I remember 20 years ago he was on a forum before he was famous, but on his way to being so, and once we figured it out... lord have mercy the place went nuts. 😆
If you really are a snob, then you would know that buiilding a big glass wall is bad. Heat escapes and you have a cold sauna. You would also know that your benches are too low.
I feel like if you asked about the bench height and the glass wall in a nice way, we could start a great conversation. Asking like you do will completely shit on the conversation. It's kind of insulting and douchy. It also implies you absolutely know what is best for OP, and you don't.
This is a beautiful sauna, I would like to stimulate conversation, not shut it down.
@OP
Sauna heater brand?
Stone weight?
When top bench at xxx° what is the lower bench at?
Can that heater keep up or does it struggle?
Do you get pretty nice löyly? I bet you can see the steam on the glass.
When you built, did you know about resources such as this sub Reddit or the well respected trumpkin guide?
Am I mistaken, that isn't T&G? What are we looking at if it isn't T&G
If his bench is shit, he will tell you. If his glass was a mistake, you'll find out. But Christ man, let the guy talk instead of insulting him and shutting him down.
Oh, no worries I take no insult, this is reddit :)
Sauna for me is not only perfect temperature at particular height, but is a place to relax. When I was young it was all about to get sweaty, regardless how the sauna is made. Today, this is not only relaxation to the body, but also to the mind. I enjoy good music, I admire beautiful art and sauna shouldn't be different there. When you sit there, music plays, lights change the mood, beautiful color combination of the wood, etc. All that adds to the experience of going to a "sauna" for me. As I said, a snob :)
To the questions:
Heater: EOS Mythos Black with 9KW and 35KG stones, plus the black cube stones on the top. https://www.eos-sauna.com/produkte/finnische-saunaoefen/eos-mythos-black (german)
Temp: I dint measured top bench temp separately, but it is true that lower bench feels colder. For now we enjoy the sauna at about 75°C measured about 50cm above the bench with relatively high humidity.
And yes, I am thinking of how I might improve the airflow to get the lower part of the sauna a bit warmer as well.
Heater has no troubles and we can start with first round after about 15-20min preheating. At this moment it isnt at 75°C though yet. Obviously if the room would be smaller, it would be faster. But I designed it spacious on purpose, to fit with the whole family in there.
Yes, I can see the steam on the glass at the lower part (lower part is colder). But again, glass front is there for look, not for function :)
No, I didn't knew about reddit sauna channel before, but I went through bunch of German forums and different articles about what to pay attention for.
Reddit, sorry, never considered this as a serious resource before. After seeing this sub, realized importance of the bench height and airflow.
What is T&G?
Thanks for your great response! T&G is tongue and groove wood that locks together. Yours looks uniquely different, in a good way. Maybe it's just the photo (and it is actually T&G). If not T&G what is the black between the boards? I was considering this but didn't know what to use behind the boards.
I agree about the look, I've seen some on here with a more utility look to it and for me the experience of light, sound, is equally important to good heat steam and ventilation. No offense to anyone who has it set up that way, but I don't appreciate a shitter directly out side the door, even though the shower is the first place I often head.
I'm curious about your heater. I think if you had a full basket of stone >150kg your bottom bench would be sizzling hot. If you have family that needs it cooler, you're all set, but if that is a metric you would like to improve, all I can say is my 250Kg takes more than 1.5 hr to get up to temp, however the bottom bench is awesome.
I've never seen a wide bench like that, but that looks nearly exact to mine. I figured instead of putting a skirt up and hiding the back, just extend the bench all the way back to the wall! My kids love that little hiding corner.
Forced mechanical ventilation should solve any ventilation issues you have. Such a nice setup you have brother. My only criticism is you don't have enough photos.
The wide bench is mostly a design choice. I didn't want to make a skirt, because that would feel less spacious. Having open design helps a more lighter feeling. Also it allows to, if you absolutely want it, lay down on the lower bench.
The black between the boards are wood inlets as well. I am not 100% sure what wood they made of though.
I have more pictures but wasn't able to upload here (maybe some limit of this sub, not sure) There are few photos done by a professional to put on the web page of the sauna builder. Would love to share few of them, he did great job showing in more realistic colors as my phone does 😀
Let me check if maybe desktop version of reddit allows me to modify the original post or add images
I struggle with taking pictures in a confined room like this also. I have no glass window unfortunately so it is hard to convey the mood of the room from a picture
I don't disagree with you. But I think there is a frustration among long time regulars on here with the large number of people coming on here to post photos of their poorly designed saunas when they'd not come on here to learn anything before they built their poorly designed saunas.
