the showers, so it doesn't freeze. And when you are done with the whole sauna cycle you need to have an easy way to drain the system, in my case an easily accessible valve in the lowest part of the piping, which drains the pipes as well as the body of the shower. It's a bit labour intensive, but I don't think there's any other possible way, shy of heated pipes.
Most use the Tongue and groove because it helps with the moisture barrier to you insulation. Also it is generally made from cedar, since cedar is rich in natural oils that help it with the varying temperature and moisture. I am curious why you chose a pipe for the ventilation rather than just a hole in the upper portion. I would thing a hole would work better because as the hot air rises it will escape but did you choose the pipe to act as a baffle and slow the exhaust?
I think this ventilation system (especially the exhaust) is an excellent idea. Since the pipe is also inside the insulation, the air inside the pipe also becomes warmer and rises to be exhausted. Exhaust air is then sucked in from the bottom of the pipe. Yes, that's a chimney. I think this is an efficient way to do the whole air cycle. Just my opinion.
Mám ešte jednu otázku ohľadom vetrania. Odvod vzduchu si riešil rutou s kolenami ,čiže taký komín. Pri prevádzke nevzniká kondenz a nesteka ti to do sauny ? Diky
Vzniká a stéká, chce to vyřešit nějak lépe než to mám já, asi ten vývod nějak lépe zakončit. Třeba ten konec ohnout směrem dolů, aby to skapávalo někam kde to nevadí.
@@MarekVacek presne toho som sa obaval. Vyvod to nevyrieši. Samotné vyspadovanie vyduchu za kolenom by malo zmysel len vtedy keby to bolo napriamo int-ext. Keďže je spravený komín tak kondenz podľa mňa vzniká ešte pred výduchom. Je tam veľký rozdiel teplôt . Asi to chce spraviť odvod kondenzu v spodnom kolene a vyspadovat z interiéru smerom do odvodu kondenzátu. Tak to majú riešené aj komíny. Je zaujímavé že nikde som to nevidel že by to niekto riešil
Thanx! Finishing mine now and you gave me some good ideas. Mine is 6.5’ x 7.5’ x 7’(tall), wood heated, American Western Red Cedar interior...should be done in few weeks can’t wait!
My dilemma is the following: the place where I'm building the sauna has dimensions of 2,5m x 2,00 m x 2,5m (W:L:H), which gives a total of 12,5 square meters. Since I have a single phase electric system, the maximum I could probably go for the electric heater is 6kW. Most websites claim that a 6kW heater is good for up to 8-9 sq.m. I could also go for a more powerful heater (8kW or 9kW), but then I'll have to install a three phase system and that costs more than 500 EUR, so I wonder if it's worth it. In the end, with a 6kW it will just take a little longer to heat up the place, but it should be OK, right? I'll make sure to apply at least 5cm of insulation on every wall plus the ceiling. What is your personal opinion about this, Marek? I'm curios to hear. Thank you in advance!
@@gablan1468 If you can run 6kW on single phase (is this dedicated cable only for this and thick enough? 6 kW for single phase seems on the higher limit for normal wiring at home), than the only downside is heat up time. If you have the sauna outside, so it starts at some minus celsius, that also adds some start up time (opposite of having the sauna inside the house). My guess is you could be looking at something like 70-80mins, 0°C to 80°C, while using the 6kW (it's a wild guess though). All that said €500 isn't all that much money, considering the other costs and having the thing ready quickly ready when your wife or friends suggest "let's go to sauna" is pretty nice feature.
I don't know what you mean. If its the plastic box above the heater on the wall, that is a temperature sensor of the control unit that regulates the heater.
So I have no mechanical fan it works only by draft by "chimney" effect in the exhaust. However I since came across this detailed article, that sort of disputes this and suggests other way www.saunatimes.com/building-a-sauna/sauna-venting-everyone-has-an-opinion/
Dobrý den, tak to mám radost. Ceny: - Kamna + kameny + ovládací jednotka 35 000 - Dřevo Finský smrk kartáčovaný thermowood na obklad 22 000 - Dřevo Olše na lavice 9 000 - Vše ostatní cca 20 000 ...ale ceny to jsou z roku 2018, takže všechno už bude trochu jinde. Nakoupil jsem to vše v Brně u finskesauny.cz
Thank you for your building sauna quide video. Can I ask about ventilation pipe? What diameter was 6--7cm and is always open (grid protecred)? I have a ~5,5cm diameter vacuum cleaner pipe, it will be ok? After 2 years of using your sauna it is enaugh for ventilation? Did you make a ventilation hole in the top of sauna? It would help me a lot if you could answer, I'm in construction right now, ~same dimensions with 9kw heater, thanks.
