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2007-10-25T16:00:32ZSauna Soul - your guide to steambathsPrice of a sauna
2007-10-25T15:54:21ZThe price of any building project will be the sum of its parts. The most prominent areas are equipment and accessories. If you do not build the sauna yourself, the cost of hired labor will be added on top of the project. My parents had a sauna built in the basement of their apartment building at a cost of around 10, 000 EUR including all direct, labor and indirect costs back in the mid-nineties. It wasn't a very small sauna, though, and the basement was not the ideal place to build it. The closet-type saunas typically are in the low thousands of EUR. Saunas in separate log buildings would cost in several tens of thousands EUR range if you buy all the work from outside.
Things you will need:
- sauna stove,
- sauna stones,
- shower,
- water and heat insulation for the heat room,
- hydroinsulation for the washing room,
- material for the hot room bench (normally wood)ceramic plates for the floor and walls of the sauna washing room,
- a ceiling for all rooms,
- chairs and a tables,
- electric systems,
- lighting systems.
- sauna stove,
Benefit
2007-10-25T15:45:37ZIf the sauna is used reasonably, it is healthy in a multitude of ways. Reasonability is
defined by the number one rule of the saun - be comfortable, always! If you are no longer comfortable, take a break or call it a day. The sauna is meant, first of all, to be enjoyed. The sauna is good for a number of reasons:
- strengthens your immune system,
- gets rid of toxins while sweating,
- blood vessels are stimulated and the blood circulation is increased,
- helps with sleep problems,
- good against stress,
- relieves your symptoms of flu and cold (make sure you only go to the sauna when you feel like it; if you feel physically weak from flu, skip the sauna). My personal feelings towards sauna during flu is that it neither helps a lot nor hurts. At best, it provides some temporary relief.
For more information, cankar.org provides a multitude of information about various specific health issues as they relate to sauna (starting from blood pressure, weight loss and alcohol all the way to fertility and pregnancy). Cyberbohemia on the other hand reports on the history of sauna related health discoveries and what really happens to the body in the sauna.
History and origins
2007-10-25T13:32:02ZFinnish saunas, as we know them today, originated from the smoke sauna . They first started appearing in the Scandinavian and Baltic area. Over time, other types of saunas and spas appeared in the Americas, Greece, Rome, Russia, Turkey and several parts of Asia.
Early sauna history
The sauna story begins during the stone age, where first signs of the sauna have been found. The first saunas were pits dug into the earth, covered by animal skins. Fire pits were created outside the "sauna" and rocks heated in it. Once heated, they were taken into the animal skin covered pits in the ground and the show could begin. The stones in the enclosed area made the temperature rise. Water was thrown onto the rocks, causing an outburst of humidity.
It has been theoretisized in an Estonian book titled "Saun", that the reason behind this is that it is much easier to heat up air than water. One would have had to create something bucket-like and drag it along whereever they went. A sauna was a much easier way to cleanse. Evidence of such saunas have been found all over the Northern hemisphere. Whereever a natural cavern or pit could be found in the earth or created with ease, such a sauna could be built in no time.
In the Americas, native people also used saunas as a cleansing establishment, but there it had a much more ritual role. Mixtures were made from herbs with healing properties. These were then placed onto the hot stones. The steam that rose from it, had a range of other healing properties in addition to the usual positive effects.
Ancient sauna culture
The Greeks learnt about sauna on their travels to the eastern parts of the Mediterranean. Herodotos saw tribes in Eastern Europe rolling hot stones into small tents, where they went to sweat. The Greeks adopted it, refined it and and passed their knowledge to Rome. In Greece and Rome the sauna is somewhat different from the Finnish sauna , the Russian banya , the traditional smoke sauna and those that native americans used. In Rome and Greek, the sauna is not the only main event, but part of a bigger complex that included sporting areas, pools, eating areas, massage etc. The Roman Caesar Caracalla created terms of unheard size (for up to 6000 persons), hoping to win the minds and hearts of the people.
In Eastern Rome, the sauna culture withstood the effects of time and change. From there, sauna made its way to Arabs, who spread the hamman to eastern countries, Northern Africa and Spain. The hamman is a place of relaxation, unlike the Roman and Greek establishments that were mostly for sporting.
Middle Ages
The sauna was used in the middle ages. Some records indicate that it was even popular, but most likely the sauna was a realm for the wealthy. There are records that indicate that in Rostock, the maximum amount of money that could be spent for decorating a bath-robe, was set by law to ban the ridicule and spending of "outdoing your neighbour". Sauna accessories were beautifully and expensively decorated and stealing occurred.
The Middle Ages were a time of going backwards in many regards - and so did the sauna culture during that time. The religious leaders exercised opression and nonsense. Sauna, bathing, cleansing and washing were not looked at positively.
The church forbid washing at certain times altogether. Not washing oneself was heavily endorsed as christian behaviour. During the Baroque age, even doctors started saying that washing oneself with water was bad for health. The bad effects and deterioating skin was covered up by scents, make-up and plaster. Only after the French revolution, sense started returning to people.
