FAQs

General Questions

Precut Saunas

Precut saunas are popular for the do-it-yourselfer and a great way to save some money. They offer the most design customization. It’s also ideal for those who want a permanent installation in their home or commercial building. With precut saunas, you frame, insulate, and wire your room, then we send you everything to finish the space into a sauna. Installation can take 2-3 days depending on the size. Our benches are prebuilt, and doors are prehung, saving you time and effort. Our Western Red Cedar is Grade A and kiln-dried for a perfect fit and finish.

Prebuilt Saunas

Prebuilt saunas are great for those who want a quicker setup and prefer a sauna that can be disassembled and relocated if desired. These consist of prefabricated wall sections that make a freestanding sauna. Assembly typically takes 2-3 hours. You can choose between various exterior materials, including Western Red Cedar. Barrel saunas, categorized as prebuilt, are ideal for portability and easy installation.

Important Elements of Design in Your Sauna

• Ceiling Height

Heat leveling is essential in a sauna. A 7′ ceiling is ideal, though we can design higher ceilings. Raising the ceiling to 8' requires raising the benches as well to keep the heat at the desired level. Consult our experts for help with ceiling heights.

• Venting

Sauna vents are mainly for fresh air supply and exhaust, not moisture. The intake vent should be low, ideally under the sauna heater, while the exhaust vent should be high on the opposite side. Outdoor saunas may not require venting to prevent heat loss.

• Floor Drain

Most saunas do not require a floor drain. It is a matter of preference, though it is often needed in commercial saunas. Check local building codes to see if it’s required in your area.

• Water Spigots

Water spigots are not recommended inside saunas as they can be hazardous due to proximity to sauna wiring and may be against code.

• Flooring

Sauna flooring can be any water-resistant material like concrete, tile, or linoleum. Depending on the sauna type, you can choose from cedar-slat duckboards or rubberized anti-bacterial flooring for commercial use.

• Electrical

Always have a licensed electrician handle the sauna's electrical work to ensure safety and code compliance.

• Choosing and Sizing Your Sauna Heater

The sauna heater is the heart of the sauna. Heater sizes vary, and typically, you need 1 kw per 50 cubic feet. Outdoor saunas may require more power. Various options are available, including heaters that heat instantly or have steam generation. Commercial saunas usually have wall-mount controls with optional 24-hour timers. Consult our sauna experts for proper heater selection.

• Insulation

Insulating your sauna well improves heat-up time and efficiency. We recommend R-19 insulation for walls and R-30 for ceilings. At the very least, ensure R-12 throughout the sauna.

• Lighting

All our saunas come with lighting that is appropriate for the heat and dampness of the sauna. Choose from several wall-mounted or ceiling-mounted lighting options.

• Benching

Benching often dictates the size of the sauna. Allow 2' – 3' of upper bench per person. If possible, it is popular to have 5′ – 6′ to allow the bather to lay down.

• Sauna Location

Saunas can be placed in various locations, including bathrooms, closets, attics, garages, basements, and outdoors. We recommend avoiding connection to showers or steam showers to prevent humidity issues that could void the warranty.

Shipping Related

The Sauna Place offers fast shipping times for all products. Typical shipping times include:

• Sauna and Steam Accessories – 1 to 2 days
• Sauna and Steam Room Doors – 1 to 5 business days
• Cedro and Finlandia Saunas – 7 to 21 days
• Barrel and Infrared Saunas – 7 to 21 days
• Residential Steam – 1 to 7 days
• Commercial Steam – 1 to 6 weeks

Care & Maintenance

Proper care and maintenance are crucial for your sauna. Clean using warm water and mild detergent. Use towels on benches to maintain hygiene. For high-traffic areas, we recommend using our safe sauna wood oil for sealing.

Sauna & Steam Related

We offer free consultation and customization for saunas, steam showers, or wine rooms. For more information, email sales@saunaplace.com.

Mr. Steam Error Codes

Here are common error codes for Mr. Steam units:

• H20: Water level not satisfied for more than 5 minutes. All functions will stop, reset by pressing ON/OFF.
• Prr1: Room temperature exceeds 125°F but is less than 137°F. Heater will deactivate until the temperature drops below 120°F.
• Prr2: Room temperature is above 137°F. All functions will stop until reset by pressing ON/OFF.
• Err1: Voltage supplied is too low. All functions stop.
• Err2: A button was pressed for more than 5 minutes. All functions stop until cleared.
• Errb: The secondary generator has not detected water in the tank for more than 5 minutes.
• Err7: Programmed settings cannot be saved. The PC board must be replaced.