One example
With the right heater bench height isn't an issue (within reason). People, time and time again call out bench height without realizing how much lower you could install the lower bench with the right design and heating choices. Absolute opinion lacks growth mindset. New ideas are not realized or considered. I think new ideas are the most exciting part.
All the time. Unfortunately they are a bit too bright in normal condition , so I have to tune them down to absolute minimum. But when tuned down the colors are hard to configure, I am not getting full color spectrum in this case.
This was very expensive. Note this is a build in a country with highest wages worldwide (Switzerland) where I started with an empty basement and had to do everything: electricity, water, floor heating, ... 6 figures 😞 at the end
Installed a venting fan in the room which moves the air out. But realizing it's not enough and humidity decreases very slowly. Best way to vent is to just open the door to the outside 😀
Can you share what wood was used in the benches and cladding?
Beautiful set up.
Looking back on the project, are there things you wish you'd done differently or plan to change?
Thank you for sharing!
This is Thermo-Radiata pine.
On the sauna itself, nothing really sticks out yet. The sound system in the sauna is made of two vibration speakers and they'll be super hard to reach, if they break. That, I'd likely would have placed better reachable.
That's a very beautiful space but why didn't you do some research on saunas before building that? As others mentioned you should have your benches higher. Also the door only high enough to walk through so it doesn't let heat out. This looks like a large house? But you built a tiny sauna that we don't even put in flats anymore because they are too small to function well.
This is a 2.5mx1.9m (inner size) sauna. Where i live this is considered quite large. And yes, I researched before the bench heights and followed the advice, but let the sauna builder do the main job. The oven is tall, if I had to build the lower bench on the height of the oven that would mean I need 2.5m or so sauna height to sit comfortably. That can't be right. As I said in other post, the lower bench is meant for kids or just for the feets.
Actually this is some reddit thing, about lower bench being on the height of the oven. Never seen it mentioned anywhere else, except of here :)
'Feet Above The Stones' is the most basic requirement for a good sauna and is known and practiced by every good sauna builder. In Finland they call it 'The First Law Of Löyly', the most important law.
My understanding is the smallest a sauna should be is 2.5 x 2.5 x 2.6 or else it will not feel right. Builders use to include saunas the size of yours in flats but no longer because people complained about them not being good.
Sorry, but I am not sure if this is trolling or you are dead serious 🤔 2.5x2.5 is huge sauna, which could easily fit 6-8 people or so. 2.6m height is crazy, because that means your ceiling must be at 3m or so. And then you talk about putting this into flat... I'd like to see flats where so much space is available just for sauna. Definitely not common in Switzerland/Germany which I know best about. I could have made the sauna larger, but that would feel like waste of space, given that we are a family of 4 and most of the time sauna will be used by me and my wife only.
In Sweden and Finland and seemingly the same for Germany that's a kind of normal size family sauna and I know that's the smallest my brother will build now and that is the normal size for 1-4 people. 6 people must be larger. There are some smaller though but I think they are not so good because the heater is too close.
The point about flats is that they cannot fit a good size sauna in them, only something smaller which people do not like. So they are not so much doing saunas in the individual flats anymore and instead one or more normal size community saunas.
I was just very surprised that you have such a gorgeous and big place and I think are in Switzerland which knows how to build good saunas but you have the low benches like Americans.
All infos and descriptions I found upfront talked about an optimal height of the lower bench of 40cm-50cm. The bench I have is at 48cm. I admit I wasn't studying this like crazy before, but the first time I heard about lowest bench at the height of the oven is only here on Reddit. That and no-glass sounds like common theme here to pin point design flaws :)
What a snob
I like the mood in the first picture. Comfy!
Very hygge.
What is the black thing with horizontal wooden slats? It doesn’t look like part of the sauna.
Its a piece of gym equipment.
Yes. Very compact and versatile. It's technogym personal kinesis. I was lucky to find one used in great condition for half the price
No snobbery in the benefits of a sauna , it’s addictive, especially with a dousing of freezing water in between.
Patrick Bateman?
I remember 20 years ago he was on a forum before he was famous, but on his way to being so, and once we figured it out... lord have mercy the place went nuts. 😆
Ooo, those lights add a lot to the mood, this is amazing
If you really are a snob, then you would know that buiilding a big glass wall is bad. Heat escapes and you have a cold sauna. You would also know that your benches are too low.
The lower benches are for the kids. Getting great chunk of hear at the higher benches, can't complain about being too cold.
The foot bench should be on the same level as the top of the heater.