Sauna today
Sauna is spreading fast these days and its excellent qualities and healing properties are widely recognized. There are areas where saunas are very common - in Finland, Estonia, other Baltic countries, Scandinavia, Europe. Saunas are gaining ground in other areas fast.
Perhaps the biggest push the sauna got during the last century, was during the 1924 Olympics in Paris. In the same day, during running events, the two Finns brought home two gold and silver medals by a huge stretch. There was blistering heat and only a quarter of all runners finished the race. When searching for the reasons behind this success, all eyes turned to the sauna. During the next Olympic games, the Finns even constructed a sauna in the Olympic village.
The future
Steambaths of the world have had their popularity ups and downs. In terms of raw numbers we are on top of the curve right now. At no point in the history have there been so many saunas in the world. Where do saunas go to from there?
At a company karting event, I invited Gareth and all to continue our discussion in the sauna. "What is a sauna? Is it just another place where you drink?" was the candid question I got in reply. It provoked smiles. There are many misconceptions, but that one I had not heard before.
In Finland, they say, there are more saunas than cars. Over here it's much the same. But it made me remember that there are places where saunas do not exist at all. I have had many friends and colleagues confirm this.
This and the curiosity that people new to the sauna exhibit leads me to believe that the future is bright. There is room and willingness to expand.
What kind of a steambath will come out on top seems predictable. The so-called Finnish sauna has a firm lead that will continue. As urbanizations continues, other saunas that can fit onto a small area like infrared and the steam will prosper as well.
Steam sauna
2007-10-24T15:49:19Z
The modern steam sauna is heated to around 45 degrees Celsius. Boilers are heated, the steam is directed through pipes. Then, it is released to the heatroom. Steam saunas are a common sight in spas, hotels and water centers. While some steam sauna complexes are sporting several hot rooms with hot and cold pools, showers and the like, many have only one steam room. The heated steam is blown into the steam room in bursts of a minute, with fragnances adding an aroma. Steam can be impenetrable for human eyes, so these saunas are often shared by both genders all over the world.
My personal experiences with steam saunas are primarily negative. There are three reasons to it. Some steam saunas I've been to blow steam into the bottom of the sauna across your feet. Hot steam in extended body contact tends to hurt. I also dislike the amount of aromas within the smoke. Third - I'm not a fan of the general atmosphere and don't understand what's so good about them.
That said, the sensation from visiting a steam sauna is highly individual and I am certain that there are good steam saunas as well.
Smoke sauna
2007-10-13T13:23:06ZOctober 13, 2007
The smoke sauna is where the sauna story begins. Back in the day, saunas were smoke saunas. They did not have chimneys, not unlike regular buildings of that time. In a smoke sauna you have a fire in the stove, heating the stones on top of it. There are many-many more stones in a smoke sauna, as they need to store more heat. Once the stones are heated, the fire is put out. The smoke is vented out of the room and the sauna is ready to be used. The heated stones have an immense amount of heat stored in them - you can throw leili in the morning of the next day. The sauna can stay warm for days from a single heating.
The majority of the smoke will be ventilated out, the door closed and the experience can start. The traditional smoke sauna is highly valued my avid sauna-goers, as the best form of sauna.
In 973, Ibrahim ibn Jakub visited the court of the german emperor Otto I in Merseburg. He also visited the saunas of Slavs and wrote "they build a wooden chamber, the cracks of which the stuff with moss. Into the corner of the chamber, they build a stove from stones and leave a hole into the roof above it, so smoke can escape. Once the stove has been heated, they stuff the smoke hole and close the door. Everyone has a bundle of hay that they swing around, so air would move and that they use to rub their body. It opens their pores and sweat pours like streams along their body."The fact that there are written records from that old times is mind-boggling. Amazingly there are even older ones. For example that of Herodotos from the 6th century BC. He described, how some tribes rolled hot stones into small tents, where they went to sweat. As with so much, our ancestors had already discovered the good and pleasurable.
Infrared saunas
2007-10-13T13:10:34ZOctober 13, 2007
FIR saunas are not heated by conventional stoves that heat the air. Rather, they heat your skin by far infrared light, much like the sun does. As much as 80% of the light emitted by the sun, is far infrared light.
Infrared saunas often are sold as a module - wooden box with FIR heaters inside. It can also be a custom built sauna with FIR heaters. Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrared_sauna) says „In essence, the sauna box creates the atmosphere of the sauna while the heaters create the actual sauna effect. "
The infrared sauna is a completely different experience from regular saunas. The temperature setting is much lower, but you still sweat as much or more than in a normal sauna. For that reason, drink plenty of fluids before and during the infrared sauna.
The infrared light is not visible to human eyes and when heating you, they are unique in a way that they do not actually heat the air between you and the heater. Even if you are in the temperature of 40-50 degrees Celsius, the cold water glass in your hand will not heat up.
My first infrared sauna experience was in the late 90's in my late teen years. Back then it was a completely new thing and the first few IR saunas had come to the country. Considering ourselves to be true sauna fans, I and my mates had to try it.
