An Outdoor Sauna in a Landscaped Entertainment Area
The client’s property has a stunning outdoor entertainment area within a landscaped garden, featuring a designer swimming pool and an above-ground spa. A free-standing outdoor sauna was exactly what was needed: a traditional sauna experience would complete the range of relaxation and recreation available.
The sauna’s monopitch, longrun steel roof sits atop a timber frame, and the exterior is built of Shadowclad cladding. The walls have a vapour barrier of aluminium foil specially imported from Finland. The floor is made of timber decking.
The interior panelling is of Finnish Spruce, a common material in sauna building in Finland. It has a fresh scent and being a relatively soft wood, it’s very pleasant to the touch. Spruce is also a beautiful choice aesthetically. It’s light coloured and won’t really change or darken during use.
The two tiers of L-shaped benching are of Abachi and comfortably seats five to six bathers. Abachi is perfect to use wherever skin makes contact with wood in the sauna since it remains comfortable to the touch even at high temperatures, resists stains and odour absorption, and has no knots or splinters. It is a very popular sauna bench material that’s used in the finest saunas in Nordic countries.
The glass door is custom made with bespoke wooden door handles. A window in one of the walls affords a view of the pool and garden.
The 2.1 metre ceiling has embedded fibre optic lights, with the light projector installed outside under one of the eaves. Natural draught ventilation is employed, and the heater is a 13.5kW externally controlled Harvia Virta, the latest from Finland, fully compatible with the ventilation system. With this heater model, the ease of access to the elements is second to none making maintenance extremely convenient and efficient. The elements are never in actual contact with the stones either, effectively prolonging the life of the heater elements and the stones.
The project was a pleasure to implement as the client really listened to the FinnSauna’s recommendations and took them to heart. The excellent outcome is
confirmed by the client’s comment: “A TripAdvisor rating of a solid 10 out of 10. The best money I’ve ever spent.”