I have an existing 1-person FIR sauna (radiant health e1h), and would like to remove the glass door (65"H x 24"W) and position a Red-Led panel in it's place (36"Hx12"W). Mounting the panel on a movable tv stand is not a problem, but once I wheel it into position, I don't want any gaps between the panel and the door-jamb. I understand the existing "Serious-Window" glass door is triple-plane (R6?), but I was thinking I could mount some insulating material (spaceloft-aerogel , XPS, HempWool, etc) around the panel? Since it's such a small area , the cost of the insulating material is not a concern, nor it being fire-retardant. The only concern would be breathing right next to it. Any suggestions on mounting or what I can do around the panel to insulate it?
Dobry den Marku. Krasna prace. Zminujete doporuceni od Harvie jak na ventilaci. Nemate nekde link na plany? Nejak porad nechapu, jak muze fungovat ta trubka v urovni stehen. Prece vzduch od stropu musi vychladnout aby klesnul, ale jak se pak vytlaci tento studenejs vzduchi nahoru tou trubkou a pryc? Mate taky dalsi otvor nekde u stropu,? A jeste se zeptam, musi byt ty otvory primo na proti kamnum, nebo mohou byt i na bocnich stenach? Dekuji moc. Jakub
Soooo, this a bit tricky one to answer: LED strips are designed to run up to about 60°C (140F). On the internet people will argue that they become damaged over 100°C (210F). So, if you go by the manual, they are surely to fail, right? Now, that we have this out of the way I will tell you this: I run a regular RGBW LED strip in a chunky aluminium profile and it's fine (more than 4 years now). I spoke to professional sauna installers and they told me they run basic LED strips in commercial saunas and they are fine as well. The special IP68 or whatever high temp strips are just not worth the hassle or the cost. If the LEDs fail somewhere down the line, it will be cheaper to replace than the special ones.
I am thinking of building avsauna as well, but in nature with wood heated stove. Is the isolation really needed? And wont the aluminium layer cause the moist condensation in the wood? I've heard Finns say the crappier (more holes, slits etc), the better.
Marku pecka. Jediné co mi tam chybí je ochrana před topením aby se saunující nepopálili, jinak ti fandim. Rovněž musím říct, že si asi měl investovat do toho okna s rámem 🙂 Nestojí to za tu práci 🙂
Prepáčte za to ja si dovolím povedať že takto zapracované okno vyzerá ďaleko lepšie ako kúpiť hotové okno s rámom … aj keď áno je to pracnejsie … a nie vždy može vyhovovať rozmer. Sklo si dáte vyrobiť viac menej všade.
Very nice job and helpful video. Elsewhere people have mentioned to batten the walls after foil and before the cladding. What are people thoughts. Also I am building in a steel framed shed which I will frame in timber. People say don’t use steel, is that because of expansion? Anyone had issues. Thanks
As for the batting, yep here people here in the comments have mentioned it too. It ventilates the cladding from the back. Although I don't have problems with moisture on the cladding 3 years in, so it may not be 'strictly' necessarry. As for the steel, I really don't have enough knowledge to answer this one. But I've been told once by a professional once is that if you made a porch/patio by screwing wood into steel frame, the difference in thermal expansion on a hot day will sheer off the screws. I guess that could be issue here as well (but maybe not, I don't know really).
Great job! None of the saunas I’ve built have been nearly this nice. I build my own heaters and use recycled wood milled from untreated utility poles and fence material for sheeting. Thank you for posting your build.
Top man! Great video & all explained in detai. Will start my sauna project this summer.. can't wait. Many thanks for all the effort Marek, Many regards from Woking,England
You haven't made any gap between foil and wall panels ? I'm thinking about not leaving any space on two walls because I'm struggling to make my sauna big enough.
After watching a bunch of sauna builds this is by far the most informative and the easiest watch of them all
Yes I was just going to say this! This video is most helpful and detailed
Just replaced my sauna’s paneling and the boards last weekend. My sauna is small as it is in a Finnish duplex at only 1,5 m by 1,5 m, but I would add a few things for someone else building their sauna:
-Remember to add wood on top of the aluminium foil. That way you create a space between the aluminium and the paneling so it can dry from behind the paneling.
-Use the same parafin oil as used on the boards for the paneling to extend their life. As an option, if you don’t want to deepen the colour or want the color to be something else, there is this Supi Saunavaha (saunawax) from Tikkurila that is sold in a few colors and can be dyed to many other, atleast in Finland. I used saunawax on the paneling and parafin oil on the boards to create a nice color change.