So one day we called the place up, booked a time and off we went. We were instructed to drink something beforehand and so we did. When we arrived, we were served a large glass of lemonade. The first glimpse of the sauna was disappointing. It looked like an oversized closet. "This is not right, " I thought. The temperature was set around 50 degrees, which of course we thought was pittyful. How wrong we were!
The timer was set to something like half an hour. Being the young jocks we were, we would not allow ourselves to come out before we heard the dreaded "DING!", ominously like the microwave sound. Ok, I might have made that up. But in any case, we pretty soon found that we had not nearly drank enough. We had a second large glass of water with ice and slices of lemon floating in it. After half of our time, we ended up drinking it in three "zips" flat. That brought some relief again.
An IR sauna really does dehydrate you as well as they say (good thing they wrapped the seats, footrests and backrests in towels) and what's even cooler, water in a glass really does stay ice cold.
The next time I went to an infrared sauna was some five-six years later have been to them a few times after that as well - mainly in spas or water recreation centers. I don't nearly enjoy it as much as a real Finnish sauna, but it is an interesting sensation nevertheless.
Apartment sauna
2007-10-13T12:38:28ZOctober 13, 2007
Owning a dedicated building sauna is a dream that is out of the grasp of most. City-dwellers simply do not have the luxury of erecting a building in their back yards, right next to the parking lot. Thankfully, there is a solution for apartment buildings - basement and in-apartment saunas. They are just as fun and pleasurable as their loghouse counterparts by the lake, out in the countryside!
Basement saunas
As an example - the apartment of my parents has a sauna in their basement (I don't have one myself - I mainly use the one at the gym these days). It's shared between three families and it was built very shortly after the apartments were built and we moved in - I was still living with them at that time. Back in the day it cost around 10, 000 EUR for all of it. These days I imagine it would be more and it of course also depends on your location.
It has a small front room with clothes hangers, tables and chairs, a washing room after that with two showers and the sauna area (perhaps 6 square meters) in the corner of the washing room.
There's a small electrical heater and the room goes to around 110 Celsius. It takes an hour and half to heat it and it can also be activated with a time delay - an especially excellent feature after winter walks when you know you'd love a hot sauna afterwards.
If you can build a sauna in your basement, go for it. If that is not an option, you can build a tiny one into your bathroom.
Apartment saunasI recently visited a spa called Tervise Paradiis with my girlfriend in the Pärnu resort area. We opted to book a suite - mainly because it had an adorable small sauna. The the stay was excellent and the sauna almost as much so. It was a small one, but it was more than enough for the two of us. Later on, we sat on the balcony and enjoyed the view of the resort beach at night.
It's also quite common in many private owned apartments. Apartment sizes can be so small as to only fit one person at a time (a friend of mine has one and it's bordering on comical - but does the job) to a normal sized sauna. The average size is enough for 2-4 people.
Books
2007-10-13T12:37:14Z"The Sauna" by Rob Roy (read my review and get Amazon link)
The Sauna Is: Revised and Expanded (read my review and get Amazon link)
The Art of Sauna Building (read my review and get Amazon link)
Sauna: A complete guide to the Construction, Use, and Benefits of the Finnish Bath
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1931498636/ref%3Dnosim/sauna2-20/102-2941484-8388924
Some Like It Hot: The Sauna, Its Lore & Stories
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0878391401/ref%3Dnosim/sauna2-20/102-2941484-8388924
Sweat: The Illustrated History and Description of the Finnish Sauna, Russian Bania, Islamic Hammam, Japanese Mushi-Buro, Mexican Temescal, and Americ
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0884961249/ref%3Dnosim/sauna2-20/102-2941484-8388924
Cathedrals of the Flesh: In Search of The Perfect Bath
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1582341168/ref%3Dnosim/sauna2-20/102-2941484-8388924
Sauna: Hottest Way to Good Health (Natural Health Guide)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1553120345/ref%3Dnosim/sauna2-20/102-2941484-8388924
The businessman's guide to the Finnish sauna
http://www.sauna.ca/Sauna_Book_en.html
Spas and Hot Tubs Saunas and Home Gyms
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/093294485X/ref%3Dnosim/sauna2-20/102-2941484-8388924
Sauna Detoxification Therapy: A Guide for the Chemically Sensitive
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786403594/ref%3Dnosim/sauna2-20/102-2941484-8388924
Retrouver et conserver sa santé par le sauna
http://www.amazon.fr/exec/obidos/ASIN/2950512305/finnishsaun01-21/402-8022991-9274554
The Art of Sauna Building
The Holistic Handbook of Sauna Therapy
How to Build a Sauna
Hot Tubs, Saunas and Steam Baths : A Guide to Planning and Designing your Home Health Spa
The Sauna Cookbook: Food for Body and Soul
On saunas
2007-09-20T08:47:06ZThe sauna is the most exciting, yet relaxing, experience you can have in the modern world. The soothing environment that lets you escape the buzzing-busy world. The exciting change between the hot and cold. Good friends to share the experience with. Not to mention the health benefits and the obvious cleansing qualities.
