Saunas have been popular in Europe, and especially Scandanavia for thousands of years. In fact, the word sauna is Finnish. Believe it or not, while there are only around five million people living in Finland, the country also has more than three million saunas.
Saunas are not only relaxing but can
bring about a myriad of health benefits. Saunas can help with pain relief,
asthma, cardiovascular issues, and even skin problems. If you have the space in
your home, then you might want to consider installing a home sauna.
Of course, there are several types
of saunas out there. This can make it difficult to find the right residential
sauna for your home.
Luckily for you, we are here to help
with just that. So keep on reading and we will take you through everything that
you will want to know!
Wood-Burning
Saunas
Also referred to as a Finnish sauna,
a wood-burning sauna is your classic dry sauna. This means that there is little
to no humidity inside of the sauna. The sauna is powered by a fire that is in a
wood stove that heats stones.
Those hot stones in turn heat the
little, wooden sauna compartment. The stove heats the sauna to between 150 and
two hundred degrees Fahrenheit.
You then have a special ladle and
bucket that you see in most wood saunas. You can use these tools to pour small
amounts of water over the stones in order to make some steam.
This kind of sauna is best used when
it is installed outside. You should use it for a single-family house in an area
that is uncongested. You want it somewhere where smoke from the sauna will not
disturb other people in the neighborhood.
A basic model of this kind of sauna
will usually cost a little more than three thousand dollars.
Electric
Saunas
A more modern kind of sauna, an
electric sauna will provide you with a similar experience to a wood sauna.
However, you won't need to stoke any fire. The stones and stove are heated via
electricity.
You can still pour water over the
stones to make steam, however.
An electric sauna is great for an
urban area where you can't install a wood version. You can also install this
kind of sauna indoors.
These kinds of saunas tend to cost
around the same amount of money as wood saunas and you can expect to pay
between three thousand dollars and five thousand dollars.
You can also find big electric
saunas that can be installed outside.
Infrared
Saunas
Infrared saunas are becoming
increasingly popular. However, if you were to speak to a sauna purist, they
would likely tell you that an infrared sauna is not a real sauna.
With that said, an infrared sauna
can offer you the same benefits as a regular sauna without the high heat. If
heat is something that worries you then this might be the ideal solution for
you.
An infrared sauna heats the body
directly instead of heating the air in the sauna. This means that you will get
the same benefits of a sauna but you won't get as hot.
An infrared sauna can be installed
indoors and they are also cheaper to install than other kinds of saunas. In
fact, you can assemble and install a compact infrared sauna yourself for a
little more than one thousand dollars.
One popular brand that sells these
kinds of saunas is TheraSauna.
Smoke
Saunas
A smoke sauna is a kind of sauna
that you likely won't come across in the United States. However, it is
considered to be one of the most authentic kinds of saunas out there.
A smoke sauna does not have a
chimney or a stove. Instead, this kind of sauna uses a fire that is built under
a pile of rocks. After the rocks have been heated, the fire is put out.
The smoke from the fire is aired out
of the sauna and your sauna session then starts.
Steam
Saunas
There are several names for steam
saunas that you might have come across. These include hammams, Turkish saunas,
and steam rooms. These kinds of saunas use moist heat from boiling water that
sends steam into the chamber.
A steam sauna is usually decorated
with ceramic tile or another non-pourous material. The hot steamy air is
usually a little bit hotter than one hundred degrees Fahrenheit.
A lot of steam room proponents say
that these kinds of saunas can be very helpful with the respiratory system.
This is the kind of sauna that you
would want a professional to install. That is because you are dealing with
humidity, moisture, heat, and a risk of mold.
The
Importance of Knowing About The Different Types of Saunas for Your House
Hopefully, after reading the above
article, you now understand what the different types of saunas for your house
are. As we can see, you have a wide variety of options to choose from. This
means that you will need to consider your budget, home environment, and sauna
goals.
Different saunas work in different
ways. So you'll need to think about where you want your sauna and also how big
it should be. A person who lives in a city will likely be better off with a
small electric sauna instead of a big smoke sauna, for example.
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