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In the “What does it cost to build a Finnish sauna in Germany”-article, I will tell you a little bit about our sauna construction project and what it all cost.

I started the World of Sauna blog to help expatriate Finns and other sauna fans to build their own Finnish sauna. I really hope my blog has helped you with your sauna related questions and that this post will be helpful to you too.

How much does it cost to build a sauna?

I have recently come across questions about the costs of sauna construction. How much does it cost to build a Finnish sauna and where can you get one cheaply? To this I say, cheap is not what you want.

It is not possible to build or buy a “cheap” Finnish sauna. And I think that is a good thing.

A Finnish sauna that is built properly will cost money.

There is a sauna construction boom in Germany

There has been a real sauna boom in Germany for the past year. I must admit that at times I’ve been downright horrified. I have seen some very inexperienced builders and odd, even dangerous building solutions.

I have more than once asked myself; are there no good sauna construction books available in German? Apparently, the sauna building manual by Rakennustieto has been published in German. However, it is already sold out and secondhand copies are very expensive and hard to come by. I think this is where the Germans are going wrong. They try to “save money” and do not invest in a good instruction manual. That’s perhaps the worst mistake you can make.

Without good instructions, you can make major mistakes. For example, someone on Facebook proudly showed how he had put black garbage bags behind the insulation. I could not believe my eyes; I was so shocked.

The price of wood in Germany

Right now, the price of wood is incredibly high, and wood is running out everywhere. This partly explains why sauna prices have risen. In addition, the demand for saunas has also increased. It’s a seller’s market.

Sauna is a big business in Germany

There are many different options available for someone who wants to build their own sauna in Germany. Some of them are great but some (unnamed) companies are not. They try to sell their customers low-quality saunas for low prices; some of these saunas cost only € 2,000. Every Finn knows that you can’t get a real Finnish sauna at that price. These saunas

are so-called bathroom saunas, which (in the worst-case scenario) are put in the corner of the bedroom or living room.

At what price do you get a good sauna?

Last winter, I had a conversation with a Finnish Sauna representative. He stated that it is impossible to build a good Finnish sauna for under 5,000 €. He said it is a fact every sauna builder should know before starting the process.

I would argue that you can’t get a Finnish sauna for less than € 10,000. Or, perhaps it is even more, something like € 15,000? Let me know what you think about my estimations in the comments.

What does it cost to build a sauna in Germany?

We did indeed build a Finnish sauna in Germany in 2015-2016. Construction of the sauna began in 2015 with cast-in-place. Everything went smoothly and we almost finished our sauna in one week.

However, the concrete floor had to dry, and then we needed to order more wall panels. Building materials for a sauna are not available at every hardware store and custom items take a long time to arrive. In the end, we had to wait till the next a year before the sauna was finally ready.

My partner and my father were primarily responsible for building the sauna. My husband did all the budgeting and kept records of what everything cost. Of course, this was some years ago so some bills and receipts may have gotten lost along the way.

How long does it take to build a sauna? What about the costs?

Only the building materials are included in this calculation. We did not have any labour costs because my husband and father did most of the work. The hourly wage of a carpenter, electrician and plumber is usually about 50 -100 € in Germany.

Building the sauna took approximately one week. My father and husband worked about 8 hours a day. They did work less on some days so it is not an accurate number, but I would argue that it took a little over a week. I think they could have made it in one week without the delays.

Concreting, bathroom building materials and the construction of the sauna lounge are not included in this calculation. The lounge was a big project; first, a 3 x 5 meters deep hole was dug, then came the concreting, doors, panels, etc.

Also, the wooden foundation of the sauna is not included here. I did not find any receipts so I cannot say what that cost.

I will try to write another post where I go deeper into the lounge and bathroom projects. It is a bit harder to find all the receipts and old bills for them, but I will try my best. However, my

partner said that the entire sauna project (including the shower and lounge) has cost over € 15,000. This estimate still excludes salaries and rental equipment.

Building a sauna is not cheap, nor should it be.

The size of the sauna

Our sauna is quite small, designed for three people. However, we have really put it to the test and noticed that six Finnish women fit in the sauna at the same time. Four on the upper benches and two on the lower benches.

The sauna is 160 cm long, 180 cm wide and 190 cm high.

What it costs to build a sauna in Germany:

Stove, Tulikivi Sumu, with remote control 1325 €
Stove stones (66 kg) € 80.55
Wall, and ceiling panel – Alder (15 x 90 mm, 1800mm) € 377.58 (without the second order)
Heat-treated bench, backrest, and front bench -Apple 285 €
Glass door (70 x 190 cm) € 112.81
Corner rail – Alder (14 x 30 mm, 2400 mm) € 4.86
Aluminium paper and tape € 33.92
Supi sauna wax 8.04 €
Ventilation grille € 8.39

A total of € 2236.15

What does it cost to build a sauna in Germany?

€ 2,500 sounds very cheap to me. However, this number only covers the raw materials for the sauna. Bathroom and sauna tiles, floors, floor drains, sealants, etc. are not included in this estimate.

If I had to calculate the working hours, I would say they were around 2 x 40 h, i.e., 80 working hours in total. That would make € 4,000€ with an hourly wage of 50 €. And I do not think this includes all the work that went into the sauna.

I hope this “What does it cost to build a Finnish sauna in Germany?”-article helps you to better estimate the costs if you are thinking about building your own sauna. Please share your experiences in the comments and (if you feel like) tell us how much your sauna cost.

Sauna regards, Kati

Do I have to be naked in the sauna? In today’s article, I contemplate sauna and nudity. I was inspired by one of my blog followers who said that she thinks the only way to take a sauna is naked. A towel or swimsuit is a no-go. For her, the only way to enjoy the sauna is completely naked.