At the core of a sauna is a warm room, heated to around 90 degrees Celsius (195 F). After having enjoyed that - for minutes or to tens of minutes - cool down. Stand outside, take a dip in a nearby lake. Wasn't it nice?
The sauna, with temperatures that could boil water, is a scary prospect to some. In reality, the sauna experience is nice in a suprising way. The key is the low humidity, thanks to which it is perfectly safe when used within reason.
There are different types of saunas in the world. Undoubtably the most common one was popularized in the wider world by the Finns and therefore named Finnish sauna. It's appeal and charm goes further than the areas where wintertime temperatures reach a chilling of -25 Celsius (-13 F).
The other steambaths known to men, are the smoke saunas from 10 thousand years ago through to the Turskish hamman, Roman and Greek steambaths, sweat lodges of the Native Americans, the russian banyas to the ultramodern infrared saunas.
This is my effort to put down information to share the sauna bug. If you feel that there is anything missing, have a question, a sauna photo or story to share (how you got started, interesting saunas, memorable sauna visits, ...), please do write me!
Go read about first time sauna experiences, about sauna history or check out the 7 funniest sauna videos. Or check out the often taboo subject of nudity and sauna.
The heat is peaking: the 10th sauna competition (August 2008)
2007-09-02T05:08:20ZAugust 1-2 of 2008 are the dates for the 10th World Sauna Championships at Heinola. It's a unique event - the quirkyness of the nordic culture that pushes people from many parts of the world (last year, there were 101 men and women participating from 17 countries) to have a sweating competition in a sauna to the brink of what's healthy and beyond.
The competition series started with a group of men
having unofficial sauna competitions in a public sauna at a swimming hall. A natural progression that can be seen throughout the history of man - to see who is the best. It did not go down well with the other visitors of the sauna, so an official event was set up and has enjoyed a nice string of successes from then. It has grown significantly over the years and has even prompted the first ever marriage in a sauna as part of its events (during the competitions of year 2000). The media frenzy around the event has also grown over the years - there have been tens of reporters from many countries on site, television coverage, live commentators etcetera.
The competition of 2008 will be held again in Heinola - the place where it all started. Check out videos from previous years competitions (Augusts hottest event) or the results of the 2007 competition. Stay tuned and check for more information and participation information on the website of SaunaHeinola.
The results of the hottest event of August 2007
2007-09-02T05:04:27Z
The Sauna World Championships of 2007 are now over. As always, they were held in Heinola. Amazingly, all the champions from last year were able to keep their own and are still champions. Results:
Men:
1. Timo Kaukonen, Lahti / Finland - time 12.26
2. Markku Mustonen, Ruokolahti / Finland - time 12.23
3. Leo Pusa, Helsinki / Finland - time 11.16
4. Bjarne Hermansson, Turku / Finland - time 11.00
5. Kimmo Turunen, Lahti / Finland - time 9.43
6. Per-Erik Holmqvist, Parainen / Finland - time 8.11
Women:
1. Leila Kulin, Helsinki / Finland - time 10.31
2. Leena Kautiainen, Lahti / Finland - time 8.39
3. Alena Kamkova, Belarus - time 7.39
4. Valentina Setrova, Belarus - time 6.48
5. Petra Schneider, Germany - time 5.45
6. Natalia Tryfanava, Belarus - disqualifiedAll results:
Men qualifications 2007 (PDF)
Men quarter-finals 2007 (PDF)
Men semi-finals 2007 (PDF)
Men finals 2007 (PDF)Only three weeks to August's hottest event! (with videos)
2007-09-02T04:53:36ZJuly 15, 2007
What is the hottest event of the year? The 9th Sauna World Championships at Heinola, of course.
It is a spectator sport of both tremendous will and endurance. No spa niceties here - just feisty women and men pitting it out against each other in the blazing 100 Celsius heat. Who can stay in the sauna for longest, wins.
The competition is at its peak popularity and lots of media outlets are rushing in to cover the international event.
I found these two videos from the competitions from previous years.
1. Last year's video: Sauna World Championships 2006
Shows a slideshow of the sauna competition, photos of saunas, competitors with an interview detailing a lot of the sauna championship.
2. Video of the first ever Sauna World Championships (Youtube). A rather good video and narrative about the sauna competition.
It is wise not to try it at home. However it is advised to go and take a part of the competition and the surrounding aspects. Sauna World Championships 2007 at Heinola, Finland. It will take place on 4. to 5. August 2007.
Go read about first time sauna experiences, about sauna history or check out the 7 funniest sauna videos. Or check out the often taboo subject of nudity and sauna.
Book review: The Art of Sauna Building
2007-09-02T04:13:13ZSeptember 2, 2007
I've had The Art of Sauna Building book by Bert Olavi Jalasjaa for some while now (months) and had not gotten around to reading it. Shame on me! If you're aiming to build a sauna, it possibly is the best book in English you can find. It's slim on the part of general information on saunas to the tune of 5 packed page, but it's sauna planning and building information part is superb.
The planning section explains the bewildering array of different options available to the sauna newbie - from pre-built mini-saunas, panelled saunas, log saunas all the way to portable cabinets, outdoor log saunas, steam units, more and even fallacies such as the sauna belts and sauna suits.
