OUTDOOR SAUNA KITS

Outdoor saunas typically take the appearance of a log cabin or a Garden sauna garden shed. They normally have roof shingles and often contain one or more windows. The finishing touch is to surround the entrance of the sauna with timber decking.

Outdoor saunas can be made from both sauna material kits and, more often and easily, pre-fab sauna kits.

The more expensive models offer extra options, better finishes and larger floor areas, whilst the cheaper saunas may use lower grade finishes. As with most things in life, when you buy an outdoor sauna kit you get what you pay for.

Outdoor sauna kits can be bought for single person occupancy, or to simultaneously cater for the needs of several sauna goers at one time. The bigger the sauna, the more powerful and, in the case of infrared heaters, the greater the number or size of heaters required.

Sauna kits and pre-fab sauna kits for outdoor saunas

You will find two variations on the general theme of sauna kits.

The first is the material kit, which comprises of all of the saunas components required to create an internal sauna environment, and the second is the pre-fab sauna.

Material sauna kits for outdoor use

This kind of kit requires a reasonable degree of DIY skill and some pre-planned time to assemble, but significantly, it does not include the actual cabin or shed in which the sauna will be housed. The enclosure (cabin) itself will need to be purchased separately.

This kind of sauna kit will be identical to any other standard sauna kit and will work in any indoor, or a separate outdoor enclosure, location. The cabin in which the kit is assembled will need to be waterproofed and it is usually a good idea to insulate the cabin in order to reduce heat loss and improve efficiency.

Some of the components of the sauna kit will require cutting down to size and DIY skills and a tool kit will be required by the fitter.

In essence, this kind of sauna kit is an internal fitting out kit which you attach to the existing walls, ceiling and structure of the cabin that you wish to transform into a sauna.

Pre-fab outdoor sauna kits

The second kind of sauna kit for an outdoor sauna is what many call a pre-fab outdoor sauna kit.

This kind of kit comes in large sections and the main components like the walls and roof are delivered pre-assembled, or in large easy to assemble pieces. This kind of sauna kit requires far less construction time, very little in the way of practical DIY skills, but it is of course more expensive.

Obviously there are no rules defining exactly what is and is not a pre-fab, or a material-only sauna kit, and therefore you will find manufacturers and suppliers who offer kits that fall somewhere between these two general definitions. These kinds of kits tend to be known as hybrid sauna kits.

Additionally, some suppliers will supply a standard material sauna kit to which you can add-on various additional components. This gives you the flexibility to buy a kit that includes everything necessary to build the equivalent of a pre-fab sauna, i.e. with self supporting walls, insulation etc, but from a single material kit.

In short, the sauna kit market is extremely evolved and caters for just about every sauna type and requirement of its customers. This means that you will invariably be able to find the kit or pre-fab sauna that suits you.

What to expect from a typical outdoor sauna kit

A good outdoor sauna kit will include all of the components required to build a sauna comparatively quickly and easily. In some cases there may be a degree of cutting or component sizing necessary and a basic tool kit will be required.

Most pre-fab cabins do of course come factory sized which reduces or removes the need for any cutting of materials.

Internally sauna kits are primarily composed of timber, cedar wood being a popular choice, and most parts of the (material) kit will be supplied “cut to a standard size” and inclusive of fittings. All of the sauna features including doors, frames, casings and mouldings should be included and this means that the kit is supplied ready for assembly.

All sauna kits include an assembly or instruction guide and since items like the framing and mouldings etc are generally pre-cut, the construction aspect of the kit primarily requires the ability to match the kit’s components against the instruction booklet’s drawings and step-by-step installation sequence. Any customizing (sizing) will be determined by the space available for the sauna in the chosen location.

How long it will take to complete a sauna kit is dependant upon a number of factors ranging from the size of the sauna, to the DIY expertise of the person assembling it and the extent to which the kit is pre-fabricated.

Pre-fab saunas can often be completed in three or four hours, whilst the more material and DIY based kits can require two or three days work and more careful planning. The bigger the sauna, the longer it will take to assemble and, if it has multiple windows, decking and other accessories, the assembly time will be increased still further.

Site preparation

In addition to assembling the outdoor sauna kit or pre-fab sauna, it will also be necessary to have a solid and level base on which to site the sauna.

A site should be selected that is dry and well drained. It may also be a good idea to create a small concrete raft or footings on which the sauna fabrication can be erected, but this will be dependant upon the site and its condition (and the recommendations of the sauna kit’s supplier).

Assembling an outdoor sauna kit (not a pre-fab kit) falls into the serious DIY category. Many sauna kit suppliers equate the level of difficulty involved in this kind of project as being equivalent to that of erecting a simple timber stud frame.

Additionally, there may also be the separate assembly of a cabin or hut in which to house a material sauna kit, in which case it is important to check the suitability and compatibility of both kits or systems.

Most people who buy an outdoor sauna tend to buy one of the pre-fab, or semi pre-fabricated sauna kits. One additional reason for this is because several days of good weather may be required if there is a multi-day assembly period for the kit.