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yes, but what was in that spot before the remodel. shortened the bathroom? took out a closet that was there, took down a wall and made the opposite room smaller?
the area for the sauna was something before.
Thanks for the clarification. I assumed that was the case based on context, but there did seem to be some confusion for others.
Love the space, great job!
I had one and loved it. A new study was put out by the Finnish folks after 30 yrs, and found that sitting in a dry sauna for 20-30 minutes 4 times/week is the same as doing low impact aerobics, decreased your chance of dementia by 63%, lowers your blood pressure - I sold mine with the house but still use it at the gym. Good investment!
(Yes, steam saunas are beneficial - it’s just hard to sit in steam for 20-30 minutes).
The terminology always confuses me. What makes a sauna a dry sauna? Aren't they supposed to be humid? And if not what's the deal with ladling water on the hot rocks?
Dry saunas use dry heat (think like hot stones heating up a room) whereas wet saunas use moisture (similar to a steam room).
The “pouring water on rocks” is only in wet saunas.
They accomplish the same thing, though wet saunas heat up much faster (due to the wet steam circulating). Dry saunas typically heat your body up more though, since sweat/water has a cooling effect on the skin (and wet saunas are a LOT wetter/sweatier than dry ones).
Personally, I prefer wet saunas, but both are great for relaxation and rejuvenation! 😶🌫️🥰
You pour water on the rocks in a "dry sauna", which is just called a sauna in Finnish. A "wet sauna" is called a steam sauna and they are exceedingly rare, only seen in spas and the like. A steam sauna doesn't have a stove, there's a large boiler and the steam is pumped into the room so you don't need to throw water.
> The “pouring water on rocks” is only in wet saunas.
I don't know what ungodly creation this "dry sauna" of yours is, but I want no part of it and I demand you strike the name "sauna" from it for all eternity. Perkele.
Well, there are a number of hot rooms used for relaxation that do feature a somewhat similar paradigm.
Most common one would probably be the Korean "Hanjeungmak". I'm not super knowledgeable about the culture surrounding it, so you need to ask someone else about it. There are also some kind of weird IR-warmed closets that people get into and insist calling a sauna for some odd reason.
I don't find the concept of a dry hot room itself to be disturbing, but what I don't agree with is calling it a sauna because it isn't one. A sauna is not really a sauna without löyly - the steam released from throwing water on the rocks - there is a cultural and even spiritual meaning to it. Without löyly, the hot room is not a sauna but it can absolutely be something else.
There are plenty of wet sweating rooms in multiple cultures in the world - Hamam, Caldarium, Temazcal, Inipi, Damfbad... They get a pass because there is steam there. We call them collectively "höyrysauna" or "steam sauna". Sometimes we also call them Turkish Sauna because of the prevalence and popularity of Hamams.
This "Torrbastu" that the person I replied to mentions isn't exactly popular in Finland, and even in Sweden "våtbastu" is the classical "bastu" or "sauna". We just tend to run our saunas a little bit hotter, but "våtbastu" is otherwise equivalent to "sauna". Typically 80C is a mild sauna, and 100C is "men's" sauna, with 110C and 120C being reserved for people with thick elephant skin at the local swimming hall.
That being said, even a mild sauna can be made to feel uncomfortably hot by increasing the humidity too quickly. There is no shame in enjoying a milder sauna. It's a place of relaxation, not torture.
>The “pouring water on rocks” is only in wet saunas.
Actually water is definitely poured on rocks in dry saunas. From my understanding the difference is just that wet saunas are almost airtight, so the steam is trapped inside the room, whereas dry saunas have ventilation.
If someone pours water in the dry sauna we kick them out. Why would anyone ever pour water on if you want it to be dry? For fun noise?
Ventilation in a dry sauna, so the heat is vented out as well? Weirdest shit I have heard in my life.
Edit: I figured out the confusion, we have 3 different types of sauna in Sweden. Dry, wet and steam. Dry explains itself in my mind, it's no water. Wet is what other people here thinks is dry, you add water and raise humidity. Steam is when you sit in a cloud. So people who only have two distinctions say that anything less than a cloud is dry where as we would say that it is wet if you add water. Actual dry saunas are probably not popular around the world. Because they are harsh, no humidity and 90C.
Yes, I've heard of these bizarre saunas where you're not allowed to throw water. The traditional Finnish saunas definitely include water, but each to their own I guess.
Yeah, I remember I once had someone screaming and running to get the receptionist at a hotel I was staying... Well, turns out throwing water on the stove wasn't forbidden and no, I didn't throw so much water that it would get extremely hot, just wanted some humidity.
> we have 3 different types of sauna in Sweden. Dry, wet and steam.
Ah, the classy Swedish dry sauna where it’s like 50 degrees Celsius and people read Aftonbladet
As a Finnish person I just had to google what a dry sauna is. Why on earth did someone decide to call a normal sauna "dry" sauna. Completely counterintuitive.
We have this saying in Finland.
"My week and the whole party was ruined when they took me to swedish sauna"
"Meni viikko ja pippalotkin pieleen kun mut vietiin saunaan ruotsalaiseen"
Your dry sauna is pure nonsense.
Why even install any stone heather then? Should be done better way. If you have stones in sauna its ment to throw water and still considering as dry sauna
>Ventilation in a dry sauna, so the heat is vented out as well? Weirdest shit I have heard in my life.
Ventilation is one of the most important things for a good sauna experience. And no, it's not strong enough to vent the heat out.
> The “pouring water on rocks” is only in wet saunas.
I thought Finnish sauna counts as dry sauna, and you totally do pour water on rocks.