The book then goes on with all the bench, heater options, floor, drainage, insulation, material type and other crucial tips and info. All illustrated with proper drawings on the cross-sections of sauna layers, arrangements of benches, fixtures and heaters.
I will reprint the table of contents for an overview of everything that this book contains:
Section A - a room full of hot air or a key to relaxed living?
- The sauna - a brief history
- The sauna - the Finnish style
- The sauna - pronouncing it
- The sauna - a friend of good health
- The sauna - as Finland has it
- The sauna - as Finland does it
- The sauna - in North America
- The sauna - as in investment
- The sauna and you - an experience in every sense
- The sauna vs a steambath
- Dry vs wet heat
- Humidity - a relative measurement
Section B - the sauna knowledge quiz
Section C - types of sauna available
- Pre-built mini-saunas
- Pre-built panelled saunas
- Pre-built log saunas
- Sauna material "pre-cut kits"
- Custom-built saunas
- Your invention?
- Outdoor log saunas
- Steam units
- Portable cabinets
- Steam generators
- Sauna belts, sauna suits
- Where to buy saunas
- Buying a pre-built sauna?
- Buying sauna materials from a package supplier?
Section D - planning the sauna
- The "sauna"
- The outdoor sauna
- The indoor sauna
- Bench layout
- Floors, foundations and drainage
- Sauna heaters
- Planning the wood for the sauna
- Building codes, permits and zoning laws
- Planning checklist for commercial saunas
- Roughing-in guide for a future sauna
Section E - how the sauna is actually built
- Framework
- Air circulation system (venting)
- Electrical - sauna heater and controls
- Electrical - light switch and light
- Electrical - light fixture
- Insulation
- Vapor barrier (aluminum foil)
- Door and windows
- Door frame and trim
- Door hardware
- Galvanized fasteners
- Interior installation of T&G lining
- Benches
- Wooden floor duckboards
- Heater guard
- Interior mouldings
- Wood preservatives
- Exterior walls of the sauna room
Section F - the sauna is ready!
- Firing up and curing
- Sauna care and maintenance
- Sauna accessories
- How safe are saunas?
- How to enjoy the Finnish sauna
- The sauna - for us, today
- Unique sauna ideas
- Would you share your sauna experiences?
- Answers to the sauna knowledge quiz
If you're looking for a sauna building book for the next do-it-yourself project or are looking at some of the easier options, I'd wholeheartedly recommend taking a look at this. The downside of the book seems to be that the measurements are not in the metric system, but the thought of converting measurements should not put you off if you're in the metric world. At the time of writing, it seems to be out of stock at Amazon.com, but it is available at several other sources around the internet.
Go for it!
7 funniest sauna videos
2007-08-07T09:50:33Z1. Volkswagen, the car company, and a sauna? You better believe it.
2. Two men in a Swedish sauna. Possibly the funniest sauna video ever.
3. Why all public saunas should be stocked with soap for shower time.
4. Looks like a party
5. Through the steamy mist in the sauna comes a bad suprise
6. Luring out the sauna animal
7. It's supposed to be funny, but it's an obscure kind of funniness
Go read about first time sauna experiences, about sauna history or check out information about nudity and sauna .
Nude sauna
2007-08-07T09:49:13ZNudity in sauna is the norm, rather than an exception. That of course depends with whom you go to the sauna with and in which geographical location you are in.
If you are in Finland or in Estonia, then it is customary to go to the sauna naked. This may vary from one group of people to another. Some people can be shy about being nude in the sauna. Although not always, women often come into the mixed sex sauna with a towel on. Depending on the individuals, sometimes men take a towel too.
If you are seasoned, you sometimes see funny taboo cases surrounding nakedness and misconceptions in the sauna. Back in the university days, we used to have international relations with quite a few student groups from other countries.
Once we were visiting a sauna in Latvia and were canoeing on rivers. You could see clear contrasts between sauna cultures - the Latvians were wearing swimsuits, Finns and Estonians were divided between some wearing towels and some being naked. It might have been about the particular people, but it also may have been the common norm in any of these countries.
At one point during the evening, while leaving the sauna, I overheard a „duh" moment. I was not sure whether to laugh or bang my head against the wall. Mikael commented to a Finnish gal „You have nice breasts." The discussion carried on for some time surrounding nakedness and the accepted boundaries. The culmination of the discussion was „we do not make a big deal of it", which I could not have said better myself.
I know, it comes down to the culture and the background of the individual even more so. But the sauna is a place, where you customarily overlook the nakedness aspect. It is irrelevant and not taboo in the context. You just enjoy a good time with your friends.
Go read about first time sauna experiences, about sauna history or check out the 7 funniest sauna videos.
Book review: Rob Roy's "The Sauna"
2007-07-22T15:17:13ZJuly 22, 2007
Rob Roy's "The Sauna" is both an intimate tale of his sauna beliefs and of how to build them. Of American origin and well travelled around the world.
