Building a backyard sauna 

As a few Finns have already commented, some improvements should be made to get a really good sauna experience, and the most important of them is improving the ventilation. A small ventilation hole in the wall is not enough. You have to make sure that air also gets on top of the stove and in the sauna room under the door. You also have to make sure that the air can escape both during the sauna and also after the sauna. Even if you don't wash you in the sauna, the steam bath moisturizes all surfaces and they become moldy if they don't dry properly. There are more saunas in Finland than cars, and we have a thousand years of experience in how to build a good sauna. It is worth learning online what is required for a good sauna.

As a Finnish guy i am i spotted few things you might want to change, first the benches, we make them removable so they are easier to clean, also make tiny gap between wall and the bracket that holds the bench that way the wall does not trap moisture too much and the wall does not start to rotten over time. Second important is fresh air ventile, even it is sauna you will want that. Helps drying the sauna too after use too. 🙂

I just use my attic as a sauna.

Well done Good to see someone building from scratch using bits and pieces and making a great job without spending unnecessarily

Brilliant video! Will be taking more than a few pointers from this build, thanks for taking the time to put it together 🤙

Oh wow! Thats one beautiful sauna! 👍😎🇨🇦🌲🔥❄

Beautiful build, John! I love that you used old materials to build the sauna. I am looking to do something along these lines and seeing how it turned out in your video gave me further hope.

Great video! Love to see projects to come!

Very nice!. Congratulations. As a Finn I appreciate that you have the good sence to throw WATER on the stove. This, to my amazement, is not understood to all sauna builders here on YT.

Congratulations. Having tackled numerous diy projects myself I can see the time and dedication that has gone into this. If it was me it would easily have sucked up 6 months of free evenings and weekends. Great video production also. I've just subscribed.

Great build, what I learned coming from Europe, saunas can be made our of any scrap wood. I personally liked the fresh saw mill look. I turned my shed into a sauna as well. Can't wait for summer to end. Been collecting wood from all over.

I enjoyed seeing your home grown build. It was nice to see you include your Son. The reclaiming of the wood to repurpose was really neat. You preserved the history and knowing that at some moment back in time, kids carved into the cedar whatever made sense to them at that moment in time. The wood burning stove really adds the charm. Low voltage lighting set up was smart. Enjoy your creation and time spent, My Friend.

I’ve watched SO MANY videos about building a sauna. Yours is the BEST in terms of SIMPLICITY of building a sauna, and most importantly, making the sauna floor. I came to your video through the link in Morrison Stove Company. I’m looking into buying one of their stoves.

Really enjoyed this!

the character on those siding boards is incredible, can't find wood like that anymore!

I am watching this for the vicarious sauna experience. That looks soooo relaxing. God, I need a schvitz.

115 subscribers? 10k in no time. thank you for this awesome wholesome video + explanations on costs and materials. looking forward to following your journey!

Love it. I've been thinking about making one very similar in size and style in my own back yard. Thanks for the inspiration😊

amzing build. I'd deffo be taking inspiration for my upcoming sauna build.

Great job. Love the combination of the building and the reclaimed materials

Thats a great build 👍👍

Beautiful job

Cool Project, everyone needs a sauna :-)

Well done!

Well done, thanks for sharing

great work, i'll be building one soon too.

To go straight up through the roof, you can get pre-made roof flashing outlets for stovepipes, it's like a flat plate with a bit of oversized pipe on it sticking up about 2 inches that your stovepipe just about fits through. You seal it up against the stovepipe with some fire rope+fire cement and seal the flat bit to the roof with some appropriate sealer, similar to high temperature silicone. Then make sure your stovepipe has a hat on it to stop the rain coming in. Really improves airflow compared to having a bend. Oddly, having a hat on the pipe increases airflow compared to not having one.

Great video!

easy and simple. like it

Looks great. I built one a few years ago. Those cedar boards are immense. Wish I could get a hold of those.

awesome, real good job

Looks good. You might want to look an online guide on sauna stones and how to choose and pile those to get the best sauna experience. If those are too loose, the stones will not transfer heat from the bottom to top as effectively.

Great video boss.

I love it thinking of building my own at home too ,thanks for the great video

great video!

Dude. Nice work. Looks Amazing!

Looks like we will building a twin to this at our new place. Glad to see you are doing well!

THIS IS EXCELLENT

You should do more building videos, very well done

Amazing

Great job!

Nice!👍🏻

I like how your upper bench is along the angled ceiling. That way you can accommodate a range of upper body heights.

