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The article “What is a Finnish sauna like” goes through some important things that came to mind about the Finnish sauna and what are its characteristics.

Many people have built or are building their own saunas. Or bought ready-made bathroom saunas. However, there are a few things about Finnish saunas that you should take into consideration when building/constructing/buying your own sauna.

When I started writing this article I noticed that the Saunakilta ry had already made a similar list last year.

What is a Finnish sauna like

The sauna is made of wood or that the sauna panels are made of wood. There is insulation and a vapour barrier under the panel.

The floor can be moisture-proof concrete or tiled.

The sauna ceilings are made of wood. The wood can be any kind of hard-wearing wood. For example aspen, pine, apache.

The sauna ceilings are positioned so that the distance between the top ceiling and the ceiling is 110 cm. As the heat rises upwards, it is also energy efficient to place the ceilings in this way. Because if it is for example more than 110 cm then the heat will be above the head of the sailor.

The width of the upper ceiling should be 60 cm.

The central slat is placed 40 cm below and has a width of 40 cm.

A stool is placed on the floor to help you climb up to the slats. It also makes it possible to adjust the height at which the boarding platform is reached.

An important factor in the positioning of the sauna benches is that the law of steam is observed. This means that the skirting board or legs are higher than the stove stones. This law ensures that you get a good steam in the sauna.

When calculating the number of seats in the sauna, calculate that one person occupies 60 cm of the width of the benches.

The boards must also be built safely. So that they are easily accessible. Also pay attention to the nail places, they must not stick out so that you can burn your skin on them.

Wie geht man energieeffizient in die Sauna

Sauna stove with stones

It can be a metal stove, but check that it is the right size for your sauna. Cheaper heaters with thinner metal are made and are not as efficient. So be careful when buying a Sauna stove. Again, the cheapest is not always the best option.

At the same time, check that there are enough stones for the size of the sauna.

The stove can also be a masonry stove or a stacked stove.

Drainage

A Finnish sauna always has a drain on the floor where the water drains. The drain can be on the side of the sauna or, as in our case, on the side of the bathroom, where the water can be conveniently loaded.

The main thing is that the water does not stay on the sauna floor.

How warm is the sauna?

The sauna can be heated to 70-100 degrees by means of a stove, depending on your preferences. The temperature is measured from the height of the person’s head.

It may be that an electric heater is so efficient that a lower temperature is enough for a good sauna.

The heater can be heated with electricity or wood. I have come across gas or oil-fired heaters but they are not so common.

Wood stoves are always heated with dry wood.

Read more: How to light a wood burning sauna

Creating a steam

In a Finnish sauna, you throw/create a löyly. The water should be warm, but it does not have to be hot. The warm water that comes from the tap is fine. So that there are no problems with children, for example.

Ventilation

The Finnish sauna is also known for being easy to breathe in and for air circulation. So ventilation must be taken care of. If you feel uncomfortable in your sauna, get a headache or find it difficult to breathe, I would definitely check whether there is a problem with the ventilation.

A ventilation vent, which allows fresh air to enter the sauna if necessary.

The sauna is clean

A clean sauna is half the food. A sauna with a musty smell is not pleasant to go into. So remember to look after your sauna. Wash your sauna 2-3 times a year if you take a sauna once a week.

Lighting is indirect

Indirect lighting is also considered a characteristic feature of the Finnish sauna. The sauna is wonderfully atmospheric and not too bright. We have one light on the stove. When I want a real sauna atmosphere, I bring candles into the sauna and turn off the lights.

There is also a small window in the sauna, as in the old days, but I don’t think it’s necessary.

Here were the characteristics of the Finnish sauna that came to my mind. What about you, is your sauna built according to Finnish criteria?

And if I missed something important, please send me a message or comment.

With love,

Sauna-Kati

In this article we take a look at American sauna culture. But remember that the USA is a big country and each state may have its own way of taking a sauna. For this article I have interviewed many expatriate Finns who live in the USA.

Do men and women have saunas mixed together?

Do people sauna naked?

Are children allowed to take a sauna?

The answers to these and many other questions can be found in this article.

Sauna culture in the USA

The sauna culture in the USA is probably thanks to us Finnish innovators. Without us and people from other countries, there would hardly be a sauna culture in America.

The Finnish pioneers were the first to build a smoke sauna and the Finns had their own Finnish villages where Finns lived together and took saunas.

It is believed that the oldest standing smoke sauna in the USA is in Minnesota. It was built in 1868. The sauna is located at Temperance Corner, three miles north of Cokato on County Road 3. Cokato is now known as Sauna City.

In 1885, a Finnish family was sued by the township because they had been chilling outside naked and the sauna was passed by a road. The municipality had decided to demolish the sauna but fortunately the ingenious Finnish family counter-sued. The Finnish family won and the municipality paid for the renovations. A dressing room was built in their smoke sauna to preserve the neighborhood.

There are similar stories all over North America, with many Finnish settlements across the country.

Immigrants have had it tough these days as well as back then. Immigrants did hard labor, took up farming or worked in mines.

I believe that the sauna has helped Finnish immigrants in the midst of all the stress and chaos. It’s great that Finns believed in their own thing so strongly that they didn’t forget it even when they changed continents.

But the Finns were not the only ones who brought their own sauna culture to the country. Koreans, for example, also brought their own sauna culture to America.

American Sauna Culture

Many people say there isn’t but now that I’ve done some research, there is a little bit. I could also say that there is a big sauna boom in the US at the moment and many people who can afford it are investing in their own sauna.

Who is taking a sauna

There is probably no exact definition of this. I would say expatriates, descendants of immigrants, and self-sufficient people regardless of gender.

Saunas in the USA

Saunas can be found in hotels and gyms, but few people have their own saunas.

Unfortunately, saunas are rather flimsy and you are often not even allowed to throw a sauna. People may take a sauna in a swimsuit, with a towel around them, or in gym clothes or even with sneakers on.

They may even have headphones with them in the sauna.

They might even take a sauna before they exercise because they’ve heard somewhere that it’s good for them. However, it is better to take a sauna after a sporting activity to recover.

Sauna boom

In the USA, as elsewhere, there is a big sauna boom going on. Saunas and public saunas are being enthusiastically built.

When celebrities were building their own saunas during the corona pandemic, they posted pictures of their saunas on social media. It created a real sauna boom among ordinary people.

Now the Finnish sauna and sauna bathing are really media-friendly.

Nudity in the USA

Nudity is not okay in America and therefore saunas are often attended in a bathing suit, clothes or towel.

Actress and model Anna Easteden said in an interview that Americans are very shameless. They get uncomfortable if, for example, she’s wearing nothing but a sports top when she’s working out. She only realizes it when Americans look away and not, for example, in the eyes. Then Anna remembers that damn, I have to put a shirt on.

Read more: Nudity in different cultures

Can the children take a sauna?

Children rarely have access to the sauna, unless it is an expatriate Finnish family or similar.

Do men and women take mixed saunas?

Usually not, both have their own saunas, e.g. in gyms or depending on the location.

See the story of an expatriate Finnish tuba player about the sauna culture in the US.

This article on sauna culture in the USA brings together whether or not there is a sauna culture in the US. What are your experiences? Feel free to post a comment below.

With love,

Sauna-Kati