He first set sights on a sauna in the Republic of Iceland. The sauna temperature was maintained above the boiling temperature of water and the rest of the bathing experience was close to the Finnish sauna way of doing things - plunges into cold water between sauna sessions.
Just two years later he had settled down in Scotland and got around to building his first makeshift sauna... and committed a mistake that almost led to a fire in his house. He bypassed the thermostat of the heater and forgot to turn the heater off for the night after an especially exhausting hiking trip.
From there on Rob goes into the history, building issues and a lot more. What makes this book unique is that half of it deals with cordwood masonry saunas (the building of which is his primary occupation), which is not considered as a traditional sauna building at all. What makes it good is that he really has built several cordwood saunas and does know what he talks about.
Overall, the book is well written. The focus on cordwood saunas is somewhat too big, but overall manageable.
The book has an extensive amount of subtitles, which is perhaps the best way to give an overview of what the book is about:
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction to the revised edition
- Introduction to the first edition
- About Saunas
- The Author and the Sauna: A Personal Odyssey
- The Sauna in the Highlands
- The Saunas at Log End
- The Earthwood Sauna
- A Little History
- The Smoke Sauna
- Löyly: The Sacred Steam
- Smoke House, Drying Room, Birthing Chamber, Mortuary, Temporary Shelter
- The Sauna and Your Health
- Fact or Fiction? (deals with the major misconceptions surrounding saunas)
- A Couple of Cautions (cautionary warnings by a doctor and authors)
- The Sauna and Age (children and the elderly)
- Ice and Snow Baths
- The Sauna and the Common Cold
- The Sauna and Pregnancy
- Other Health Claims
- Siting and Design
- Siting (most of the advice is in the North America context, although many also apply generally)
- Rural Siting Considerations
- Urban Siting Considerations
- Town or Suburb
- Design
- Stoveroom Size
- The Dressing/Relaxation Room
- Shape
- Platform (Benches)
- Cooling Tank
- Other Design Tips
- Cordwood Masonry
- Wood Rot: The Myth
- Weathering
- Advantages of a Cordwood Sauna
- How to Build a Cordwood Wall
- Choice of Wood
- Seasoning the Wood
- How many Cords?
- Log-End Preparation
- Estimating Other Materials
- Tools for Cordwood Masonry Work
- The Mortar (+Cordwood Mud Recipe)
- Laying Down the Mud
- Installing the Sawdust Insulation
- Laying the Wood
- The Second Course
- Pointing
- Finishing Up for the Day
- The Post-and-Beam Log End Sauna
- The Floating Slab Foundation
- Preparing for the Foundation Pour
- Pouring the Footings
- The Post-and-Beam Frame
- Roof Decking
- The Earth Roof
- The Sawdust Concrete Floor
- The Floor of the Antechamber
- A Wood Disk Floor
- Concrete Floor Options
- The Instant Slate Floor
- Framing for Windows, Doors, and Vent
- Cordwood Masonry at Log End Sauna
- Windows and Doors
- Sauna Platforms
- The Earthwood (Round) Sauna
- Advantages of a Round Sauna
- Drawbacks of the Round Design
- The Round Foundation
- Cordwood in the Round
- Plates
- The Wagon-Wheel Roof
- Snowblocking
- The Roof Deck
- The Earth Roof
- The Eight-Sided Sawdust Concrete Floor
- Platforms in a Round Sauna
- Windows
- The Oval Sauna
- Earthwood Sauna Update
- Variations on the Theme
- Cordwood Masonry Design Features
- Texture
- Pattern
- Special Design Features
- Giant Log-Ends
- Artistic Pointing
- Bottle-Ends
- Shelves and Towel Pegs
- The Sauna Cabin
- The Temporary Shelter Strategy
- Internal Walls
- The Conventionally Framed Sauna
- Conventional as the Alternative
- Foundation Options
- The Railroad Tie Foundation
- Foundation on Posts
- Floor Options
- Loren's Sauna Addition
- The Plan
- Loren's Foundation
- The Drain
- The Concrete Floor
- The Stick Frame
- Closing In
- Insulation and Vapor Barrier
- Interior Walls
- Vapor Barriers in the Sauna
- Loren's Platforms (Benches)
- Loren's Heater
- Finishing-Off Details
- Performanc and Cost
- The Sauna Stove
- Heating Options
- Electric Heat
- Gas Heat
- Wood Heat
- Konnos (The Rocks)
- Stove Capacity
- Installation of Electric Heaters
- Gas Sauna Heater Installation
- UL Listing (Underwrites Laboratories)
- Woodstove Planning and Installation
- Stovepipe Installation
- A Homemade Sauna Stove
- Adapting a Stove for Sauna Use
- Combustion Air
- Taking a Sauna
- A Crying Shame
- The Finnish Tradition
- First Curing
- Ripening the Sauna
- Temperature
- Perspiration
- Löyly
- Fragance
- How Long?