- I noticed that the top boards had a quite high difference to the bottom boards. In Finland, we use 40 cm from the top boards to bottom boards as a guide so people of many heights can go to sauna comfortably.
Great video, nevertheless. I enjoyed it and it is very comprehensive. I’m sure there isn’t so much information about sauna building outside of Finland and in other languages so you did well. Have a great day and hyviä löylyjä!
Exactly what I was thinking on the first point. You need to add wood planks on top foil before covering with panels. That adds a gap between foil and panels for air to vent out all the moisture.
Cedar panels or other rot resistant wood could probably hold it up as is, but adding ventilation there would increase the longevity of panels by a factor!
I was crying… it is magnificent.. I dream of having a sauna . How lucky a family to have you care for their health. So so proud of your achievements, your family must be so proud.
I've been a builder for many years and have seen quite a fair bit of sheds. The plans in ryan's package th-cam.com/users/postUgkxB7IXYxLzb_Ichhe45zM3Im5xfEiSp9vB have some of the nicest looking sheds i've seen in a while.
First off, great instructions and explanations. Thank you Marek. Second, you get additional point for your comm skills! English is not your birth language (guessing) but your comm was very clear ... extra points for using the work "doo-hickey". Lastly, after viewing dozens of tutorials on youtube about constructing saunas, you were the ONLY person who included details about how big a sauna you were building. Critical info. Well done Marek. Mine will be 8x6 and bench construction was very informative. Cheers.
Thank you for your kind words.
Great video! I learned a lot and it was really well done. One thing I notice about non-native English speakers is that they're generally hyper critical of their English when they in fact have perfect English but make small mistakes that don't take anything away from what they're trying to say. Most native English speakers don't speak a different language fluently so you're already better than us in that aspect lol
Indeed was perfectly understood his golden doohicky great video
Very clear and includes all of the numbers that I need
Awesome video. Most common sense build on TH-cam. Thank you.
In Finnish saunas the exhaust for humid air is always either in the ceiling or high up on the wall. This is because hot air rises up, and air circulates better. Intake is usually made by leaving door with 10cm space underneath it. No need for holes in the wall and vents.
That is probably the easy way to go construction-wise, but Harvia (traditional Finnish manufacturer) recommends to do a "chimney style" type exhaust, exactly like you see in the video.
Also a 10cm gap under the door is WAY too much, maybe more like 1cm. But making the air intake behind or under the heater is superior solution.
@@MarekVacek 10cm is not too much, very common in Finland
@@serveri69hi, just wondering is there ever any vermin problems(mice) with a 10cm gap at the bottom on outdoor saunas?
@@Ronny.81 Well usually there is 1 door and little dressing room before actual sauna door. If its build like in this video there is wooden door with no gaps and ventilation is done differently.
@@serveri69 ok thanks 👍
Thank you very much for the very good information and the relaxed way of lecturing. I will incorporate the info into my sauna construction. You have a very good English pronunciation
I have been doing my homework to build a sauna at home and I must say you are the first to mention having ventilation . I also like the clips for the tongue and groove boards . Very nice build , thank you for sharing .
I have watched a bunch of these videos, and yours is by far the most informative and clear to understand. This is especially true when you talk about vents. No one else I've seen has clearly explained the vents. There is some mention elsewhere about a "vent above the heater" which you do not mention, and which I can not find a reason for.
Best video on self build sauna. Enjoyable watch, and very nice design. I’m planning on converting an underground air ride shelter for mine. If it comes out anywhere near as nice as this I’ll be happy. I’ll take my time and plan on doing a good job. Thank you for the tips.
The sauna came out beautifully. That would be a dream come true if I had that. Great video 👍🏼
Been watching alot of sauna heater videos and this is so informative 👏🏽 congratulations sir.
Very clear and detailed, thanks for making this video!😊
A really excellent resource for building a sauna,thank you
You telling how to do this better than others video I have seen 😊
Agree with other comments so easy to watch and what a great build. Well done
Great video very clear and informative. The overkill on insulation is amazing 👏
The ceiling rockwool was so thick and sexy....wow!
Very well explained. Thank you for taking the time. Great job - enjoy the sauna.
Great video with heaps of important tips! Thanks for taking the time to make it!
Thanks for this video. I’m planning a sauna build, and your experience is helpful. I especially appreciate your willingness to use English. You are doing well with the language.
Thank you!