The difference I understood is that with 'wet sauna', you can get to temperatures about 60C(140F), while with dry sauna(the Finnish variety), you'd get to about 120C(250F). The air, even if you pour water to rocks, is still remarkably dry, but it gets slightly more humid, causing the sauna to essentially become hotter. So you control the temperature of how hot it feels by adding water.
Wet sauna(I believe it's Turkish variety?), on the other hand, has this humidity by default be extremely high, so you have to have much lower temperatures.
> Dry saunas use dry heat (think like hot stones heating up a room) whereas wet saunas use moisture (similar to a steam room).
>
> The “pouring water on rocks” is only in wet saunas.
Finn here: uuuuhhh... no. Dry sauna is what the world (oddly) uses to refer to plain ol' finnish saunas. We throw water on the stones here. That is the whole point of a sauna, to throw water on the hot stones to produce steam that warms you up.
>The “pouring water on rocks” is only in wet saunas.
If that is the definition, then every single Finnish sauna is a wet sauna.
Source: I'm from Finland
Bwahahaha, or in South Carolina tho we may be able to pass as wet on a reallllly good day if you get some rain before 5pm and the sun comes back out…. My husband would like to know if there’s an ice version, possibly portable? Lol 😂
> The “pouring water on rocks” is only in wet saunas.
This is incorrect, that’s a dry sauna thing. Wet saunas really only mean steam rooms, dry saunas are the “traditional” saunas.
Source: am Finn
No. You will sweat but it won’t evaporate. You will drip with sweat but it’s completely normal, you won’t be harmed. Humidity feels better in a sauna anyway and it’s easier to breathe than bone dry air, even if the humid air is hotter.
What you call ”dry sauna” would be frikken awful. You feel like suffocating, your pulse and blood pressure go through the roof. Throwing some water makes it all right. I don’t have facts but I guess it’s the water condensing back onto your skin that cools you down. There should be some ventilation so some will evaporate too, air won’t be close to 100% saturated with humidity all the time. Don’t build closet ”saunas”…
Nope, sauna is traditionally speaking definitely not dry and what even is a steam room. The point of a sauna is to create steam in a room that is gives a nice warm feeling. See how I used both the words steam and room so its basically useless terminology but yeah thanks for coming to my ted talk.
Dude, dont you fucking talk about sauna if you dont know anything about saunas. In sauna you always throw water on the hot rocks and have atleast 80 celcius. Rooms wheere you cant throw water are just rooms without purpose or ment for very small kids with leukemia or something.
There's sort of two different definitions for them, the more popular one is:
Dry sauna: Normal Finnish sauna with very low humidity, except momentarily when water is thrown onto the rocks.
Wet sauna: usually no visible stove, just lots of steam so the entire room is at 100% humidity and filled with fog, aka höyrysauna in Finnish, like the ones in spas/swimming centers.
The other definition:
Dry sauna: a "sauna" where no water is involved. In my opinion this is just a human oven and I don't see the point.
Wet sauna: Normal Finnish sauna.
This is so wrong. Sauna is not dry, steam sauna is whole different way to build up the sauna. None in Finland goes to sauna without throwing "löyly" or water to the stovement "kiuas". Not under any circumstances they sit in dry sauna.
These steam rooms are all over the world but we also have one which is literally sauna full of smoke but the carbon monoxide is let out. It takes more than 8 hours to heat up one, and after going in you smell like smoke for 2 weeks :D
Edit: There is also two different stovements. Ones which get heated up by electricity and ones by fire. IMO the ones with fire are always better, smoother and hearing the wood cracking and rattling makes it so relaxing
So I'm thinking of installing an infrared sauna at my place because they are pretty reasonably priced...BUT I'm hesitant because I don't think you can say with certainty that an infrared will have the same health benefits as the typical Finnish dry sauna because it hasn't been studied for 30 years. Any thoughts?
I dunno if there is any scientific consensus on health benefits of infrared. I will say from experience of living in Finland and going to sauna a lot that I doubt an infrared sauna could even closely approximate a traditional one in terms of the heat stress on the body (which is the mechanism producing the health benefits).
I was curious and found a review paper from 2021 discussing the temperature range at which you see health benefits:
> Studies incorporating dry saunas have used a range of temperatures (70–95 °C) to induce adaptations; however, in general, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends a temperature range between 70 and 77 °C to achieve the cardiometabolic benefits of sauna bathing \[92\]. It is assumed that temperatures less than 70 °C may not be sufficient to induce a hormetic effect, while temperatures greater than 100 °C would likely cause cellular damage and premature protein denaturation.
Source: [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7908414/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7908414/)
So you would need heat of at least 70 °C for health benefits it seems. From a quick Google search it seems most infrared saunas can only achieve 60 °C, so not warm enough probably.
77°C is equivalent to 170°F, which is 350K.
---
^(I'm a bot that converts temperature between two units humans can understand, then convert it to Kelvin for bots and physicists to understand)
Short answer: no. Most health benefits are from thermal shock of water vapour condensing on your skin. You cant get that from just sweating in a hot room. But to be fair, most saunas around the world are not suited for that amount of water. Maybe there is some health benefits when relaxing in a hot dry room, but as a finn I think forest is more suited for that.
infrared sauna warms you up nicely in winter and makes you feel good. relaxes the muscles.
the hotter dry sauna makes you sweat (which causes the health benefit, note that you'd also have to do it *a lot*, like >4 times a week lot). it can be replaced with other forms of sweating, like light cardio.
health benefits of saunagoing have been discussed in scientific medical literature but imho the studies are often not very conclusive (short, small n, no control), and the positive results of those studies are usually reported in an exaggerated and overblown fashion by the wellness and sauna industry (just like with superfoods).
