Bathroom Planning: Can I Install a Sauna in My Home?
Learn everything you need to know about home saunas, and let these beautiful designs fire your imagination
If you’ve always yearned to re-create a relaxing spa experience in the comfort of your own home, then a sauna might be just the ticket. While showers and baths are more obligatory than optional, a home sauna is a real luxury. As the design and technology of saunas has improved, and we’ve taken inspiration from Scandinavian countries, it’s become an increasingly popular option here in the UK.
Domestic saunas tend to be more design-led than ones you might have experienced at the gym or a spa, so it’s not just about the functionality, but the look and feel of the sauna, too. Working with an architect or interior designer, or directly with the installer, you can have a great deal of artistic licence to decide what you want – whether it’s a domed ceiling, special lighting, a built-in entertainment system, or simply a particular type of wood for the walls.
Two experts with experience of designing and installing saunas answer some of the most common questions and share their advice on what you need to know about putting a sauna in your home.
Professional advice from:
Alex Treharne of Nordic Saunas & Steam
Gary Seaward of Prestige Saunas
Domestic saunas tend to be more design-led than ones you might have experienced at the gym or a spa, so it’s not just about the functionality, but the look and feel of the sauna, too. Working with an architect or interior designer, or directly with the installer, you can have a great deal of artistic licence to decide what you want – whether it’s a domed ceiling, special lighting, a built-in entertainment system, or simply a particular type of wood for the walls.
Two experts with experience of designing and installing saunas answer some of the most common questions and share their advice on what you need to know about putting a sauna in your home.
Professional advice from:
Alex Treharne of Nordic Saunas & Steam
Gary Seaward of Prestige Saunas
How is a sauna different to a steam room?
While a sauna offers dry heat and is usually made of wood, a steam room offers wet heat and is usually tiled and tightly sealed to keep the steam in. It’s just a different kind of experience. But if you like the idea of both and have the luxury of enough space in your home, then you could have a sauna and steam room built side by side, as in this image, and get the best of both worlds.
While a sauna offers dry heat and is usually made of wood, a steam room offers wet heat and is usually tiled and tightly sealed to keep the steam in. It’s just a different kind of experience. But if you like the idea of both and have the luxury of enough space in your home, then you could have a sauna and steam room built side by side, as in this image, and get the best of both worlds.
Why should I want a sauna?
If you’ve been in a sauna and enjoyed the experience, chances are you can already answer this question. But while people in Scandinavian countries have been doing it for years, the trend for having a home sauna is relatively new in the UK. Why are so many people becoming interested in having a home sauna?
‘Saunas have a certain visual impact and wow factor when they’re done well,’ says Gary Seaward. ‘And, most importantly, a sauna is just a really enjoyable place to spend time. Whether it’s a private relaxing ritual or a communal area where the whole family can get together, a sauna is a wonderful treat to start or end the day.’
If you’ve been in a sauna and enjoyed the experience, chances are you can already answer this question. But while people in Scandinavian countries have been doing it for years, the trend for having a home sauna is relatively new in the UK. Why are so many people becoming interested in having a home sauna?
‘Saunas have a certain visual impact and wow factor when they’re done well,’ says Gary Seaward. ‘And, most importantly, a sauna is just a really enjoyable place to spend time. Whether it’s a private relaxing ritual or a communal area where the whole family can get together, a sauna is a wonderful treat to start or end the day.’
How much space will I need?
The first thing to consider is whether you have the space. ‘How much space you will need depends on how many people you want to be able to fit in your sauna,’ explains Gary. ‘Bigger is better, because it will allow you to lie down and relax, or socialise in the sauna with friends and family.’
The first thing to consider is whether you have the space. ‘How much space you will need depends on how many people you want to be able to fit in your sauna,’ explains Gary. ‘Bigger is better, because it will allow you to lie down and relax, or socialise in the sauna with friends and family.’
What’s the minimum amount of space I can get away with?
An area of around 1.2m sq will give you enough space to have a sauna that will fit one person, sitting down. This doesn’t need to be in a room of its own, but could be a sauna cabin within a bigger room, for instance a bathroom.
An area of around 1.2m sq will give you enough space to have a sauna that will fit one person, sitting down. This doesn’t need to be in a room of its own, but could be a sauna cabin within a bigger room, for instance a bathroom.