- Cooling
- Repeat
- Whisking
- Sex and Sauna
- Behaviour in the Stoveroom
- Sauna and the Psyhe
- Washing Down
- The Relaxation Room
- The Dry-Down
- Refreshment
- A Fine Sauna Sunday Afternoon
- Sauna Is a Personal Matter
- Sauna Equipment Manufacturers and Distributors
You can buy the book at Amazon:
Book review: The Sauna Is - revised and expanded
2007-07-21T09:20:05ZJuly 21, 2007
I have bought quite a few sauna books over time. So when I came across the sauna book "The Sauna Is: Revised and Expanded" (Amazon), I was quite turned off by the single negative review that it had, but somehow managed to press buy nevertheless.
The book consists of articles, each a few pages long. The talks about his sauna background and goes into the history. You will find answers to questions such as "Why did the sauna come to be? How and where did it develop? What are the different types of saunas and their characteristics?"
It goes through the Greek, Roman, Turkish, Native American, Russian, other steambaths and their usage and reputation throughout history. When he reaches the Finnish sauna, he goes into more detail. His explanation spans sauna customs and usual usage patterns. Did you know that Finns and the neighbouring people do not only use the sauna for cleansing? Saunas used to be very versatile in their usage, especially in the middle ages. It was used for curing and drying farm produces, used as a house to live in while the main house was being built, for brides preparing their vows and so far.
It also touches upon the World Sauna Championship subject (which is due soon for this year again, as we said covered at our Sauna Championship article) as part of a guest article by David Maki.
The table of contents:
- Dedication
- About the Author and Contributors
- A Part of My Heritage
- A Bath That's Different
- A Bathhouse with a History
- A Gift from the Finns
- A Bath That's Enjoyable
- A Means of Rejuvenation
- A Spot of Relaxation
- A Setting for Prioriety
- An Aid to Grooming
- A Room for Heating
- A Project for Do-It-Yourselfers
- A Variety of Designs
- A Bridge Between Cultures
- A Heated Competition
- Sauna 101
- Postscript
The book at Amazon for online buying:
Links
2007-07-09T14:56:35ZWe have compiled a master list of the best sauna-links on the internet. Please feel free to browse through our reviews of the sites listed below.
Major information resources:
Mihael Cankar wrote the first copy of his „The Finnish Sauna" more than ten years ago. At the dawn of the internet in 1994, there was next to no sauna information on the internet. He anticipated an interest in saunas and wrote down some fine information. He deals with a wide range of subjects, including a brief introduction, how to build your own, history, sauna dictionary and briefly covers the widely popular topic of sex (or rather the lack of it) in saunas.
He brings together his own account of saunas and that of others (by reproducing certain magazine/book articles).
The site is light on clutter and high on information. Well done, chap! He also promotes some interesting books on his site, which are worth a read. Reading is light and an absolute pleasure.
In the additional information section, he lists an impressive list of Sauna Associations and a fine collection of high quality links.
http://www.cyberbohemia.com/Pages/sweat.htm
The excellent site by Mikkel Aaland is a neutered version of his book called The Sweat. It deals with different types of steambaths and provides first hand accounts of the author's own visits to the Turkis sweatbath, details about all different types of saunas and historic accounts.
The facts are well researched and written down in a wonderful fashion. Apparently he spent three years, pilgrimaging around the world, visiting different saunas, taking photos and writing. The book was first published 1978 and the excerpts from the book bring the wonderful world of different cultures and backgrounds to every internet dweller, with a twist towards saunas.
http://www.kalle.com/sauna_faq.html
Kalle Hoffman is living in the United States, but he is of Finnish roots and a big fan of the traditional finnish sauna. His site has been up for over ten years. The most important part of his site the correspondence with various sauna owners. He is posting the sauna themed emails as part of his FAQ.
The site has a lot of information on building your site. What is great is that the information is not only theoretical, but actually comes from real people, who have lived through it themselves and talk from experience. You can find schematics and photos of a range of saunas and sauna details.
http://www.saunarelaxation.com/
Sauna Relaxation is a very comprehensive resource if you are looking to build your own sauna and are researching the options. Good stuff!http://www.sauna.fi/englanti/englanti.html
The Finnish Sauna Society was founded in 1937 and has around 3100 members. It is an organization to enjoy saunas (they have their own saunas) and to promote them. Allegedly they publish information in various forms, organize seminars and support scientific research.
The website has some interesting information on the development of saunas, some sauna related articles, an illustrated guide to using a sauna and contacts of some other sauna societies throughout the world. The Finnish Sauna Society is a part of the International Sauna Society, which organizes the International Sauna Congress every four years.
http://virtual.finland.fi/netcomm/news/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=26074
virtual.finland.fi is a site dedicated to promoting Finland and tourism in it. Since saunas are such an important part of life in Finland, they of course also have information on the sauna. They say: „The sauna is part of the Finnish identity and a national institution which still blossoms in the 21st century. / . . . / Sweating in a sauna, a sweat lodge or a furo bath is not primarily a physical act of cleansing, but a ritual that relaxes the body and soothes the mind. ‘Re-creation' best describes what the refreshed mind experiences after bathing in the steam. "
The site has a lengthy write-up of saunas, how they got started, different types of saunas. While the main article is excellent and strong on information, the subarticles about the history of the stove is great (has pictures of different historical stoves). It also has a recommended illustrated guide of how to enjoy the sauna. A very nice site overall.
http://www.saunasite.com/index-en/engindex.htm
This site concentrates on building a sauna, although it also has some general information. The building info is quite excellent and has lots of cute illustrations with cartoon reindeers acting as sauna users. There also are tables and graphs to communicate some important information on saunas.
