Can you build your own home sauna?Can you build your own home sauna?
Home saunas are an incredibly luxurious addition to any home, bringing the relaxation and health benefits usually reserved for the occasional trip to the local spa into the heart of your everyday life.
For many years, the thought of a home sauna has been one of fantasy rather than reality for the vast majority of us, and many people still believe that saunas are unobtainable for all but the rich and famous.
The truth, however, is that prices have fallen dramatically in recent years, and in countries such as Finland, home saunas have been commonplace for many centuries.
Our aim is to change the culture of saunas in Scotland and bring the extensive range of health and lifestyle benefits that they offer to a larger audience than ever before.
Our range of home saunas are cost-effective, highly energy efficient, and installed by qualified experts who only ever work with the highest quality of materials.
Despite the dramatic fall in installation costs, it is understandable that people wonder if they really need to use a professional to get a home sauna in their home.
Can’t you just build one yourself?
Can you build a DIY home sauna?
In a word, yes. Pretty much anything can be built inside your home if you have the time, space, expertise, and materials and a home sauna is no different.
However, DIY saunas are not always the best route forward, or even the cheapest option, and there are several important things to consider before heading down to your local B&Q.
Cost
On average, the materials required to build a home sauna cost around £4,500, whilst professional installation costs around £7,500.
Certainly cheaper then, on the surface, but this doesn’t include the rental or purchase of the tools required to build a DIY sauna, or take into account the valuable time it will take you.
Trying to build a home sauna with less than ideal tools is a recipe for disaster, and will lead to design flaws that will undoubtedly cost you further down the line.
Furthermore, if the space is not fitted perfectly, heat will escape once the sauna is in operation, and it will require more energy to keep it at a suitable temperature.
As you know, energy isn’t cheap, and high ongoing costs could quickly outweigh any savings made during home sauna installation cost.
Safety
When we install home saunas for our clients, we conduct stringent safety tests on all electrical components to ensure the installation is safe for use.
Unless you are a qualified electrician, installing a home sauna safely can be very difficult and failing to do so could have very serious consequences.
If you decide to get an electrician in to help, this issue may be resolved, but this all costs money.
When using a professional installer, they will have professional joiners and electricians as part of their team (avoid companies who do not) who will ensure that all components comply with the relevant standards.
Is it worth trying to build your own sauna?
So, yes, it is certainly possible to DIY your own sauna, but whether or not you should do is another story.
DIY saunas are not always the cheap option that many people believe, and when you factor in the man hours required, there is a good chance that it will end up costing you more than simply purchasing from a professional company
One potential benefit of DIY-ing your own sauna is that you can create it exactly the way that you want to suit the aesthetic of your home.
However, there are now so many home sauna, and steam room, options available, that when you use a professional company there is almost certainly a product that suits your taste and many also offer bespoke design options for unique and smaller spaces.
Should something go wrong with a sauna installed by a professional, there is also likely to be a warranty (check this before purchasing) that ensures that it will be repaired free of charge.
When you build your own, all the repair costs and time required to find and resolve the issue will be your own. Do you really want that sort of commitment? Saunas are supposed to be somewhere to relax and forget about your day-to-day life, not something to stress about during your day-to-day life!
Those attempting to DIY a sauna without the relevant experience or expertise are also much more likely to make mistakes that lead to future problems.
We highly recommend that only those with the relevant skills, such as professional joiners, attempt to DIY their own sauna.
If you feel as though you meet this criteria and are determined to go ahead with a DIY sauna installation then make sure that you purchase the appropriate wood and heating equipment.
A lack of research at this stage could prove hugely expensive further down the line.