Where could I put a sauna?
One of the most important decisions you’ll have to make is about where to site your new sauna. ‘A sauna doesn’t have to be any particular shape,’ explains Gary, ‘which means one can be built almost anywhere. All you need is an electricity source and enough space, and beyond that there aren’t really any limits. A sauna can easily be put in an attic, extension, basement or garden.’
Read expert advice on planning a basement conversion
One of the most important decisions you’ll have to make is about where to site your new sauna. ‘A sauna doesn’t have to be any particular shape,’ explains Gary, ‘which means one can be built almost anywhere. All you need is an electricity source and enough space, and beyond that there aren’t really any limits. A sauna can easily be put in an attic, extension, basement or garden.’
Read expert advice on planning a basement conversion
Deciding where to site a sauna really comes down to personal preference. ‘Think carefully about how you want to use your sauna and whether the area you have in mind is really the most suitable,’ Gary recommends. ‘This will depend on how much you want to use your sauna, and when. Positioning it at the end of the garden may be great for creating a relaxing escape, but putting the sauna in a side room of the house, overlooking the garden, would be a better choice for making it easily accessible if you want to use it every day.’
Will I need Planning Permission?
‘You won’t need Planning Permission for an indoor sauna,’ explains Alex Treharne, ‘but you may need Planning Permission for an extension or a permanent structure in your garden. This isn’t really about the sauna itself, but about the building it goes in, so you need to follow the same rules that would apply to any building and development.’
See more of this fabulous garden spa
‘You won’t need Planning Permission for an indoor sauna,’ explains Alex Treharne, ‘but you may need Planning Permission for an extension or a permanent structure in your garden. This isn’t really about the sauna itself, but about the building it goes in, so you need to follow the same rules that would apply to any building and development.’
See more of this fabulous garden spa
How might the design process work?
Saunas can be bought as modular units, but most residential saunas are bespoke. This means they can be tailored to your space and specifications.
‘We do a design process beforehand so that clients can visualise the end result,’ explains Gary. ‘We can experiment with different possibilities to help the client decide what they want. For instance, this image shows a sauna with a window overlooking the garden, but we also created visuals showing what the sauna would look like with no window, or with a different window design.’
Saunas can be bought as modular units, but most residential saunas are bespoke. This means they can be tailored to your space and specifications.
‘We do a design process beforehand so that clients can visualise the end result,’ explains Gary. ‘We can experiment with different possibilities to help the client decide what they want. For instance, this image shows a sauna with a window overlooking the garden, but we also created visuals showing what the sauna would look like with no window, or with a different window design.’
What should I watch out for?
‘Saunas are completely safe when they’re installed properly, and rarely cause problems in houses,’ says Alex. ‘But, at the end of the day, it’s a hot wooden room inside your house, so you really want something you know is high quality and an installer who knows what they’re doing! It’s essential it’s built and installed properly.’
‘Saunas are completely safe when they’re installed properly, and rarely cause problems in houses,’ says Alex. ‘But, at the end of the day, it’s a hot wooden room inside your house, so you really want something you know is high quality and an installer who knows what they’re doing! It’s essential it’s built and installed properly.’
How much will a sauna cost?
As with most home design projects, costs can vary enormously depending on the specification of what you want. ‘Saunas can cost anything from £8,000 upwards for a basic modular unit,’ says Gary, ‘with a more bespoke sauna likely to cost £12,000 to £25,000.’
TELL US…
Are you a sauna fan? Would you have one in your home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
As with most home design projects, costs can vary enormously depending on the specification of what you want. ‘Saunas can cost anything from £8,000 upwards for a basic modular unit,’ says Gary, ‘with a more bespoke sauna likely to cost £12,000 to £25,000.’
TELL US…
Are you a sauna fan? Would you have one in your home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
If you haven’t already been won over to saunas by trying one at a spa or gym, give it a go! A sauna is a small room where you can experience a dry heat session. The word sauna comes from the ancient Finnish word describing this kind of bath and the building surrounding it.
Essentially, saunas work by using dry heat, which is generated by a heater in a small enclosed room. In a traditional, Finnish-style sauna, you can also splash water on the heat source to get a damp heat, too. In the warmth, muscles relax and pores open, making a sauna session an ideal health and beauty treatment.