We Put In a Sauna

It gets so horribly cold here from October through May. In this drafty old house, we've found it difficult to warm ourselves up, and so we have been talking about putting in either a hot tub or sauna. We know that come fall and winter, the idea of slipping into a hot tub or sauna and relaxing for a bit will be pure heaven. We've also been reading about the health benefits of using a hot tub or sauna, which I especially appreciate since I have problems with poor circulation. 

Since a hot tub requires maintaining the water levels and monitoring the chemicals or salt (depending on which option you choose), we decided it would be easier and more economical to put in a sauna. So, we ordered one from Costco. It was delivered rather quickly in one giant box to our front door.

It took most of a day to put together, and that included the usual amount of arguing, head-banging, and starting over when it fell apart. Below are a few photos of the process and the finished result.

First, Paul had to build the deck that it would sit on. I helped a little bit, but he did most of the work. We did this step the week prior to building the sauna.

Next, we assembled the bottom, followed by the front and back walls (which were pre-assembled), and the top braces. Mojo the dog hung out with us.

Then came the tricky part. Each slat that forms the barrel sides had to be snapped together. Nails were not recommended until you reached the half-way point. This is where it fell apart. We'd reached the half-way point and the sides feel back down. Of course, I laughed really hard over this, while Paul grumbled. The solution: On our second attempt, we nailed the boards in (even though it said not to), since it's not like we're ever going to take this thing apart again.

Curious deer came by to inspect things while we worked. I managed to get a photo after they were starting to leave.

Finally, it was all assembled. We even had a few extra pieces.

The last step was to call an electrician so that the wiring could be hooked up to it. We repurposed an unused breaker that was the appropriate size for it. It's all finished now, and we even enjoyed it a few times before the weather turned hot this summer. It's now just waiting for the cold to set in again.