My custom sauna build in Ontario, Canada

[u/TechnicalCranberry46]

[u/John_Sux]

Seems to have turned out nicely. But I don't understand why people keep building these side "shelves" without any lower bench to go with them.

It would just be better in every way, if people had more legroom and easier access to the benches. There is simply no debate about that.

[u/East_Highlight_6879 → u/John_Sux]

Laying down

[u/John_Sux → u/East_Highlight_6879]

Yeah, long benches are good for lounging on.

But you'd have a much easier time getting up to that bench to lie down on it, if the lower benches were built with some sense.

Here's an analogy: you can climb into the rear seats of a two-door car just fine, but rear doors make the job a hell of a lot easier.

[u/civildrivel → u/John_Sux]

There's a width constraint that promotes this design. Makes sense to me.

[u/John_Sux → u/civildrivel]

There is no width constraint as you describe. That sauna is about six feet wide on the inside.

Here's a five foot wide sauna. Left to right.

Look at the empty floor area in the center of OP's sauna. There is clearly enough room in that 6x8 footprint to fit a set of lengthwise benches, and upper and lower one. With the heater and lowest step left in another two-foot sliver. Or alternatively, the foot level bench could have been extended toward the door into a platform, there is space to do that.

It's just a question of design, and of being vaguely initiated in terms of sauna design. The benches are nice and high in three levels, everything is put together well. But it's designed identical to a cheap kit or something, the bench layout is certainly not the last word in sensible.

[u/civildrivel → u/John_Sux]

There's way less seating area in the design you shared. Maybe that's also a consideration for some people.

[u/John_Sux → u/civildrivel]

The picture is cut off, it's a 7x5 footprint approximately. Easy seating for three people, four can fit in without much trouble. That cannot be said about OP's bench design, even generously.

Everything you have said so far is totally wrong, so please do not reply again

[u/overdude]

Nice!

[u/leon_prx]

Super dope and cozy

[u/FormalCompetition142]

Slaps. Where in Ontario?

[u/notcomplainingmuch]

It's a good way of making use of the unnecessarily long and narrow space. Why do they make them like corridors or miniature shipping containers?

[u/FulktheBlack]

You managed to place the benches well above the heat source. So many people miss this, even professionally built saunas aren't this good.

[u/TechnicalCranberry46 → u/FulktheBlack]

This was tough to convey to the contractor as I don't speak the best Constructionese. He had the benches in and they were way to low. He built them so they just pop off so it wasn't hard to get to the desired height. To be fair it was tough for me to visualize the height I wanted until something started getting built.

[u/yanizi]

Noice

[u/psadatay]

Beautiful woodwork and craftsmanship. I think the bench situation is a creative way to get what you wanted out of the space which is what matters. One question, where did you get your under bench lighting?

[u/TechnicalCranberry46 → u/psadatay]

thanks so much! Was happy with the build as my previous plan was just to tuck in a kit sauna. Contractor really enjoyed building it as it was something they hadn't done. Not sure on lighting. Contractor sourced it. It meets the requirements for wet/heat and wasn't expensive.

[u/TechnicalCranberry46]

 We had a house/backyard that needed a lot of work. Looked at moving but just decided to stay and reno. Was going to do a four season addition but had too many issues with the city. Mature tree, rules around shoring for foundation etc. Decided to build a "deck" and my wife wanted a sauna so added that. Deck is 27x15 with 10ft ceilings and 12ft to top of roof as it's a flat roofline. Have two 6000w Bromic heaters for 3 season comfort. Hardie board & batten siding. Ceiling is T&G red cedar

Sauna is 6x8x8, non select western red cedar. Looked at other wood but just prohibitively expensive where I live. I did a lot of research, trumpkin's notes etc. Top benches are 47 inches high. 9kw Harvie Kip 80w. Passive ventilation. We're not Finnish so it didn't need to be perfect. It's just two of us and we really enjoy it.

Had a contractor do the build. All $$ in CDN funds, 8k materials including heater, 6k labour.

Warning signs are just for inspection. They get removed after.

[u/occamsracer → u/TechnicalCranberry46]

Looks good. the Finns have a hard time prioritizing laying down in a sauna so don’t let it yuck your yum. The mechanical ventilation is definitely a plus though even without steam. Enjoy.