If you need to increase the flow of air, you can consider bypassing the exhaust tube that is down behind the benches and just punch a hole up in the wall straight to the current exhaust hole going out through the wall. But if the ventilation is working currently, no need. Good-looking sauna.
Hi Marek
Thanks for posting this video
I am building a sauna here in Western Australia and followed most of your tips
If you're ever down here let me know and I'll buy you a beer
Great to hear that, glad it was helpful.
parádní, informativní video, ukládám, bude se hodit na naše plány, díky moc :)
Top notch! That is a beautiful sauna and I love the siding. Thanks for sharing some great tips!!
Also, I forgot. A tip for nailing tongue and groove is to work with the tongue side open. Then you nail in the top of the tongue angling back towards the board. Then when you slip the next groove over, it's like it's pre nailed on that edge and you only need to nail the tongue again. And you can get away without clips. Unless the moisture in a sauna is the reasoning behind them, I'm not sure
perfect instructions, and please what about insulation of floor ? now im starting with buíding sauna outside in the garden, we are staring with base from concrete and i do not know if insulate it under concrete.
Mine floor isn't insulated, and it doesn't cause any problems. If it's in the garden, the floor will stay cool either way, heat rises up, so most important is insulation of ceiling and walls. More importantly put some water barier on the concrete (I used painted-on hydroinsulation), so the wood doesn't get wet from the bottom, that is more pressing concern.
hi folks…btw very nice project Martin. I would strongly suggest to insulate floor base as well similiar way as other walls.
It is pretty large thermal bridge and i believe that during cold winter times it helps remarkably to speed up heating time and save cost as well. Simply in this case we are cooling down already heated air. Considering entire budget it will be worth of investing few more euro in to the insulation of a floorbase.
A este raz Martine pekna prace a vdaka za zdielanie videa! ja viem, ze kazdi je mudry po boji 😉Tolko len moj pohlad na vec. Uzivaj saunu.
It’s beautiful! You did an amazing job on your build!
I can't really fault the build or its quality, loved english terms pronounced by a non english man doohicky golden lol beautiful job sir👌
I really wish Finland was open so I can go back and purchase a Finnish heater and wood for my sauna. Traveled there in 2018, beautiful country. Btw-Good video
Why Is wood cheaper in finland or something. ?
Ahoj, díky za video. Zrovna řeším rozměrově velmi podobnou saunu a celkově hodně obdobné řešení, tak jsem rád, že jsem narazil na tohle video. Pokud se můžu zeptat, dostane se teplota v sauně s těmito kamny na cca 100 stupňů? Zvažuji, jaké použít dveře, zda takové celosklo, nebo nebo dřevěné s izolací a dvojsklem. Zvažoval bys nyní jiné dveře, nebo jsi s těmito spokojený? Jak po těch letech vypadají palubky za kamny? Furt dumám nad nějakou akumulační ochrannou stěnou, ale je fakt, že já chci použít kamna na zeď, tak nevím, jestli se dá srovnávat. Předem díky a měj se. Robert
Did you put any other weather barrier / wrapping on the outside? Or just that exterior wood over the foil barrier? I saw you put the foil barrier on inside and outside. I will have enough left over to do that as well. You just put the exterior siding/wood over that?
If you have the sauna outside as I do. You need to protect it from outside only from rainwater. So any foil, that stops water that get's through your siding from reaching your insulation, is good enough.
THANK YOU@@MarekVacek Yes, free standing outdoor sauna. I hadn't thought of just doing another layer with the foil, since I have double what I need that should work out well. Appreciate the response.
Best details so far👍👌
Really nice build! You really know what you are talking about! There is just a couple of things I would do differently. First, i think the benches are a litte overworked as you also stated. And the planks you mounted under the bench as a cover is preventing air to pass to your air outlet when it's placed under the bench. If you go with that bench design I would definetly have the outlet near the ceiling or I would keep the benches wall mounted without front covers.
The exact build I needed to see….beautiful…..
Thank you for this very nice explanation video. I watched it a lot of times when building my own sauna. It's almost finished now. The attached drawings are also very helpfull. Great job!
Glad it was helpfull.
Awesome job. 👌 with your insulation you could probably be inside in freezing temperatures and light a candle and keep warm.
Totally amazing..thanks so much for all the helpful info 😊
Cheers from Australia!!
Nice looking sauna but a miss is no floor drain. Use a bit of water when taking a sauna and after a good clean. Almost impossible without a drain.
Genuinely appreciated this video. Many thanks. Have you considered filling the space below the benches in order to reduce the size in cubic meters for quicker heating?
I'm glad it helped. I guess you could fill in the benches, but I think the benefits are not worth the effort.