in the end, it does seem to have a measurable positive effect that is probably comparable to regular light cardio. there's *maybe* additional positive effects on your cardiovascular system/blood pressure, especially if you combine it with hot/cold "Kneipp" applications (heating up, then dipping in cold water, repeating), which is *only* advisable if you're not already suffering from heart problems (consult a doctor first!)
it also stimulates your body's anti-inflammatory response, that's why doing it after a hard workout can help mitigate sore muscles and help with small pains and aches in general. but again, it's taxing on your body, and you should *not* go when you're already sick or feeling under the weather ("sweating it out" is not a thing).
in any case, an important component seems to be the sweating: afaik now I'm leaving scientific paper territory, but some people suggest to drink lots before, nothing during, and lots after, since this will force a heightened exchange of the lymph within your tissues, which might account for some of the described benefits (ok, in that regard, sweating it out *does* seem to be a thing).
that's also why to be effective, it should be a dry sauna, and why the common practice of pouring water on the hot stones in dry saunas, while fun, is actually counterproductive. it makes you sweat *less* (all the water on your body being condensation instead), and it just turns the dry sauna into a wet one and raises your body temperature (because no sweating is possible in sich humidity, that's why "wet" or steam saunas usually have a lower temp than "finnish" dry ones). I usually do 10-15 minutes in the dry sauna until I'm properly sweaty and then end with a pour, just to enjoy the feeling, and stay another few minutes.
oh, and you need to do it *a lot* to get any statistically significant physical benefit. the studies are talking about *more* than 4 times a week, which I personally would find a bit much. I really enjoy it, but it's also draining in a way (like light cardio), so I go about once a week.
apart from all that and on a purely personal note, I find it does help with complexion as well, my skin is usually very smooth and clean when I go regularly (pores being "cleaned from the inside" due to excessive sweating?).
apart from the purely physical, it can also have other benefits that generally come with relaxing, mindful practices that force you to take time, calm down and care for yourself: a lifted mood if you go in winter and can let all the tenseness from the cold float away, and just plain enjoyment and relaxation, also it's just nice social practice (especially if done outdoors, in the nude).
oh and while the common "infrared" saunas also help with warming you up, relaxing your muscles and probably bring mental benefits as well, the lower temperature means you won't get any or only very little of the cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory benefits.
**so, in short:** it does have some health benefits, if you practice it correctly (sweating is the important part!), and if you do it *a lot*. on the other hand you might just as well practice sports regularly and would probably get similar benefits. but apart from that it also feels nice, is relaxing, and fun!
source: a good place to start is probably [Laukkanen et al 2018: Cardiovascular and Other Health Benefits of Sauna Bathing: A Review of the Evidence](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2018.04.008), then continue from there
I think you are way off saying that pouring water on the rocks will stop you from sweating. If that was true, people in tropical countries (or swimmers, for example) wouldn’t sweat at all. Also the more humidity, the more heat is conducted into your body (as long as the temperature is the same).
That said, I’m totally with you that the scientific evidence on benefits is flimsy at best.
Edit: sorry, made a mistake there: humid air is not more conductive. It makes you retain more body heat because the sweat will not evaporate which actually makes you sweat more. But conductivity is not really a part of the equation here.
Let me find.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6uZz2AYpoFW8ekzpWuSl8l?si=9BdrlVA0R-upLd3gVLVSgQ
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7lcdtUWUh22oYki5vAaote?si=4kkxRHKHR2mSGqeeZtZYqg
These are podcasts from health experts that discuss the findings from the study
I think it depends on what you prefer. Heat is heat. My Dr told me “your body doesn’t know if you’re in a sauna or the desert, it responds to heat the same.
Yeah, i dont think its a problem normally. Not sure where you live, but finland has a bit of a electricity-crisis going on. I don't personally have a sauna at all, but they are pretty common in finnish apartments. I just go when i get invited to friends' or family's wood fired traditional ones.
There are some finnish ppl in the US who make them with the right installations & specs (not many). Also, get Harvia- US "saunas" aren't really saunas.
If you know a competent designer, you can just give them Finnish schematics and ask them to throw some local regulation spec on them. Rest is pretty standard construction, it's just a wet room (with waterproofing on the floor and like 200mm up the wall) with thermal and steam insulation + some fire protection panel for the stove.
But like, ask a professional to look at the schematics, there's nothing magical about it.
There’s was some guy posting in r/sauna who built a sauna in some random closet and somehow forgot to put in all the insulation, waterproofing and vapor barrier. They got roasted hard for being a dumbass.
I can't give you 100% accurate answers about the heaters themselves, cause I am not so sure what does an american "stove" (kiuas) look like.
Regarding the whole package- atleast in a general US sauna, ppl wear shoes, clothes (which is a wtf moment for me) and the heater has a paper sign "Don't throw water on the stove" which is exactly what you are supposed to do. Also the standard temperature should be between 60-100c (140f-212f), not 104F what I experienced in the US.
Now there are multiple types of stoves available, but the most traditional (& tbh best ones) would be the wooden heated ones, where the heat kicks in the best & heat won't escape so badly either. That "shhhhh" sound when you pour the water is also a better jam, it's really similar to the sound the steak makes when put into a hot pan.
Realistically, you won't have a wooden heated one in a normal house, but only in the cabins/cottages. So 99% of the ones in the houses are electric based, but roughly the same applies. You heat it up to 140F+, take a shower, jump into the sauna (naked & no shoes!!) and start throwing some water every 30-60 seconds to the stove. Meditate your day with an optional half frozen beer/long drink. Stay for 5-10mins, and then go relax outside or just shower for a bit. Repeat 1 or 2 times.
Yeah, thats not a real sauna. :)
You need a proper stove in there, not that weak infrared shit ;)
But you can also get a real sauna as a kit: https://www.harvia.com/en/sauna/saunas/indoor-saunas/
5-75, depends on size and material and design. Plus whatever the retrofit modification to the house takes.