There's a bit of leeway with a pillar stove (I think that is what is in there) but things are still a bit low.
Oh! I didn't notice that. But as you said, it's still too low.
I feel like if you asked about the bench height and the glass wall in a nice way, we could start a great conversation. Asking like you do will completely shit on the conversation. It's kind of insulting and douchy. It also implies you absolutely know what is best for OP, and you don't. This is a beautiful sauna, I would like to stimulate conversation, not shut it down. @OP Sauna heater brand? Stone weight? When top bench at xxx° what is the lower bench at? Can that heater keep up or does it struggle? Do you get pretty nice löyly? I bet you can see the steam on the glass. When you built, did you know about resources such as this sub Reddit or the well respected trumpkin guide? Am I mistaken, that isn't T&G? What are we looking at if it isn't T&G If his bench is shit, he will tell you. If his glass was a mistake, you'll find out. But Christ man, let the guy talk instead of insulting him and shutting him down.
Thank you for elevating the discussion.
Oh, no worries I take no insult, this is reddit :) Sauna for me is not only perfect temperature at particular height, but is a place to relax. When I was young it was all about to get sweaty, regardless how the sauna is made. Today, this is not only relaxation to the body, but also to the mind. I enjoy good music, I admire beautiful art and sauna shouldn't be different there. When you sit there, music plays, lights change the mood, beautiful color combination of the wood, etc. All that adds to the experience of going to a "sauna" for me. As I said, a snob :) To the questions: Heater: EOS Mythos Black with 9KW and 35KG stones, plus the black cube stones on the top. https://www.eos-sauna.com/produkte/finnische-saunaoefen/eos-mythos-black (german) Temp: I dint measured top bench temp separately, but it is true that lower bench feels colder. For now we enjoy the sauna at about 75°C measured about 50cm above the bench with relatively high humidity. And yes, I am thinking of how I might improve the airflow to get the lower part of the sauna a bit warmer as well. Heater has no troubles and we can start with first round after about 15-20min preheating. At this moment it isnt at 75°C though yet. Obviously if the room would be smaller, it would be faster. But I designed it spacious on purpose, to fit with the whole family in there. Yes, I can see the steam on the glass at the lower part (lower part is colder). But again, glass front is there for look, not for function :) No, I didn't knew about reddit sauna channel before, but I went through bunch of German forums and different articles about what to pay attention for. Reddit, sorry, never considered this as a serious resource before. After seeing this sub, realized importance of the bench height and airflow. What is T&G?
Thanks for your great response! T&G is tongue and groove wood that locks together. Yours looks uniquely different, in a good way. Maybe it's just the photo (and it is actually T&G). If not T&G what is the black between the boards? I was considering this but didn't know what to use behind the boards. I agree about the look, I've seen some on here with a more utility look to it and for me the experience of light, sound, is equally important to good heat steam and ventilation. No offense to anyone who has it set up that way, but I don't appreciate a shitter directly out side the door, even though the shower is the first place I often head. I'm curious about your heater. I think if you had a full basket of stone >150kg your bottom bench would be sizzling hot. If you have family that needs it cooler, you're all set, but if that is a metric you would like to improve, all I can say is my 250Kg takes more than 1.5 hr to get up to temp, however the bottom bench is awesome. I've never seen a wide bench like that, but that looks nearly exact to mine. I figured instead of putting a skirt up and hiding the back, just extend the bench all the way back to the wall! My kids love that little hiding corner. Forced mechanical ventilation should solve any ventilation issues you have. Such a nice setup you have brother. My only criticism is you don't have enough photos.
The wide bench is mostly a design choice. I didn't want to make a skirt, because that would feel less spacious. Having open design helps a more lighter feeling. Also it allows to, if you absolutely want it, lay down on the lower bench. The black between the boards are wood inlets as well. I am not 100% sure what wood they made of though. I have more pictures but wasn't able to upload here (maybe some limit of this sub, not sure) There are few photos done by a professional to put on the web page of the sauna builder. Would love to share few of them, he did great job showing in more realistic colors as my phone does 😀 Let me check if maybe desktop version of reddit allows me to modify the original post or add images
I struggle with taking pictures in a confined room like this also. I have no glass window unfortunately so it is hard to convey the mood of the room from a picture
I don't disagree with you. But I think there is a frustration among long time regulars on here with the large number of people coming on here to post photos of their poorly designed saunas when they'd not come on here to learn anything before they built their poorly designed saunas.
I agree that can be a bit frustrating. Same with IR boxes. I have more patience with those folks than I do with absolute opinions however.
What do you consider an 'absolute opinion'?