This is by far the best sauna build video on YT
Thank you, glad you liked it.
Great job. Amazing attention to detail. Congratulations and thanks for sharing
Well done! I’m impressed with the quality while using simple tools.
@marek i could not clearly see how do you solve the outflow air opening with the foil
after you cover it do you leave an opening ?
I just made a cross cut in the foil, folded it inside of the pipe, and secure it around with the aluminium sticky tape. Nothing fancy. You can see the result between 11:36-11:37 of the video.
The opening was then left as is.
Great video. Well explained and thorough.
Amazing. My wife and I are planning to build one in our backyard with a 9kW heater... did you run a dedicated 240 volt electrical line to your heater? The electrical stuff is where we are the least knowledgeable.
- I'm not good with electrics and had it done by a professional.
- I ran a dedicated line from my breaker box to the heater. In my case this was an easy enough to do. And also had enough space for the extra breakers (otherwise you'd have to add extra breaker box).
- My heater is on a "three-phase" connection, where I live it's a common thing to have it hooked up in a house. I know it's not so common in US for instance.
Either way talk to a professional and he'll tell you if your current wiring can take it or not. You may not need the extra line necessarilly. Maybe just a higher amperage breaker. It all boils down to the thickness of the cable already installed.
Extra tip: if you're doing outdoor installation be weary of fancy heater controll units with LCD displays. They're not designed to take the freezing temps and will go after a couple of years. Get an simple analog unit which is much more resilient to frosty temperatures.
@@MarekVacek thank you for your response! We live in Minnesota, USA, and it's normal in the winter to hit -40C. That tip was really helpful because we were planning on touch screen controls. I got a quote from an electrician that they would charge $6000usd, which is far too much, so I wanted to see what it would take for us to do it and only have the electrician inspect and connect it to the box.
Sure thing, ask the electrician what cable to run, run it yourself and then just have him connect it.
As the control units go, basically all that I could find were marked as "indoor only", so your best bet is getting the simplest one and hope that it will take the condensation from freezing/thawing cycles. I was warned about this from a professional installer, who told me the digital units usually go bad after 2 or 3 winters.
@iantimberlake Some generic things to watch out for in your build. Your outdoor project means you'll be running wiring through your yard.
A) you'll need conduit. A large PVC pipe should work. I think you need the gray stuff, rated for burial. Sink it below the "frost line."
B) Yes, you'll be running several large gauge cables underground. Don't make the mistake of running romex wire inside the conduit. Run separate wires. Romex in conduit causes heat issues that degrade the wire's insulation.
I'm not an expert, so don't rely on my advice. Consult an expert and ask him about these issues. Good luck!
Excellent craftsmanship. Thank you for sharing. 🙏
Very well done with a lot of practical information! Thank you!
Well done. Greetings from Down Under!
Your wood was any of it treated such as your structural wood for door frame and bench. Just that I've heard you can't use treated wood.
Great video, I notice you seem to have put another layer of alu foil on the outside of the rock wool insulation. Any concern this will not allow the wall to breathe trapping moisture causing wood to rot ?
Great job my friend 👍
Very informative and inspiring video Marek. You did nice job👍
Terrific video, thanks! Your English is fantastic, but I was still not expecting "doohicky" to come out of your mouth. That's some advanced slang.
😀When your vocabulary is lacking than a lot of things are "doohicky"
Super práce 👏 ! A dobré ''pracovní'' boty 😁😁😁 Scarpa Zen 👍
Na horách se ošlapaly, tak teď už jsou jen k míchačce na chalupu 😀
Hi, thank you for a great video! Makes us almost brave enough to build one ourselves 🙈 what was the estimated total cost?
I would agree. Super detailed video !
Zdravím. Moc hezké video. Mám dotaz ohledně sprchy. Jak řešíš zamrzani vody v zimě?
Zdravím, napustím to, za ty 2 hodiny saunovani to nestihne zmrznout a pak to zase vypustim. Nebudu lhát, pohodlné to není, ale jinak to bohužel nejde.
Díky. @@MarekVacek
Great video mate, well made!
Appreciate your efforts, got heaps out of it.
je to svetlo takhle dostacujici kdyz je venku tma? jinak moc pekny!
Good job man thanks for the info! You did great my g 🙏🏼💪🏼
I'm in Louisiana I'm building my sauna with all types of wood . Pine frame Cypress and cedar for the inside with cherry wood trim. Black River stones on the concrete floor and I'm rigging up pipe for steam coming out the stones on the ground. I'm definitely buying a heater from Finland. Good thing for me I live in a logging town wood is everywhere old new Orleans house wood . I find alot of it in dumpsters by construction and demolition sites. Thanks for the inspiration any heater brand you recommend besides the one you have?