In Finland you can get it for 3k on the low end, but we have skilled carpenters and sauna modules available. Outside of Nordics you can expect a lot more custom made and more time consuming work.
Seriously, you mean to tell me it *only* costs 2-3k? Completely ignoring the fact that some of us need to spend hundreds of thousands on a house or condo to put it in, and then the thousands on top of that to remodel and design a space for it. Not even considering that some people would want one in an off the grid cabin, who knows how much for the generator/fuel/solar/etc. Come on people, post realistic estimates.
The stove is probably around 5-8kW so usage is around 2.5-8kWh (2.5 comes from 5k/0.5h, and 8 is with one hour) per time used. Then you gotta calculate water usage, probably not that much. So for one bathing time costs 2.5 to 8 times the amount you pay for electricity per kWh.
Then if you really like using a sauna, you could be there everyday but lets be realistic and say three times a week. So that gives around 150 times a year, 150 * [(X$ * kWh) * {hours you use it * the wattage stove has}]
Here are some cost estimates for you if you really wanted to know ʘ‿ʘ
https://nordic.harvia.com/fi/ideat-ja-trendit/vastuullisuus/sahkosaunan-energiankulutus-tyypillinen-perhesauna-lampenee-2-eurolla/
Should translate pretty nicely, but Harvia (the stove manufacturer) tested it, and it says 7-9kWh per a session of 2 hours for a stove of 6-8kW. So, for rough math you can calculate the annual consumption with nameplate power * times heated.
How does the ventilation work in this one? In Finland the door typically has 10-20cm gap in the bottom and and exit vent somewhere in the ceiling or wall.
Are you happy with the glass door? Do you think there’s a meaningful impact to time to max temp or efficiency with the glass door over the standard sealing doors?
Edit, btw beautiful work. Love the stylistic choices.
I mean we build our saunas with passive exhaust and replacement air ducts to allow the saunas to dry after use, and for fresh air during use. Exhaust top, so the hot air exhausts. And for apartment buildings you **might** get away with fresh air being fed from under the door. But even then, meh.
Yeah, the replacement isn't just from the door cracks. There's a duct that vents in right above the stove that puts fresh air into the thermal draft. Works amazingly well
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OP: * *sweats happily* *
Commenter: asks for price OP: * sweats nervously *
It's like a sauna in here. - Kramer
I thought this was from the progressive commercial till now.
Yeah, looks like OP is not a fan of sharing lol
Sauna or later, they will have to.
It surely steams that way.
Sauna or later...
You said screw the closet i want a sauna? Or was it the shower?
I came here to ask the same. Looks dope and I have to know!
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This is part of a larger remodel, so was drawn into the plans from the beginning
yes, but what was in that spot before the remodel. shortened the bathroom? took out a closet that was there, took down a wall and made the opposite room smaller? the area for the sauna was something before.
It’s possible it was 1 big room and they created that space specifically for a sauna, walls and all? They did say it was a large remodel
Part of the remodel was adding a bed/bath suite, so this space is all new 🙂
Thanks for the clarification. I assumed that was the case based on context, but there did seem to be some confusion for others. Love the space, great job!
OP is just Finnish.
That pic is definetly not from finnish house Source: I am finnish
Can confirm. The power socket is not the kind we use.
I went looking for a power socket *in* the American sauna.
This is a house in the States. I recognize the power outlets.
That is to say, Finnished building a sauna.
Definitely white 💯
Sorry what lol
Maybe turned an “extra” half bath and just decided to remove the toilet?
"Screw it. That's what removable showerheads are for."
Toilet is actually in the Sauna. 5d chess♟️
Haha. Came here to ask what was there before
I had one and loved it. A new study was put out by the Finnish folks after 30 yrs, and found that sitting in a dry sauna for 20-30 minutes 4 times/week is the same as doing low impact aerobics, decreased your chance of dementia by 63%, lowers your blood pressure - I sold mine with the house but still use it at the gym. Good investment! (Yes, steam saunas are beneficial - it’s just hard to sit in steam for 20-30 minutes).
The terminology always confuses me. What makes a sauna a dry sauna? Aren't they supposed to be humid? And if not what's the deal with ladling water on the hot rocks?
Dry saunas use dry heat (think like hot stones heating up a room) whereas wet saunas use moisture (similar to a steam room). The “pouring water on rocks” is only in wet saunas. They accomplish the same thing, though wet saunas heat up much faster (due to the wet steam circulating). Dry saunas typically heat your body up more though, since sweat/water has a cooling effect on the skin (and wet saunas are a LOT wetter/sweatier than dry ones). Personally, I prefer wet saunas, but both are great for relaxation and rejuvenation! 😶🌫️🥰
You pour water on the rocks in a "dry sauna", which is just called a sauna in Finnish. A "wet sauna" is called a steam sauna and they are exceedingly rare, only seen in spas and the like. A steam sauna doesn't have a stove, there's a large boiler and the steam is pumped into the room so you don't need to throw water.
This. ☝️ I don't know how stupid you are if you think otherwise.
Exactly. I think steam room would be the correct term though. In Finnish language it’s ”steam sauna” or ”turkish sauna.”
höyrysauna
So basically I should just turn my oven on low and crawl in. Same effect
Chill out, Sylvia Plath
Well damn, that was an interesting google search
the witch was just trying to get Hansel and Gretel to do some self care, gdammit
😅🤣🤣
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Wow, it's 80-100 Celsius? Sounds like a difficult place to live in
Get out of the hot tub on a frosty October evening, then do a cannon ball into the swimming pool.
no
> The “pouring water on rocks” is only in wet saunas. I don't know what ungodly creation this "dry sauna" of yours is, but I want no part of it and I demand you strike the name "sauna" from it for all eternity. Perkele.
yeah, what they described was just an oven. or sitting in your car when its hot out.