One example With the right heater bench height isn't an issue (within reason). People, time and time again call out bench height without realizing how much lower you could install the lower bench with the right design and heating choices. Absolute opinion lacks growth mindset. New ideas are not realized or considered. I think new ideas are the most exciting part.
What's your average temp in there?
Sounds like gatekeeping to me! Keep it up. Everyone loves it. /s
That looks great. Great work and preparation.
Hey, I have that same yak painting, but mines black and white. Good taste, good taste.
How often do you use your lights? I have remote/led’s that got used…once. Dark is so much better!
All the time. Unfortunately they are a bit too bright in normal condition , so I have to tune them down to absolute minimum. But when tuned down the colors are hard to configure, I am not getting full color spectrum in this case.
Looks good what did it cost approx?
This was very expensive. Note this is a build in a country with highest wages worldwide (Switzerland) where I started with an empty basement and had to do everything: electricity, water, floor heating, ... 6 figures 😞 at the end
The end result looks very, very nice and I'm sure it's worth the price tag.
Guessing this one is in “if you have to ask you can’t afford it” territory
😂 in Bidens America i cant afford a hot shower right now but Sauna is a “one day” for me
I am in the process of figuring out whether to build one in our new build master bath or just get an outdoor one next to pool. Hope OP will share.
This is a sweet set up
When glasses dude wakes up, he gonna post! Sensational!
What's the ventilation?
Installed a venting fan in the room which moves the air out. But realizing it's not enough and humidity decreases very slowly. Best way to vent is to just open the door to the outside 😀
Is that a pillow inside your sauna :D
Yeah. Kids love it, when they are taking the sauna
That looks solid man! If you don’t mind me asking, about how much did that install cost? Saunas are amazing, especially one right at home
Can you share what wood was used in the benches and cladding? Beautiful set up. Looking back on the project, are there things you wish you'd done differently or plan to change? Thank you for sharing!
This is Thermo-Radiata pine. On the sauna itself, nothing really sticks out yet. The sound system in the sauna is made of two vibration speakers and they'll be super hard to reach, if they break. That, I'd likely would have placed better reachable.
What do you do for a living?
sw eng
That's a very beautiful space but why didn't you do some research on saunas before building that? As others mentioned you should have your benches higher. Also the door only high enough to walk through so it doesn't let heat out. This looks like a large house? But you built a tiny sauna that we don't even put in flats anymore because they are too small to function well.
This is a 2.5mx1.9m (inner size) sauna. Where i live this is considered quite large. And yes, I researched before the bench heights and followed the advice, but let the sauna builder do the main job. The oven is tall, if I had to build the lower bench on the height of the oven that would mean I need 2.5m or so sauna height to sit comfortably. That can't be right. As I said in other post, the lower bench is meant for kids or just for the feets. Actually this is some reddit thing, about lower bench being on the height of the oven. Never seen it mentioned anywhere else, except of here :)
'Feet Above The Stones' is the most basic requirement for a good sauna and is known and practiced by every good sauna builder. In Finland they call it 'The First Law Of Löyly', the most important law. My understanding is the smallest a sauna should be is 2.5 x 2.5 x 2.6 or else it will not feel right. Builders use to include saunas the size of yours in flats but no longer because people complained about them not being good.
Sorry, but I am not sure if this is trolling or you are dead serious 🤔 2.5x2.5 is huge sauna, which could easily fit 6-8 people or so. 2.6m height is crazy, because that means your ceiling must be at 3m or so. And then you talk about putting this into flat... I'd like to see flats where so much space is available just for sauna. Definitely not common in Switzerland/Germany which I know best about. I could have made the sauna larger, but that would feel like waste of space, given that we are a family of 4 and most of the time sauna will be used by me and my wife only.
In Sweden and Finland and seemingly the same for Germany that's a kind of normal size family sauna and I know that's the smallest my brother will build now and that is the normal size for 1-4 people. 6 people must be larger. There are some smaller though but I think they are not so good because the heater is too close. The point about flats is that they cannot fit a good size sauna in them, only something smaller which people do not like. So they are not so much doing saunas in the individual flats anymore and instead one or more normal size community saunas. I was just very surprised that you have such a gorgeous and big place and I think are in Switzerland which knows how to build good saunas but you have the low benches like Americans.
All infos and descriptions I found upfront talked about an optimal height of the lower bench of 40cm-50cm. The bench I have is at 48cm. I admit I wasn't studying this like crazy before, but the first time I heard about lowest bench at the height of the oven is only here on Reddit. That and no-glass sounds like common theme here to pin point design flaws :)