Cheers to New Orleans. As the heater brands go, it's a lot about what is most available in your area and here (Czech Republic) most common are:
Harvia - from Finland
EOS - from Germany
Sentiotec - from Austria (actualy a subdivision of Harvia)
But I think the heater brand is not that crucial. As with everything: see some online reviews of your particular model, check it out somewhere in person to see if you trust the build quality and then you can go with any brand.
@@MarekVacek thanks for the advice and again great sauna build. I'll post a pic once it's completely finished.
Very nice job but thing that i should do different is that between inside paneling and aluminium foil there should be a gap of some kind for the air to go move behind the paneling, otherwise the aluminium keeps the moist and it gets stuck to the paneling from the inside.
Then there is a gap at the bottom and where the wall and ceiling meet to make air circulation possible. Same with ceiling panels. Sauna looks awesome though
You're second person writing this, so that may be the case. The sauna is 3 years now and the panneling doesn't show any degrading, but maybe that will show later.
Cheers
@@MarekVacek for future investigation, if there should show any degrading then you know why. Other than that looks awesome, keep it up
@@1Ron5mith yes, and screwing the paneling into the battens minimizes holes on the vapour barrier. when you screw the paneling through the aluminum you make holes that let humid air travel into the walls. it is also good to use the battens to hang the foil, or at least tape over all of the staples, they are also holes in the vapour barrier. looks really good though
Can you guys please elaborate more on the gap on the bottom and where the wall and the ceiling meet? Also for the ceiling panels? I'm not sure if I'm understanding this, but I feel it will be quite important not to skip this step. How exactly do you do it? Please describe a little more. Thank you!
@@gablan1468 after the insulation and heat reflector installment, where in the given video you installed wood paneling, there would have to be what we call here a distance wood, for ceiling and walls
Its about 21x45 wood which length varies by need, idea is they leave a gap between the heat reflection and wood paneling for the air to circulate.
Between ceiling and wall i leave a gap the thickness of the builders pencil and between wall to wall connection there are two options.
One, to match the wood paneling connection point, the thinner lines , helps air to circulate or leave a gap same as ceiling to wall.
Wall from the bottom beed to have a slightly bigger gap.
Hope this made any sense.
I am planing to build my sauna. I have building skills for building house, but sauna is a little bit different. Thumbs up for effort to share the information :) I also wanted to add that when you do paneling inside, you must do an extra framing on the top of aluminium layer, and you leave also the gap at the bottom, so the moisture which traps behind the panel could be dried out and there would be no mold. Speaking about what type of panels are good to use, i just can tell that pine and fir is not good to use, because it has resins which can start dripping when sauna is heated..
Agree...this is the first seriously informative video! Great stuff, with great comments for consideration for improvements. Am I the only one who has questions about the outdoor shower? I am in Canada and would like to know if the "shower" is able to be used in all seasons? If so, what is the freezing protection?
Outdoor shower:
I have it set-up that I pressurize the outside pipes only when I enter the sauna, then as you go through the cycles, the water moves every 20 minutes or so as you are taking the showers, so it doesn't freeze. And when you are done with the whole sauna cycle you need to have an easy way to drain the system, in my case an easily accessible valve in the lowest part of the piping, which drains the pipes as well as the body of the shower.
It's a bit labour intensive, but I don't think there's any other possible way, shy of heated pipes.
How to cover the bottom gap so that the foil is not visible?
Nice vid! What is the name of the product used to protect the benches?
I use a local generic paraffin oil. Just search for a paraffin oil for lamps and buy that, it's the same stuff. Like this one amzn.to/40TOkCJ
@@MarekVacek Great! Thank you 😊
Most use the Tongue and groove because it helps with the moisture barrier to you insulation. Also it is generally made from cedar, since cedar is rich in natural oils that help it with the varying temperature and moisture. I am curious why you chose a pipe for the ventilation rather than just a hole in the upper portion. I would thing a hole would work better because as the hot air rises it will escape but did you choose the pipe to act as a baffle and slow the exhaust?
I think this ventilation system (especially the exhaust) is an excellent idea. Since the pipe is also inside the insulation, the air inside the pipe also becomes warmer and rises to be exhausted. Exhaust air is then sucked in from the bottom of the pipe. Yes, that's a chimney. I think this is an efficient way to do the whole air cycle. Just my opinion.
This is absolutely beautiful
great work!