Good job

great work!

Cheers, sweet build. Thanks for including a link to my video 🙂

The Stones and their Heating and Placement Methods The sauna room is an ancient and enjoyable therapy that brings many benefits to the body and mind. In the sauna room, stones play a crucial role. This article will focus on the role of sauna room stones, why they need to be heated, and how to place them properly. Firstly, let’s talk about the role of sauna room stones. Stones serve as the heat medium in the sauna room and have excellent insulation properties, allowing them to maintain high temperatures for a long time. When the sauna stove heats the stones, they absorb heat and release it in the sauna room, creating a warm and comfortable environment. Additionally, the stones help maintain humidity, keeping the air in the sauna room moist. The insulating and humidifying characteristics of the stones are essential for creating an ideal environment in the sauna room. To make the most of the stones’ role, we need to heat them. There are several reasons for heating the stones. Firstly, heating increases their temperature, allowing them to release more heat This results in higher temperatures the sauna room and better therapeutic effects. Secondly, heating helps evaporate moisture on the surface of the stones, ensuring appropriate humidity in the sauna room. Lastly, heating also helps remove dirt and bacteria from the stones, keeping them Role of Sauna Roomclean and hygienic. Before heating the stones, we need to choose suitable ones. The commonly used stones in sauna rooms are granite or basalt because they have excellent insulation and high-temperature resistance. Additionally, we should select stones with smooth surfaces and no cracks to avoid any hazards during the heating process. When placing the stones, we need to pay attention to proper arrangement. Firstly, distribute the stones evenly above the sauna stove. This ensures even heat distribution and uniform temperature throughout the sauna room. Secondly, we can also place some stones at the bottom of the sauna room to increase radiant heat. This way, even in the lower positions, people can feel the warm heat. Lastly, to maintain the stones’ humidity, we can sprinkle water on them to generate steam. It is important to note that the placement of stones should comply with the design and safety regulations of the sauna room. When placing the stones, avoid stacking them too high to prevent them from slipping or becoming too heavy, which may cause danger. Additionally, there should be a certain distance between the stones and the sauna stove to prevent the stones from overheating and cracking. In conclusion, sauna room stones play a significant role in sauna therapy. By heating and placing the stones properly, we can create a comfortable, warm, and humid sauna environment, helping the body and mind relax and recover. Therefore, in the construction and use of sauna rooms, we should pay attention to the selection, heating, and placement of stones to ensure the effectiveness and safety of sauna therapy. www.smartmakshop.com

Atkin is about an hour away so was glad you mentioned where you picked up the stove.

Hey John. Thank you for the video and the willingness to try building a sauna. I wonder if you would make a follow-up video or comment about learnings from your process?

Great video

very nice :) greetings from Poland

Nice build 👌 I wish I could build stuff out of wood I only know how to fix smashed cars

Wicked!

Love the vid and inspiration, I'm in Minneapolis and am going to order my stove from Morrison Stove Co. Could you do a quick longer term review / follow up video of maybe do's and don'ts, what worked really well and what did not? Thanks!

I have built an exterior sauna about 5 years ago, I used the same foil backing with airspace behind the cedar boards. I was worried about adding plastic to the shell of the building but the client purchased it and I figured it would be fine behind 1 1/2” TG cedar. No issues yet but I am open to hearing different options for in between insulation and wood.

Bob is a legend.

Thumbs up for Shauna

hahaha I think a lot of new sauna builders go over board about insulation , especially when you have a wood stove in a small sauna.I have a big big window in mine. I don't like dark saunas. I had my sauna up to 220.. So hot I couldn't even touch the walls and needed a lot of cold water and was rolling naked in the snow.

i would recommend adding a better stove. when you threw water onto the rocks the water hardly vaporized. Also you should use proper sauna rocks! Harvia is a good bard that makes proper sauna stoves

This is niceeee

I was thinking, man this guy sounds kinda Canadian. Then you mentioned the high school and I realized you're in northern MN, so that explains it lol.

I helped build a cottage by a lake for our family with a sauna about the same size. Like some comments pointed out, every sauna I've seen has 1/3" or so gaps between the planks where you sit on, but overall looks like a great sauna! The salvaged wood make it look like those old traditional smoke saunas

There's nothing John Thain can't do. My opinion of you remains unreasonably high.