Swimwear on or off?

The way she formulated her thoughts was interesting for me. She said that she could not imagine taking a sauna “with clothes on”. She said she can’t breathe properly if she wears a towel. Swimsuits feel horribly uncomfortable on her skin.

This made me think about my own preferences. I do not mind wearing a bikini or a swimsuit or wrapping myself in a towel. The main thing is that I get to enjoy the steam of the sauna. If I get to choose, I like being naked. But it is not a must.

Do I have to be naked in the sauna?

I cannot give a definitive answer to this. It all depends on your country’s nudity culture. It also depends on your personal relationship to your body and nakedness. Do you feel uncomfortable being naked or seeing other people naked? Not everyone is used to nudity or are at peace with their body. Shyness or anxiety can make the idea of being naked absolutely horrifying. We should also remember that people might have had bad experiences in the past. Many factors can impact the way they feel about nudity.

I think it is important to bear all these things when we enter the discussion about nakedness and sauna. We should be respectful when talking to people with different preferences. We all come from different cultures and families. What we think is normal, can be taboo in another culture.

Let’s give everyone a chance to enjoy the sauna the way feels natural to them!

Nudism

In Germany, FKK Frei Körper Kultur, or nudism, is really common. Germany is full of nudist beaches, campsites, hotels, and so on. The FKK originated in the Ruhr area as early as the beginning of the 20th century.

The idea was born out of a wish to find a healthy work-life balance. The factory workers began to spend their free time on the beach, naked of course. They wanted to go “back to nature” and enjoy the fresh air. Diet also played a big role for the factory workers; it was mostly vegetarian and home-cooked. Especially for the inhabitants of the GDR, i.e., East Germany, the FKK was a fairly normal way of life. I have also heard that there were saunas in kindergartens in the GDR area. Or, in fact, there still are.

Nudity in Finland

Last summer, I listened to a Finnish radio program that discussed nudity. They talked about an incident in a Finnish spa that had been widely reported in the local media. A group of women had been kicked out of a Finnish spa because they were topless.

Another customer had reported them to the staff, accusing them of inappropriate behaviour. The spa agreed with the customer and said the topless women were violating the swimsuit rule (they did wear bikini bottoms). The rules of the Rauhanniemi spa state that every person over the age of 6 must wear a swimsuit.

I was somewhat surprised to hear this. Most Finns are used to nudity and families take a sauna together. Apparently, public nudity is still taboo.

Nudity in Germany

In the German sauna world, it is quite normal for men and women to take a sauna together. Everyone is naked and it is not a big deal because people are used to it. It would be odd to see someone who had a swimsuit on. People might say something negative to you or you might even get asked to leave.

I always thought that we Finns do not care whether someone is naked or wears a swimsuit or a towel. After hearing about the spa incident, I have to conclude that we are more close-minded than I thought.

I have heard from many German women (and Finnish women who live here) that they do not like the German mixed saunas. I would like to know why? Is nudity still associated with sex? Are they afraid of being sexualized?

I think nudity is natural and we should not be ashamed of ourselves. Nakedness should be a neutral thing.

When you enter a German sauna, it is polite to greet everyone. Usually, people glance at you as you come in and say hi. It is not normal to stare at others. Usually, people do not really care about others, they just want to enjoy the sauna. I doubt they even remember how the person looked a few minutes later.

I have visited many mixed saunas and I have never felt uncomfortable.

Only once I felt a bit nervous. That was when I thought a man was following. He seemed to be everywhere I went and to follow me from sauna to sauna. It did make me uncomfortable for a moment. Now I think it might have been accidental, maybe we just happened to be in the same place at the same time

The difference between a Finnish and a German sauna

There is one big difference between a Finnish and a German sauna. We Finns sit in the sauna chastely, with our hands-on our feet and our backs bent. We try not to take up any space or expose too much skin.

The Germans are relaxed. They keep their legs wide open, sit with their backs straight and are not ashamed of anything. Of course, this is not the case for everyone, but you get the gist.

Nudity in other cultures

Germans are liberal when it comes to nudism, but are extremely rule-based in other aspects. The Germans have their sauna masters who are responsible for the steam. They also have rules about how long you should stay in the sauna etc. Luckily, the Germans are slowly becoming less strict with their rules.

In Finland, it quite is normal to go to a sauna naked with your own family members. In public saunas, women and men have separate “naked” saunas and swimsuits are worn in the mixed saunas. There are no strict rules.

In Japan, nakedness is normal, however, men and women have separate saunas. They have a little towel they use to cover their bottom halves as they enter. Hot baths, electric shocks and TVs are quite normal in Japan.

The Turks have their own, longstanding sauna culture. Nudity used to be the norm in Turkish saunas. Nowadays, they have separate saunas for men and women. There are some mixed saunas where everyone wears a swimsuit. If you go to a Hamam-sauna you get a towel and wrap yourself in it. The Turkish bath does not have a stove.

These were just some examples of different sauna cultures. Every sauna culture has its own rules. There is no right or wrong, just different approaches.

Do I have to be naked in the sauna?

I wanted to write this article to open the discussion around sauna and nakedness. Do I have to be naked in the sauna? Well, there is no simple answer. It always depends on the culture and your personal preferences.

Just like some people enjoy hot saunas and others more gentle warmth, there are different opinions about sauna and nakedness. There is no ultimate truth when it comes to the sauna. You are free to enjoy the sauna how you want. Just be respectful of others and, if you are in a public sauna or a spa, follow their rules.

What is your opinion, do you enjoy your sauna naked, or do you prefer to wear a swimsuit or a towel?

What did you think about this article, did it give you food for thought? Did you learn something new? Let me know in the comments.

Love, Sauna-Kati