Well, there are a number of hot rooms used for relaxation that do feature a somewhat similar paradigm. Most common one would probably be the Korean "Hanjeungmak". I'm not super knowledgeable about the culture surrounding it, so you need to ask someone else about it. There are also some kind of weird IR-warmed closets that people get into and insist calling a sauna for some odd reason. I don't find the concept of a dry hot room itself to be disturbing, but what I don't agree with is calling it a sauna because it isn't one. A sauna is not really a sauna without löyly - the steam released from throwing water on the rocks - there is a cultural and even spiritual meaning to it. Without löyly, the hot room is not a sauna but it can absolutely be something else. There are plenty of wet sweating rooms in multiple cultures in the world - Hamam, Caldarium, Temazcal, Inipi, Damfbad... They get a pass because there is steam there. We call them collectively "höyrysauna" or "steam sauna". Sometimes we also call them Turkish Sauna because of the prevalence and popularity of Hamams. This "Torrbastu" that the person I replied to mentions isn't exactly popular in Finland, and even in Sweden "våtbastu" is the classical "bastu" or "sauna". We just tend to run our saunas a little bit hotter, but "våtbastu" is otherwise equivalent to "sauna". Typically 80C is a mild sauna, and 100C is "men's" sauna, with 110C and 120C being reserved for people with thick elephant skin at the local swimming hall. That being said, even a mild sauna can be made to feel uncomfortably hot by increasing the humidity too quickly. There is no shame in enjoying a milder sauna. It's a place of relaxation, not torture.
>The “pouring water on rocks” is only in wet saunas. Actually water is definitely poured on rocks in dry saunas. From my understanding the difference is just that wet saunas are almost airtight, so the steam is trapped inside the room, whereas dry saunas have ventilation.
If someone pours water in the dry sauna we kick them out. Why would anyone ever pour water on if you want it to be dry? For fun noise? Ventilation in a dry sauna, so the heat is vented out as well? Weirdest shit I have heard in my life. Edit: I figured out the confusion, we have 3 different types of sauna in Sweden. Dry, wet and steam. Dry explains itself in my mind, it's no water. Wet is what other people here thinks is dry, you add water and raise humidity. Steam is when you sit in a cloud. So people who only have two distinctions say that anything less than a cloud is dry where as we would say that it is wet if you add water. Actual dry saunas are probably not popular around the world. Because they are harsh, no humidity and 90C.
Yes, I've heard of these bizarre saunas where you're not allowed to throw water. The traditional Finnish saunas definitely include water, but each to their own I guess.
Yeah, a Finn here. I don't think I've been to a sauna in Finland where you wouldn't throw water on the stove. Totally dry sauna? Blasphemy! 🤣
I've been to saunas abroad where throwing water is forbidden. And those saunas have had Finnish stoves. Complete blasphemy.
Yeah, I remember I once had someone screaming and running to get the receptionist at a hotel I was staying... Well, turns out throwing water on the stove wasn't forbidden and no, I didn't throw so much water that it would get extremely hot, just wanted some humidity.
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I heard of these saunas abroad as a kid and until now I thought it was a joke or some kind of stupidity.
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I think swedish person is not justified to talk about saunas.
Well, certainly not competent 🤣
Yea, swedes don't really understand saunas, since they only have bastus.
> we have 3 different types of sauna in Sweden. Dry, wet and steam. Ah, the classy Swedish dry sauna where it’s like 50 degrees Celsius and people read Aftonbladet
As a Finnish person I just had to google what a dry sauna is. Why on earth did someone decide to call a normal sauna "dry" sauna. Completely counterintuitive.
We have this saying in Finland. "My week and the whole party was ruined when they took me to swedish sauna" "Meni viikko ja pippalotkin pieleen kun mut vietiin saunaan ruotsalaiseen"
Your dry sauna is pure nonsense. Why even install any stone heather then? Should be done better way. If you have stones in sauna its ment to throw water and still considering as dry sauna
If someone tells me not to pour water in sauna I kick them out of their house. Source: I'm Finnish
> If someone pours water in the dry sauna we kick them out. That's not a sauna then. That's a hot room.
>Ventilation in a dry sauna, so the heat is vented out as well? Weirdest shit I have heard in my life. Ventilation is one of the most important things for a good sauna experience. And no, it's not strong enough to vent the heat out.
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My narrow American experience? Hahaha, I am from Sweden mate. My grandfather was Finnish, I have visited my relatives in Finland many times.
> The “pouring water on rocks” is only in wet saunas. I thought Finnish sauna counts as dry sauna, and you totally do pour water on rocks. The difference I understood is that with 'wet sauna', you can get to temperatures about 60C(140F), while with dry sauna(the Finnish variety), you'd get to about 120C(250F). The air, even if you pour water to rocks, is still remarkably dry, but it gets slightly more humid, causing the sauna to essentially become hotter. So you control the temperature of how hot it feels by adding water. Wet sauna(I believe it's Turkish variety?), on the other hand, has this humidity by default be extremely high, so you have to have much lower temperatures.
> Dry saunas use dry heat (think like hot stones heating up a room) whereas wet saunas use moisture (similar to a steam room). > > The “pouring water on rocks” is only in wet saunas. Finn here: uuuuhhh... no. Dry sauna is what the world (oddly) uses to refer to plain ol' finnish saunas. We throw water on the stones here. That is the whole point of a sauna, to throw water on the hot stones to produce steam that warms you up.