I am looking to build a sauna with metal siding too so this was helpful. Question for anyone: Is your window thermal glass and does this matter? thanks

Hey John, Great video and thank you for sharing! Oddly enough, we're also just finishing up a shed/sauna combo using an existing slab & shed. I'm curious about the light setup that you used. Do you happen to have a link to the panel and 12v system that you used? Also, have you found that those lights hold up in the heat & humidity of the sauna? The lighting is the one piece of our build that I haven't figured out yet, so I'd be interested in using that setup. Thanks! Trevor

Future mold factory

Nice I'm going to make one like that If I have the energy I'll upload a video as well

Looks great, only thing I'm wondering is did you consider using an electric hand planer to go over all the cedar boards instead of sanding? It would have been much easier to just take off 1/64" rather than using the belt sander. I hate sanding though so that is why I thought of it.

Great video! Did you add any type of floor drain or had any issues with moisture at the floor level? Looking to start our project next spring.

Holy smokes. Same as you, building a sauna but can't afford freshly milled hardwood. I was gonna settle with lower quality scraps I can get quickly, but seeing how it turned out with the cedar thick planks, I'm gonna invest some more energy getting better quality wood. Love the door handle too lol If I didn't have already my own design finished, I would have copied yours almost exactly with one small difference : I would have risked the straight up exhaust pipe and put a second protection layer between roof and insulation to drain the water outside in case in goes through silicine sealer, because I would be more concerned about maintenance of the heat source, its risk of chimney fire if i'm the one doing maintenance, and its efficiency than leakage that you can easily drain (unlike in a house). Maybe also an airflow grid that you can close off when you turn in the sauna, and re-open when you're not using it. I would be concerned about mold forming if you are not using it for a while for whatever reason. Not important if you use it often since you made a window

This is an inspiring video, thank you! Really gives me some ideas for my own sauna project. Two Harbors high school and Aitkin, huh? I gotta' ask, are you near Duluth? We might almost be neighbors!

Question: did you tongue and grove or laid board next to each other? Need an advice. Thanks. Looks good!!!

My friend recently had a Sauna built and they used the same Company, Morrison Stove Co. out of Northern Minnesota! They purchased the outside feed version, though. It's cool to see a familiar small family company on your video! The stove works wonders in their sauna.. Hows it holding up for you? Any updates? I'm thinking about buying one from them.

Great video. What was the light that you used? Was it sold specifically as a sauna light? And if not, how's it working now?

Looking good! im just wondering how hot does the stove heat up the room? Like whats the temperature?

I’m going to be building something similar soon in Two Harbors. Does your friend Bob have anymore cedar boards or old slate he’d like to sell?

Hi great vid! plz supply a sauna update. still happy with it, any improvements?

"So this branch will have to do for now" We all know that that branch is gonna be the handle to the day it just totally rots away.

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?

Hi great build, what temps you can get in it?

making the door lower would have done a better job at keeping heat than a skinny tall door. heat goes out the top

I want to sit in there.

Is the foam insulation you are using for the floor approved for the high temperatures of a sauna?

Book Finnish Sauna Design by Lassi Lakkanen is worth checking out

Just came here for Finnish comments 👀

Where you get fan on chimney ?

What is going on with that fan tied to the stove pipe?

You should buy a CO detector just in case

In a real sauna there is always a floor drain…owning 7 saunas in Finland.

Please remove flammable material next to chimney. By regulations the distance should probably be 100mm. At least 50mm would be reasonable. This precautionary measure is there for a reason.

dont use fibre glass insulation. that is a big no. rockwoll or close cell is the proper type for this application.

Floor drain?

Reading these comments makes me hate ppl. Nice sauna dude!

I think you should have put plastic below the thermal barrier

Cool build! But I have to say, I'm not a big fan of the wood burning stove. That thing pollutes the air so bad. Hope you don't have any neighbours !

Big mistake to go though the wall, he ended up going up though the roof any way. And, those though the walls connectors are a lot more prone to causing fires. They also require a special though the wall fitting which I did not see in this video. And the heat shield was not built right either. I appreciate this guys efforts but, do not do some of the things he did. And, last, do not use the foil bubble type vapor barrier, they make a foil vapor barrrier that does not have plastic in it, and, you use a metal based tape to seal the joints not duct tape.

So, now one year later, how much mold really is there? Insulation in an outdoor sauna? Really?...

It's Sow-na .. the correct pronunciation

You know it says right on the packaging of that insulation that you should wear safety glasses, gloves, and a face mask @00:53 seconds

Looks like a lot of work. But probably 10% of the cost of buying one pre-built.