What does the building part of the site cover? It does not quite go into the details of plumbing (which would be completely unnecessary). But it does cover all the sauna specific basics, ventilation, insulation, sauna benches, sauna stove stones and best practices.
The „Questions and Answers about Sauna" section is great! It has lots of information (hundreds of letters and their replies). Also, the „Reader's online pages" section has postings of sauna users and plenty of commercial posts of people who are selling sauna goods in local markets.
The site has some information on saunas and quite uniquely some lore stories of saunas. There are some good links on their site, but unfortunately many of them are quite outdated and no longer working. They have posted some results of sauna competitions and links to their coverage by BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/414887.stm).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauna
Wikipedia has information of the general sauna experience and the history. It does not only deal with Finnish saunas, but also discusses other forms of saunas. Special depth is given to how widespread saunas are in different regions and countries. The article also details habits that are common on the local level in different regions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammam
Although the Hamman (Turkish sweat bath) and the Finnish sauna are similar in many aspects, they look, feel and are very different. It is somewhat similar to your typical spa steam bath, but the background, saunagoing habits and traditions are very different. Therefore Wikipedia has a separate article for it. Worth a read.
Fun:
http://mbjork.home.cern.ch/mbjork/gase/events/saunaab_test/saunaab_test.htm
The Saunaab is a Saab 900 automobile, converted to be a sauna. Visit the website of the amusing idea, the people who actually decided to go ahead with it and the crazy process of actually turning a car into a sauna. The site has a story of the Saunaab, lots of photos of the building process and details of the design decisions made. Go check it out!
http://www.primitiveways.com/sauna.html
This PrimitiveWays has an interesting article of the building process of the most primitive sauna of all. One like they used to be made way back in time with a wooden frame or hole in the ground, covered with animal skins. The article has interesting pictures of the building process of this tent-like sauna and a story to go along with it.
Commerce:
Harvia has a mindboggling range of products, including Electric Heaters, Control Units, Woodburning Stoves, Saunas, Cauldrons, Water Heaters, Fireplaces, Fireplace inserts, Iron Stoves, Sauna Products and more. They do not only have pictures of their products, but also have some 3D virtual views of saunas.
The founder of Harvia was Tapani Harvia (1920-1998). The Harvia homepage says "In the army he was always the one who dictated the pace of throwing water on the sauna stones. At the request of those who became impatient with Tapani Harvia's style of sauna bathing, he was actually granted his own private sauna shift. " Even more than that - he managed to take his childhood memories of a constantly heated sauna stove that was excellent engineering-wise and from the user perspective. It delivered a nice soft bath. It was forged by the village blacksmith. Supposedly he got his idea to turn saunas into his business from there and the idea took off very well. If you are looking to order an sauna, looking at what Harvia has to offer, is well worth it!
Finnelo has a wide range of standard offers for Finnish saunas, steam and infrared saunas. They also do customer Finnish saunas and ship the details to you. They say that the company history spans back to 1919.
http://www.nordicsauna.com/store/site/?CFID=198075&CFTOKEN=82369900
Nordic Sauna has an online shop, where you can order sauna heaters, prefabricated sauna rooms, sauna kits, infrared saunas, sauna accessories (thermometers, ladles, buckets, lights, stones, oils, essences and a lot more).
This is another online shop and also carries a lot of products. Definetly something you should look at when you do not have local sauna shops or when you need to order some products online.
Other languages:
http://www.saunamaailm.ee/ (Estonian and Russian)
An excellent resource with online shop, saunas for rent, galleries and sauna articles.
Heat - the cornerstone of sauna
2007-07-09T14:43:01ZHeat is the basis of a sauna. The main room is warmed up to 80-100C (170-210F) degrees. Seasoned sauna-goers vouch this to
be the best temperature to enjoy the experience. Some people find what they are graving for the heat range of 70-110C (160-230F). Most people visit the sauna in several dashes for 5-10 minutes. But one can go to the sauna for many hours as well (heating themselves up, taking a dip in the river, socializing and repeating the cycle).
You might ask, how one can tolerate heat that makes water boil? The answer is humidity control. A hundred degrees is no problem at all in the sauna, because the humidity is quite low (it is a self-controlled environment - the heater brings the humidity level down itself).
If heat is the cornerstone of a sauna, then at each side, there are more stones to build up the wall. What these are in the sauna, depends on you - a refreshing shower, standing outside and cooling down, swimming in a lake, rolling in the snow.
How long does it take to heat up a sauna? For the therms of Rome, it took days or weeks. For a smoke sauna, it takes a day. For smaller Finnish saunas (for up to 5 people at a time), both with a wooden stove and electrical one, it takes an hour or two.
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