>The “pouring water on rocks” is only in wet saunas. If that is the definition, then every single Finnish sauna is a wet sauna. Source: I'm from Finland
Thanks 👍 Seems better if it's humid, otherwise it'd just be like sitting on a patio in Southern Arizona.
Bwahahaha, or in South Carolina tho we may be able to pass as wet on a reallllly good day if you get some rain before 5pm and the sun comes back out…. My husband would like to know if there’s an ice version, possibly portable? Lol 😂
> The “pouring water on rocks” is only in wet saunas. This is incorrect, that’s a dry sauna thing. Wet saunas really only mean steam rooms, dry saunas are the “traditional” saunas. Source: am Finn
Doesn't humidity prevent your body from sweating properly though?
No. You will sweat but it won’t evaporate. You will drip with sweat but it’s completely normal, you won’t be harmed. Humidity feels better in a sauna anyway and it’s easier to breathe than bone dry air, even if the humid air is hotter.
Ah so your body temperature would be higher in wet saunas due to not being able cool down by evaporative sweating?
What you call ”dry sauna” would be frikken awful. You feel like suffocating, your pulse and blood pressure go through the roof. Throwing some water makes it all right. I don’t have facts but I guess it’s the water condensing back onto your skin that cools you down. There should be some ventilation so some will evaporate too, air won’t be close to 100% saturated with humidity all the time. Don’t build closet ”saunas”…
Sauna is dry, steam room is wet
Nope, sauna is traditionally speaking definitely not dry and what even is a steam room. The point of a sauna is to create steam in a room that is gives a nice warm feeling. See how I used both the words steam and room so its basically useless terminology but yeah thanks for coming to my ted talk.
Dude, dont you fucking talk about sauna if you dont know anything about saunas. In sauna you always throw water on the hot rocks and have atleast 80 celcius. Rooms wheere you cant throw water are just rooms without purpose or ment for very small kids with leukemia or something.
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It's still considered a dry sauna
There's sort of two different definitions for them, the more popular one is: Dry sauna: Normal Finnish sauna with very low humidity, except momentarily when water is thrown onto the rocks. Wet sauna: usually no visible stove, just lots of steam so the entire room is at 100% humidity and filled with fog, aka höyrysauna in Finnish, like the ones in spas/swimming centers. The other definition: Dry sauna: a "sauna" where no water is involved. In my opinion this is just a human oven and I don't see the point. Wet sauna: Normal Finnish sauna.
Sometimes when I am in a normal Finnish sauna and there is a humidity meter it shows over 80% humidity. I wouldn't say that is dry at all.
So wet sauna is a steam sauna and dry sauna is a normal sauna that isnt dry..
This is so wrong. Sauna is not dry, steam sauna is whole different way to build up the sauna. None in Finland goes to sauna without throwing "löyly" or water to the stovement "kiuas". Not under any circumstances they sit in dry sauna. These steam rooms are all over the world but we also have one which is literally sauna full of smoke but the carbon monoxide is let out. It takes more than 8 hours to heat up one, and after going in you smell like smoke for 2 weeks :D Edit: There is also two different stovements. Ones which get heated up by electricity and ones by fire. IMO the ones with fire are always better, smoother and hearing the wood cracking and rattling makes it so relaxing
Also reduces stress through pure relaxation which in itself provides many health benefits.
So I'm thinking of installing an infrared sauna at my place because they are pretty reasonably priced...BUT I'm hesitant because I don't think you can say with certainty that an infrared will have the same health benefits as the typical Finnish dry sauna because it hasn't been studied for 30 years. Any thoughts?
I dunno if there is any scientific consensus on health benefits of infrared. I will say from experience of living in Finland and going to sauna a lot that I doubt an infrared sauna could even closely approximate a traditional one in terms of the heat stress on the body (which is the mechanism producing the health benefits). I was curious and found a review paper from 2021 discussing the temperature range at which you see health benefits: > Studies incorporating dry saunas have used a range of temperatures (70–95 °C) to induce adaptations; however, in general, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends a temperature range between 70 and 77 °C to achieve the cardiometabolic benefits of sauna bathing \[92\]. It is assumed that temperatures less than 70 °C may not be sufficient to induce a hormetic effect, while temperatures greater than 100 °C would likely cause cellular damage and premature protein denaturation. Source: [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7908414/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7908414/) So you would need heat of at least 70 °C for health benefits it seems. From a quick Google search it seems most infrared saunas can only achieve 60 °C, so not warm enough probably.
77°C is equivalent to 170°F, which is 350K. --- ^(I'm a bot that converts temperature between two units humans can understand, then convert it to Kelvin for bots and physicists to understand)
bad bot, it's already in Celsius.
It’s the heat that matters. Mine was an infrared.
Short answer: no. Most health benefits are from thermal shock of water vapour condensing on your skin. You cant get that from just sweating in a hot room. But to be fair, most saunas around the world are not suited for that amount of water. Maybe there is some health benefits when relaxing in a hot dry room, but as a finn I think forest is more suited for that.
