In the article “How I built a Finnish sauna in Germany”, I share my own experiences of how me and my partner built a real Finnish sauna. I hope it will give you tips on how to build your own sauna!
How did it all begin?
The idea started small. On our first Christmas together, I gave my partner a sauna bucket and a ladle as a Christmas present. Originally, the idea was just a joke. When we started renovating our house, we started seriously thinking about building a sauna.
The plan
We had some ideas. At first, we thought about having a wood-burning stove in the sauna. However, that would have been too difficult. We did not want to build a new chimney.
The second option was a garden sauna. I was really excited about it. I made plans and thought how we could install the showers etc. Sadly, that plan didn’t work because our garden is simply too small. The sauna would have taken up too much space.
Eventually, my partner came up with the perfect place for the sauna: in a corner of our basement. Originally, we planned to have a window so we could see the mountains.
As we planned further, we became more and more confident that this was the right choice. My partner Jumi also wanted a direct entry from the showers to the relaxation room. A small stool or something similar would have been enough for cooling off for me but he wanted a relaxation room.
The challenge with the relaxation room was that we needed to dig a pit 3-5 meters deep. The doorway also was a challenge. The house is over 100 years old and large stones were used for the foundations. I was terrified of moving them, scared that the whole house would fall down.
Note! I will write a second article on building the relaxation room.
Because of this and the fact that the foundations were really thick, the sauna window idea did not work. It would have taken too much time and effort, so we ended up giving up the window.
Ordering materials
Because we live in Germany, not all materials were available at the local hardware store. We had to make precise calculations of what and how much we needed.
It was easier said than done. Personally, I had thought that the wall panels of the sauna would be placed vertically to bring a little extra height to the otherwise so low sauna space. That did not work, the panels had to be placed horizontally.
Luckily my partner is good at math, so he knew how to calculate exactly how much wall panel, bench wood, foil paper and Sauna Finish for panels we needed. We ordered the stove, the stones for the stove, the thermometer, the birch whisk and the sausage pipes all from the same place.
Groundwork
I definitely wanted my dad to help build the sauna. First, because he was able to show Jumi how to do it. Jumi can later teach our son how to build a sauna. Secondly, when my father is no longer with us, we have a memory of him. Although I hope he will live to build us another sauna!
So, my father came for two weeks to help us.
Before that, however, groundwork had to be done. We had to clear the space. Our basement has a low ceiling, so we had to dig the ground for the sauna.
However, the ground could not be dug very deep. The groundwater started to rise, and we had to stop. To my recollection, we were able to dig the ground only 30 cm. It meant that after the concrete casting, the sauna ceiling was still quite low. The height for the room and shower is only 190 cm. Well, it’s better than nothing.
At first, I was worried if the height of the sauna was enough for a decent steam. Dad said that 1000-1200mm between the roof and the top bench is enough. We followed this rule, and I can confirm, it is enough for good steam.
Building the sauna
The concrete casting was completed the night before my father came to Germany. Tiling the floor took three months (in fact, it took longer). Concrete floor should dry one centimeter per day or preferably longer.
The men started work the very next day, the first job was to put up the walls for the sauna. Building walls was a quick as they were both professionals. It didn’t take long before the walls started to appear.
The walls were followed by the supporting rails, rock wool, and foil papers. There was a place for the vent and the pipe was already installed. The wall panels were completed in a couple of days. One man measured and the other sawed. Everything worked well, even though there was no common language.
The day they started paneling the ceiling I was absolutely excited. I will soon be able to test the sauna! But I had to wait, we ran out of panels. Since we had ordered the products online, it took a while before we got the panels we needed.
The sauna benches are detachable. It has proven to be a good solution. Dad built a step stool for us according to his own model, one that was in my childhood home.
The paneling of the sauna, the construction of the benches, the step stool and the ventilation opening took more than a week.
I often sat on the sauna benches smelling the scent of fresh wood. When I got to sit on the benches for the first time, the feeling was incredible.
The finished sauna
And then we had a little baby boy. Finishing the sauna was not the first thing on my mind.
A year after we started my father came to complete the construction of the sauna.
In the meantime, Jumi had finished the floor and walls and windows of the relaxation room, finished the doorway, tiled the walls and floors of the bathroom, and the floor of the sauna.
It was up to my father and partner to panel the roof of the sauna. Paneling the walls and ceiling of the cooling room, sealing the bathroom tiles, installing the wall, ceiling panels and installing the lights.
This took about a week. We could have done it faster but in this situation, it was not necessary.
The sauna was ready a couple of days before my father had to travel back to Finland. We had an amazing sauna opening before Christmas 2016. My dad said: The best steams in Germany. That sentence stays in my mind forever.
Finally, a year after starting, we got to try the sauna and that feeling was just awesome.
Tips for building a sauna abroad:
- Plan well in advance.
- Make accurate measurements and calculations if you build the sauna yourself.
- Use local wood and supplies if possible.
- Check if a larger (Finnish) company brings sauna products to your country.
- Check that you have easy access to more building materials if the need be.
- Use professionals in construction unless you are a professional yourself.
- Enjoy the sauna when it is ready, you deserve it!
Read more: 5 ways to build a sauna
I hope this article on how I built a Finnish sauna in Germany was helpful to you. It is possible to order or build a Finnish sauna, no matter where you live.