Wow! Thanks for the great video! I learned a lot!
Amazing work 😊😊
Mám ešte jednu otázku ohľadom vetrania. Odvod vzduchu si riešil rutou s kolenami ,čiže taký komín. Pri prevádzke nevzniká kondenz a nesteka ti to do sauny ? Diky
Vzniká a stéká, chce to vyřešit nějak lépe než to mám já, asi ten vývod nějak lépe zakončit. Třeba ten konec ohnout směrem dolů, aby to skapávalo někam kde to nevadí.
@@MarekVacek presne toho som sa obaval. Vyvod to nevyrieši. Samotné vyspadovanie vyduchu za kolenom by malo zmysel len vtedy keby to bolo napriamo int-ext. Keďže je spravený komín tak kondenz podľa mňa vzniká ešte pred výduchom. Je tam veľký rozdiel teplôt . Asi to chce spraviť odvod kondenzu v spodnom kolene a vyspadovat z interiéru smerom do odvodu kondenzátu. Tak to majú riešené aj komíny. Je zaujímavé že nikde som to nevidel že by to niekto riešil
Thanx! Finishing mine now and you gave me some good ideas. Mine is 6.5’ x 7.5’ x 7’(tall), wood heated, American Western Red Cedar interior...should be done in few weeks can’t wait!
Glad to be of service. If you get any questions during the process, let me know, I'll try to answer what I can.
My dilemma is the following: the place where I'm building the sauna has dimensions of 2,5m x 2,00 m x 2,5m (W:L:H), which gives a total of 12,5 square meters. Since I have a single phase electric system, the maximum I could probably go for the electric heater is 6kW. Most websites claim that a 6kW heater is good for up to 8-9 sq.m. I could also go for a more powerful heater (8kW or 9kW), but then I'll have to install a three phase system and that costs more than 500 EUR, so I wonder if it's worth it. In the end, with a 6kW it will just take a little longer to heat up the place, but it should be OK, right? I'll make sure to apply at least 5cm of insulation on every wall plus the ceiling. What is your personal opinion about this, Marek? I'm curios to hear. Thank you in advance!
@@gablan1468 If you can run 6kW on single phase (is this dedicated cable only for this and thick enough? 6 kW for single phase seems on the higher limit for normal wiring at home), than the only downside is heat up time.
If you have the sauna outside, so it starts at some minus celsius, that also adds some start up time (opposite of having the sauna inside the house).
My guess is you could be looking at something like 70-80mins, 0°C to 80°C, while using the 6kW (it's a wild guess though).
All that said €500 isn't all that much money, considering the other costs and having the thing ready quickly ready when your wife or friends suggest "let's go to sauna" is pretty nice feature.
Love it, what are those white plastic things in the wall?? When your explaining the heater I see three 😅
I don't know what you mean. If its the plastic box above the heater on the wall, that is a temperature sensor of the control unit that regulates the heater.
Can you share more about ventilation? Did you use a mechanical intake or exhaust? Or just a normal vent?
So I have no mechanical fan it works only by draft by "chimney" effect in the exhaust. However I since came across this detailed article, that sort of disputes this and suggests other way www.saunatimes.com/building-a-sauna/sauna-venting-everyone-has-an-opinion/
last shot is awesome
Thanks
Beautiful! Just beautiful!
Parádní práce. Velká inspirace. Moc se mi Vaše video líbilo. Děkuji za to. Jen pro představu, můžete alespoň zhruba nastínit náklady na materiál?
Dobrý den, tak to mám radost. Ceny:
- Kamna + kameny + ovládací jednotka 35 000
- Dřevo Finský smrk kartáčovaný thermowood na obklad 22 000
- Dřevo Olše na lavice 9 000
- Vše ostatní cca 20 000
...ale ceny to jsou z roku 2018, takže všechno už bude trochu jinde. Nakoupil jsem to vše v Brně u finskesauny.cz
Moc díky. Pořád mi to přijde jiná úroveň než za 80k sauna z PL.
Thank you for your building sauna quide video. Can I ask about ventilation pipe? What diameter was 6--7cm and is always open (grid protecred)? I have a ~5,5cm diameter vacuum cleaner pipe, it will be ok? After 2 years of using your sauna it is enaugh for ventilation? Did you make a ventilation hole in the top of sauna? It would help me a lot if you could answer, I'm in construction right now, ~same dimensions with 9kw heater, thanks.
I have an existing 1-person FIR sauna (radiant health e1h), and would like to remove the glass door (65"H x 24"W) and position a Red-Led panel in it's place (36"Hx12"W). Mounting the panel on a movable tv stand is not a problem, but once I wheel it into position, I don't want any gaps between the panel and the door-jamb.