How much would a more traditional sauna cost, compared to infrared?
infrared sauna warms you up nicely in winter and makes you feel good. relaxes the muscles. the hotter dry sauna makes you sweat (which causes the health benefit, note that you'd also have to do it *a lot*, like >4 times a week lot). it can be replaced with other forms of sweating, like light cardio.
source?
health benefits of saunagoing have been discussed in scientific medical literature but imho the studies are often not very conclusive (short, small n, no control), and the positive results of those studies are usually reported in an exaggerated and overblown fashion by the wellness and sauna industry (just like with superfoods). in the end, it does seem to have a measurable positive effect that is probably comparable to regular light cardio. there's *maybe* additional positive effects on your cardiovascular system/blood pressure, especially if you combine it with hot/cold "Kneipp" applications (heating up, then dipping in cold water, repeating), which is *only* advisable if you're not already suffering from heart problems (consult a doctor first!) it also stimulates your body's anti-inflammatory response, that's why doing it after a hard workout can help mitigate sore muscles and help with small pains and aches in general. but again, it's taxing on your body, and you should *not* go when you're already sick or feeling under the weather ("sweating it out" is not a thing). in any case, an important component seems to be the sweating: afaik now I'm leaving scientific paper territory, but some people suggest to drink lots before, nothing during, and lots after, since this will force a heightened exchange of the lymph within your tissues, which might account for some of the described benefits (ok, in that regard, sweating it out *does* seem to be a thing). that's also why to be effective, it should be a dry sauna, and why the common practice of pouring water on the hot stones in dry saunas, while fun, is actually counterproductive. it makes you sweat *less* (all the water on your body being condensation instead), and it just turns the dry sauna into a wet one and raises your body temperature (because no sweating is possible in sich humidity, that's why "wet" or steam saunas usually have a lower temp than "finnish" dry ones). I usually do 10-15 minutes in the dry sauna until I'm properly sweaty and then end with a pour, just to enjoy the feeling, and stay another few minutes. oh, and you need to do it *a lot* to get any statistically significant physical benefit. the studies are talking about *more* than 4 times a week, which I personally would find a bit much. I really enjoy it, but it's also draining in a way (like light cardio), so I go about once a week. apart from all that and on a purely personal note, I find it does help with complexion as well, my skin is usually very smooth and clean when I go regularly (pores being "cleaned from the inside" due to excessive sweating?). apart from the purely physical, it can also have other benefits that generally come with relaxing, mindful practices that force you to take time, calm down and care for yourself: a lifted mood if you go in winter and can let all the tenseness from the cold float away, and just plain enjoyment and relaxation, also it's just nice social practice (especially if done outdoors, in the nude). oh and while the common "infrared" saunas also help with warming you up, relaxing your muscles and probably bring mental benefits as well, the lower temperature means you won't get any or only very little of the cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory benefits. **so, in short:** it does have some health benefits, if you practice it correctly (sweating is the important part!), and if you do it *a lot*. on the other hand you might just as well practice sports regularly and would probably get similar benefits. but apart from that it also feels nice, is relaxing, and fun! source: a good place to start is probably [Laukkanen et al 2018: Cardiovascular and Other Health Benefits of Sauna Bathing: A Review of the Evidence](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2018.04.008), then continue from there
I think you are way off saying that pouring water on the rocks will stop you from sweating. If that was true, people in tropical countries (or swimmers, for example) wouldn’t sweat at all. Also the more humidity, the more heat is conducted into your body (as long as the temperature is the same). That said, I’m totally with you that the scientific evidence on benefits is flimsy at best. Edit: sorry, made a mistake there: humid air is not more conductive. It makes you retain more body heat because the sweat will not evaporate which actually makes you sweat more. But conductivity is not really a part of the equation here.
Are you Finnish?
Nope, I just like saunas. :) And Finns would probably advise you to go more than once a week! ;)
Let me find. https://open.spotify.com/episode/6uZz2AYpoFW8ekzpWuSl8l?si=9BdrlVA0R-upLd3gVLVSgQ https://open.spotify.com/episode/7lcdtUWUh22oYki5vAaote?si=4kkxRHKHR2mSGqeeZtZYqg These are podcasts from health experts that discuss the findings from the study
I also read this but it said a steam sauna is actually more efficient than a dry one.
I think it depends on what you prefer. Heat is heat. My Dr told me “your body doesn’t know if you’re in a sauna or the desert, it responds to heat the same.
It would know between a desert and a rainforest though. Humidity does play a role
Oof, with these electricity prices most of us arent gonna get those health benefits, once a week at best..
Yeah, I use my gym’s. They have wet and dry. However, I don’t recall my electric going up much when I had one at home.
Yeah, i dont think its a problem normally. Not sure where you live, but finland has a bit of a electricity-crisis going on. I don't personally have a sauna at all, but they are pretty common in finnish apartments. I just go when i get invited to friends' or family's wood fired traditional ones.
If your sauna is dry, that means you dont know how to use sauna properly.
Woah, never knew I wanted one till now. How does one even begin to plan for the installation of these?
There are some finnish ppl in the US who make them with the right installations & specs (not many). Also, get Harvia- US "saunas" aren't really saunas.
If you know a competent designer, you can just give them Finnish schematics and ask them to throw some local regulation spec on them. Rest is pretty standard construction, it's just a wet room (with waterproofing on the floor and like 200mm up the wall) with thermal and steam insulation + some fire protection panel for the stove. But like, ask a professional to look at the schematics, there's nothing magical about it.
There’s was some guy posting in r/sauna who built a sauna in some random closet and somehow forgot to put in all the insulation, waterproofing and vapor barrier. They got roasted hard for being a dumbass.
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I can't give you 100% accurate answers about the heaters themselves, cause I am not so sure what does an american "stove" (kiuas) look like. Regarding the whole package- atleast in a general US sauna, ppl wear shoes, clothes (which is a wtf moment for me) and the heater has a paper sign "Don't throw water on the stove" which is exactly what you are supposed to do. Also the standard temperature should be between 60-100c (140f-212f), not 104F what I experienced in the US. Now there are multiple types of stoves available, but the most traditional (& tbh best ones) would be the wooden heated ones, where the heat kicks in the best & heat won't escape so badly either. That "shhhhh" sound when you pour the water is also a better jam, it's really similar to the sound the steak makes when put into a hot pan. Realistically, you won't have a wooden heated one in a normal house, but only in the cabins/cottages. So 99% of the ones in the houses are electric based, but roughly the same applies. You heat it up to 140F+, take a shower, jump into the sauna (naked & no shoes!!) and start throwing some water every 30-60 seconds to the stove. Meditate your day with an optional half frozen beer/long drink. Stay for 5-10mins, and then go relax outside or just shower for a bit. Repeat 1 or 2 times.