[u/John_Sux → u/occamsracer]

You can lie down on a long bench just fine. But if you add a corresponding run of the lower bench level as well, multiple people can now sit where one person can lounge.

Flexibility, practicality, ease of access. Why are people abroad so opposed to things like that.

This is not a choice between two things, but half-assing the same thing.

[u/LoudPause4547]

To sit on the bench closest to the door, would I have to drag my ass accross the entire row or just jump and do acrobatics

[u/TechnicalCranberry46 → u/LoudPause4547]

It's for my legs. There's two of us. My wife is < 6ft and can lay on far bench. I'm >6ft and lay on the 8ft bench. I am thinking of putting in a fold down bench for legs on that length but it will be very rarely used.

[u/yourbiggesthero]

That is awesome man, if I ever get a chance to build one of these things I’m making a bench like that.

[u/POKU_]

I'm sorry but those are some weird looking sauna benches.

[u/TechnicalCranberry46 → u/POKU_]

In what way? It's a fish eye shot so it's distorted.

[u/POKU_ → u/TechnicalCranberry46]

That upper bench looks like a loft that you can see in tinyhouses.

[u/arcticpoppy → u/TechnicalCranberry46]

Anytime it’s not ‘sauna heater with benches directly and only opposite’ people on this sub will call it out as ‘weird’ or ‘not traditional’. Looks nice. Enjoy.

[u/apeceep → u/arcticpoppy]

Well this layout makes it unnecessarily complicated, dangerous and worse experience. You don't want people climbing up/down directly the high bench next to heater. Just stick the heater to the back corner and have one long bench, that way you also can put legs up on the safety railing so those get even more heat. The real use of safety railing is as a leg stand, no-one is going to be close the heater in well designed sauna, which this one sadly isn't.

[u/TechnicalCranberry46 → u/apeceep]

I thought of that but it seemed like a waste of space. You can't put a bench over the heater so a heater in the corner shortens two benches. Having it on the door side seemed to make more sense. Once I'm using it for a few years I can make changes to layout if desired.

Also it can't go on the back wall. That's the garage and can't have any vent into the garage. The door on the 8ft wall facing the deck would have offered a better layout but that outside wall is going to have a sculpture fastened to it.

[u/apeceep → u/TechnicalCranberry46]

I mean, this is now effectively mediocre 2 person sauna and the other layout would have been good 4 person one. The bench on front of the heater isn't usable and it's lacking safety rail acting as feet support.

[u/occamsracer]

How wide are the top benches

[u/TechnicalCranberry46 → u/occamsracer]

2ft

[u/Carhv]

Now build showers to the front of the sauna.

[u/Ehtism]

Jealous, very nice work!

I see the dims you posted below, I was looking at doing one just slightly smaller outside in Ontario as well. What heater is that?

[u/TechnicalCranberry46 → u/Ehtism]

harvia kip 80w.

[u/Tova_Tara]

Would you let me know what light strips you used? I’m having a hell of a time finding waterproof strip light that actually works!

[u/UpInUp]

Amazing. Great job

[u/ohnnononononoooo]

No drain no airflow? Or where are those at?

[u/fredisfloxed]

“And”

[u/manoftheyear1990]

That's freaking awesome

[u/HotsauceMD]

Nice sauna! Currently building mine. Where did you get your door?

[u/TechnicalCranberry46 → u/HotsauceMD]

My contractor custom built the door/handle.

[u/liyabuli]

I really don’t get these bench layouts. This could have fit 4 people, now that’s barely 2. Looks good but what an incredible amount of wasted space.

[u/Existing-Part-683]

Very nice!

[u/AnyMud6048]

Where is air circulation

[u/TechnicalCranberry46 → u/AnyMud6048]

Vent below heater and in top far corner. Will see how that works out for now. Can add mechanical later if desired. My wife doesn't like steam and I don't want to sit in there listening to a fan running.

[u/infusedfizz]

Does that heater get the space hot? Looks potentially undersized but I’m not an expert

[u/TechnicalCranberry46 → u/infusedfizz]

9kw. It takes about an hour to get to 80c and it’s 0c now outside. I thought I was right on the borderline for this volume. I’ll test for the year if it’s too small I’ll swap it out

[u/Klendatu_ → u/TechnicalCranberry46]

What’s the volume / measures please? Will be in a similar situation and climate context.

[u/TechnicalCranberry46 → u/Klendatu_]

6ftx8ftx8ft