I understand the existing "Serious-Window" glass door is triple-plane (R6?), but I was thinking I could mount some insulating material (spaceloft-aerogel , XPS, HempWool, etc) around the panel? Since it's such a small area , the cost of the insulating material is not a concern, nor it being fire-retardant. The only concern would be breathing right next to it.
Any suggestions on mounting or what I can do around the panel to insulate it?
Excellent Video! Well done.
Dobry den Marku. Krasna prace. Zminujete doporuceni od Harvie jak na ventilaci. Nemate nekde link na plany? Nejak porad nechapu, jak muze fungovat ta trubka v urovni stehen. Prece vzduch od stropu musi vychladnout aby klesnul, ale jak se pak vytlaci tento studenejs vzduchi nahoru tou trubkou a pryc? Mate taky dalsi otvor nekde u stropu,? A jeste se zeptam, musi byt ty otvory primo na proti kamnum, nebo mohou byt i na bocnich stenach? Dekuji moc. Jakub
Hi Marek. Great video. Question about led stripes you used - any specific kind? Waterproof? Covered with silicone? Thanks in advance for your answer.
Soooo, this a bit tricky one to answer:
LED strips are designed to run up to about 60°C (140F). On the internet people will argue that they become damaged over 100°C (210F). So, if you go by the manual, they are surely to fail, right?
Now, that we have this out of the way I will tell you this:
I run a regular RGBW LED strip in a chunky aluminium profile and it's fine (more than 4 years now). I spoke to professional sauna installers and they told me they run basic LED strips in commercial saunas and they are fine as well.
The special IP68 or whatever high temp strips are just not worth the hassle or the cost. If the LEDs fail somewhere down the line, it will be cheaper to replace than the special ones.
@@MarekVacek my idea exactly. Thank you.
Really excellent. Thanks.
I am thinking of building avsauna as well, but in nature with wood heated stove.
Is the isolation really needed? And wont the aluminium layer cause the moist condensation in the wood?
I've heard Finns say the crappier (more holes, slits etc), the better.
Awesome Work👍🏻
great video, thanks for sharing your knowledge..
thats a nice sauna, congratulations !!!!!!!!!
Nice job Marek. Could you please send a link for Heater. Thanks
Sure, it's Harvia Kivi PI90E 9kW version www.harvia.com/en/products/HPIE900400
Marku pecka. Jediné co mi tam chybí je ochrana před topením aby se saunující nepopálili, jinak ti fandim. Rovněž musím říct, že si asi měl investovat do toho okna s rámem 🙂 Nestojí to za tu práci 🙂
Prepáčte za to ja si dovolím povedať že takto zapracované okno vyzerá ďaleko lepšie ako kúpiť hotové okno s rámom … aj keď áno je to pracnejsie … a nie vždy može vyhovovať rozmer. Sklo si dáte vyrobiť viac menej všade.
Very nice job and helpful video. Elsewhere people have mentioned to batten the walls after foil and before the cladding. What are people thoughts. Also I am building in a steel framed shed which I will frame in timber. People say don’t use steel, is that because of expansion? Anyone had issues. Thanks
As for the batting, yep here people here in the comments have mentioned it too. It ventilates the cladding from the back. Although I don't have problems with moisture on the cladding 3 years in, so it may not be 'strictly' necessarry.
As for the steel, I really don't have enough knowledge to answer this one. But I've been told once by a professional once is that if you made a porch/patio by screwing wood into steel frame, the difference in thermal expansion on a hot day will sheer off the screws. I guess that could be issue here as well (but maybe not, I don't know really).
Great job! None of the saunas I’ve built have been nearly this nice. I build my own heaters and use recycled wood milled from untreated utility poles and fence material for sheeting. Thank you for posting your build.
:-D I can relate.
Awesome sauna, great job.
Top man! Great video & all explained in detai. Will start my sauna project this summer.. can't wait. Many thanks for all the effort Marek, Many regards from Woking,England
hodně dobře Marku...Až budu stavět, tak podle Vás...
Great video, thank you for the upload. What brand foil did you use, or what temperature is it rated for
Brand is Harvia (Finland). No temperature rating is written on it.
@MarekVacek really great vid. Thanks
Thank you very much for this project!
You haven't made any gap between foil and wall panels ? I'm thinking about not leaving any space on two walls because I'm struggling to make my sauna big enough.
Great video, thanks for taking the time to record it and share it with everyone, great job, thank you, from Fontana California