How to DIY A Luxe Home Sauna

Check out how to DIY A Luxe Home Sauna, like we did in the basement.

As many of you know we have been slowly finishing out spaces within our basement to create the perfect at home gym and luxe spa space. Today we are sharing how to DIY a luxe home sauna. Welcome to our beautiful new at home sauna. The one thing I do want to address is, yes, we could have ordered a pre built sauna.  However, when you look at the pricing for those for this size, you are really over paying. Building our own allowed us to make a custom sized space for less money, and it works like a dream.One of the first things we did in the space was seal up all of the exposed concrete, which included the walls and floors. Since the floor was going to be visible thru our indoor/outdoor deck tiles we were using for the floor, we went with a black concrete paint.

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The Aster Outdoor Interlocking Deck Tile Plastic Waterproof Outdoor Flooring come in a 12″ x 12″ size and are designed for Patio Garden Deck Poolside indoor/outdoor use. We purchased the 27 pcs box in gray to complete our space. They easily snap together with the use of rubber mallet, and can easily be cut for the specialty size areas to fit your space. 

This was the perfect choice for a sauna floor due to its slip resistant open design, the grooves on the top surface of these outdoor patio tiles between each slat increase friction and help keep you from slipping if the tiles get wet. They are weather resistant which makes them durable. The high quality plastic material is a better alternative to wood deck tile versions that do not hold up against the elements. These tiles will not warp, rot, crack, stain, scratch, split or bend.Once the floor was in place we started to work on sealing up the walls  and placing the first layer of insulation in place. Since this is a sauna you do not want to use a traditional style of insulation as you would the rest of your home.  After doing some research we decided on a two layer approach of a PolyPro foam board which is glued into place with a Loctite type of adhesive glue, seen here below.  Followed by a layer Reflectix insulation bubble foil which is recommended for rooms and areas like saunas. This creates a nice double layer to hold in the heat and keep out the cold and possible moisture with this wall being in the subterrain area of our basement. 
Once the space was well insulated it was time to add the quintessential wood walls, which everyone thinks of when they think of a sauna. We choose a nice pine spruce to save on money verses a cedar, which is fine they both smell great, in my humble opinion. Plus the pine had a wide plank and beaded plank option on the same boards, which was a nice decorative touch.  As you can see we ended up using the side which looks a bit more like beadboard since the boards were made reversible and we had the option. I just liked the smaller plank look for this space verses the wider 8” solid boards. We started on the ceiling and worked our way down the walls. We used a finish trim piece to fill the gaps in the corners and along the ceiling. There were only a few speciality cuts for the overhead light fixtures and the light switch and plug for the heater.  This is how we finished out around the switch and door frame. We used a basic 1×3 pine board as a trim piece, nothing fancy. We had decided to keep it really simple and rustic looking.  The LED lights are basic as well, just two round flush lights that are weatherproof for the space. We added a dimmer so we can adjust the level of light in the sauna for our needs.  The next main piece we added in was the actual sauna heater, again after doing our research, we went with the VEVOR Sauna Heater 3KW Dry Steam Bath Sauna Heater Stove. It is a 220V-240V with Internal Controller Electric Sauna Stove for maximum volume of 141.3 Cubic Feet and for use in Homes/Hotel Sauna Rooms, Spa Showers or Bath Saunas. 

You do have to burn off your sauna heater and any sauna rocks that you plan to use inside of the heater prior to your first use, just in case it has anything on the rocks or elements. Then you are free to add oil infused water to add an extra level of spa relaxation to your sauna. So I just had to get one of these cute little sauna water buckets, just like all of the big boy spas have, I mean why not? Bestnewie Sauna Bucket with Ladle Handmade Wooden Sauna

We ordered this amazingly comfortable pine bench which matches the space perfectly, and has a great ergonomic curve in the seat for maximum comfort as we lounge around inside our new sauna. We opted for a freestanding bench so we could move to the center of the room if we wish to lay down.  As for the accessorizing we went very basic adding in a few wall hooks for our bath sheet towels and robes, and that was pretty much it.  This is where my Cozy Earth Bath Sheets have truly come in handy, they are the perfect size to wrap up in for the sauna. I am in love with these premium plush towels in the Cozy Earth Towel Line.I was able to acquaint myself with the luxury of the 45″ x 60″ bath sheets last month when they launched, and they are perfect for creating an at home spa experience. They are so soft and ultra-absorbent; I love them, and I know you will too. You can even try them, just use my custom link to: Cozy Earth and save 40% with my code: JENRON40 when you order. So in closing, I highly recommend a in home sauna, and if you are considering doing it as a DIY, I am here to say it is not really that hard to do or create. It was worth every penny, and yes we do use it regularly, especially in the cold winter months.  I do realize it may feel like an impractical add to a home, my thoughts on the subject are it is the size of a closet. For the cost of the heating element I now have a sauna which makes me and my husband happy. As for resale,  if a future buyer loves it we would leave it as a sauna; if they hate it they have a lovely woodlined closet, we would just add a different flooring which would probably have to be done for the Home Gym, seen here,  which is directly off of it. 

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