Feel the Heat

By Shanta McGahey

Aahh, the sauna. The body tingles in anticipation at the mere mention of the word. Relax, de-stress, purify. These are some of the things that come to mind when we hear the word sauna. So it was only a matter of time before saunas became an option for the home, replacing jetted tubs as the newest luxury in bathrooms, exercise rooms and outdoor rooms around the country.

The sauna’s predecessors, savusaunas or smokehouses, have been used in Finland for thousands of years. Men, women and children met in savusaunas after a long day’s work to socialize in the warm, germ-free sweat baths. Hardly a luxury, saunas were considered a necessity by the hardy Finns, who faced long winters with temperatures well below zero. Through the centuries, the sauna served as birth house, hospice and spiritual retreat, and it continues to be a popular ritual in Finland.

Today, saunas are used for many of the same reasons the Finns built them thousands of years ago—to cleanse and heal the body. They became popular with American athletes after the 1936 Olympics, when Finnish participants used saunas as part of their training. Finland’s Paavo Nurmi won nine gold medals that year, convincing the rest of the world that there indeed was something to this sauna thing.

Scientifically speaking, the health benefits of taking a sauna are simple. According to Brian Cohn of The Pool Place in Chattanooga, Tennessee—when you take a sauna, the heat forces blood circulation near the skin and stimulates perspiration. Sweating helps the body rid itself of unwanted materials and improves general circulation. The body uses energy to perspire, which essentially means it is exercising while in the sauna. This results in physically feeling soothed and energized, which tends to extend to a relaxed mental state. Some users claim additional benefits like improved digestion and clearer breathing.

Saunas pose no health risks for most people, but there are a few exceptions. According to the Finnish Sauna Society, those who 'should pay special attention to the way they bathe are patients with various diseases, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, asthma or skin disease. However, for most people in these groups moderate sauna bathing presents no health risk. ‘Moderate’ here means keeping the temperature under 194°F and avoiding any rapid changes from hot to cold or vice versa.' Those who have inflammatory diseases or injuries or who are running a fever should avoid saunas completely.

Here in the South, for obvious reasons, the idea of the home sauna has been slow to catch on. But retailers and contractors are finding that more and more people are inquiring about installing private saunas and a related luxury, the steam shower.

Mark Holton, a contractor from Signal Mountain, Tennessee, says they are most popular among men over forty. 'It’s a comfort thing. Men are using it as a means to relax. The same guy who buys a steam bath will buy a good bottle of wine or a good cigar.'

Steam baths or showers are a more economical option to saunas, but they do not produce heat. They can be installed for around $1,000, while pre-fabricated saunas are sold for a wide range of $2,800 for a small bathroom sauna to $15,000 for a sauna house. Infrared saunas are another less expensive option, ranging from $1,500 to $6,000, but they heat to 120°F, whereas the traditional sauna reaches 220°F. Cohn explains, 'Infrared is a radiant heat rather than convection. It’s more like sunlight. People use it for preventative health because it causes a higher rate of toxin loss than traditional saunas.'

The wide range in cost for traditional saunas can be attributed to quality, size and design. Saunas on the lower end of the scale are made from cedar, which will discolor over time. A tight-grain wood, such as spruce or birch, with small knots, will resist discoloring and produce very few splinters. The Pool Place’s higher-end saunas, by Finnleo, use materials imported from Finland. They also contain benches made from abachi, an African wood that does not splinter. Even the types of rocks used in a sauna are important. Cohn says, 'Volcanic rocks look good, but they’re too porous, they’ll crack.'

The smallest saunas are 2x4 individual units. They are usually compatible with any 110-volt outlet. Larger, pre-fabricated saunas range from 4x4 to 10x10 and require a 220-volt outlet. There are saunas designed for master baths that will fit into a corner and sauna houses, designed for the outdoors, which require roof kits.

Sauna houses can be as simple or as complex as desired, with options for changing rooms and windows. Several manufacturers offer a 'designer' or 'signature' series of traditional saunas that may feature organic shapes rather than the typical square room; recessed lighting; an abundant use of glass; headrests and extra benches. These luxury editions are so inviting, they could be considered an extra room in the house—the relaxation room.