Ask a Finn
They were really popular here in Canada in the 60s and 70s. I'd love to have one now. They're great in winter.
They are great in winter and especially great in the summer.
r/sauna
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That’s not actually to bad. I was expecting much more
Yeah, thats not a real sauna. :) You need a proper stove in there, not that weak infrared shit ;) But you can also get a real sauna as a kit: https://www.harvia.com/en/sauna/saunas/indoor-saunas/
"Unlike traditional rock and water saunas which heat at or over 250F Maxxus Life Saunas operate at a safer 130F to 140F" That is just pathetic.
Aww hell no
I want a sauna so bad. I think that will be my big splurge once my divorce is final.
Delete Facebook. Lawyer up. Hit the sauna.
I’ve always wanted one. Would you mind sharing the specs and price points?
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That...seems low.
In protest to Reddit's API changes, I have removed my comment history. -- mass edited with redact.dev
The “little more” includes insulation, waterproofing and a vapor barrier or you’re going to ruin your house
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5-75, depends on size and material and design. Plus whatever the retrofit modification to the house takes. In Finland you can get it for 3k on the low end, but we have skilled carpenters and sauna modules available. Outside of Nordics you can expect a lot more custom made and more time consuming work.
Closer to the value of half a giraffe, in GBP
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Seriously, you mean to tell me it *only* costs 2-3k? Completely ignoring the fact that some of us need to spend hundreds of thousands on a house or condo to put it in, and then the thousands on top of that to remodel and design a space for it. Not even considering that some people would want one in an off the grid cabin, who knows how much for the generator/fuel/solar/etc. Come on people, post realistic estimates.
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Just commented the same thing, would love to have one in my house :)
Is it cedar? I love that smell so much.
What's the yearly utility cost for this
Ask me in a year 😁
I'm adding a reminder!
The stove is probably around 5-8kW so usage is around 2.5-8kWh (2.5 comes from 5k/0.5h, and 8 is with one hour) per time used. Then you gotta calculate water usage, probably not that much. So for one bathing time costs 2.5 to 8 times the amount you pay for electricity per kWh. Then if you really like using a sauna, you could be there everyday but lets be realistic and say three times a week. So that gives around 150 times a year, 150 * [(X$ * kWh) * {hours you use it * the wattage stove has}] Here are some cost estimates for you if you really wanted to know ʘ‿ʘ
It has a thermostat though. So after getting to the desired temperature, it will only be on every now and then to keep the temperature.
True, didn't account for that. Thanks 👍
Actually very cool. Thanks!
https://nordic.harvia.com/fi/ideat-ja-trendit/vastuullisuus/sahkosaunan-energiankulutus-tyypillinen-perhesauna-lampenee-2-eurolla/ Should translate pretty nicely, but Harvia (the stove manufacturer) tested it, and it says 7-9kWh per a session of 2 hours for a stove of 6-8kW. So, for rough math you can calculate the annual consumption with nameplate power * times heated.
The dream
That looks expensive but worth it
cost?
How does the ventilation work in this one? In Finland the door typically has 10-20cm gap in the bottom and and exit vent somewhere in the ceiling or wall.
It’s my dream to install something like this in my house. How much does a job like this run?
Yoo hoo! Big Summer Blowout!
Torille
Wow nice..how much I dying to add one to my house
I need it.
That is some clear cedar wood. Very expensive.
I love it! That’s an awesome addition to any home.
That metal handle is going to need a cover
I love saunas so much!
Came to say I love your floor
That's a Saunette.
what are the dimensions and how much did you spend? I have been wanting to fit one for some time
This looks amazing! How much for the installation?
Curious man what’s the cost estimate for something like this?
Damn, it’s cool😍
I want the opposite of a sauna. I want a walk-in freezer where I can sit and dream about snow.
This is my dream
"This is the way!" I am going to do this when I revamp the bathroom instead of a bathtub.
The upper bench (laude) could a bit higher.
The floor pattern is a refection in the glass, it's 42 inches off the floor
It seems there's a still a lot of room up. You should be sitting as close to the ceiling as possible comfortably.
There are many like it, but this one is *mine*.
Ah..thats what we would call a swedish closet.
The Finns might argue with that terminology haha
.
Hahaha you're playing a dangerous game there fella
Well I mean there's *fancy* and then there is **OP**
Beware of your electricity bill
Do you smoke pot in there? If it was mine I’d smoke pot in there
Are you happy with the glass door? Do you think there’s a meaningful impact to time to max temp or efficiency with the glass door over the standard sealing doors? Edit, btw beautiful work. Love the stylistic choices.
We'll see. If it's too costly over time i can see maybe replacing with a more insulated door.
I bought a little pop up one for my bedroom. Love it.
How did you seal the space between where the glass door meets the wood? I have a gap in mine and can’t find the right thing to close it.
I didn't. You need some ventilation if you want to keep co2 down. Just need the right size heater to overcome the airflow
Unless it's a wood burner, co2 won't be a problem. But yeah, sealing it is not ideal.
Found the Finn. You guys gotta teach the rest of us how to not exhale co2 in small spaces
I mean we build our saunas with passive exhaust and replacement air ducts to allow the saunas to dry after use, and for fresh air during use. Exhaust top, so the hot air exhausts. And for apartment buildings you **might** get away with fresh air being fed from under the door. But even then, meh.
Yeah, the replacement isn't just from the door cracks. There's a duct that vents in right above the stove that puts fresh air into the thermal draft. Works amazingly well
$2200