Infrared Sauna: How to Build a Far Infrared Sauna

Step 1

Before the Building Can Begin

There are several details you will need to complete before you can ever pound nail to wood. You will need to decide on the location, inside or out. If you decide to build an outside building for the sauna you will need to check the local laws for any special requirements they may need. Building inside is less expensive than outside for you can use the existing floor and even two of the walls if desired.

Once the location is decided on, a scaled drawing of the sauna should be created. The easiest method of accomplishing this is to get a tablet of engineers graph paper. Each square of the paper can be designated to be 6 inches, or even a foot. The first thing to decide is whether you need to use 120 or 240 volts. The larger your sauna is going to be the more likely you will need to have it wired for 240. If you are going to build an indoor sauna your design should consist of the room size, lighting, heaters, controller, door and ventilation locations, as well as bench details.
Step 2

The Sauna Shell - Picking the Type of Wood

Most often sauna walls consist of 2×4 lumber spaced 16 inches on center. The lumber most often used to encase the inside, outside and ceiling is tongue and groove boards. This allows for a tight fit while leaving the wood with the ability to contract and expand with the heat. While it is not a requirement to use tongue and groove boards it is important to stay away from woods that split when they become extremely dry, like oak. Waterproof woods, like cedar, are not necessary. Plywood and paneling should also be avoided, because when heated they tend to release the toxins in the glue which bind their layers. The interior wood should be left unfinished to avoid any toxins within the stain, varnish or paint from being released when heated. Sauna ceilings are usually lower than in a regular room. A lower ceiling is more cost efficient as it uses less energy to heat the space.
Step 3

Insulation and Door Installation

It is not necessary to install an insulated door. The door should be hinged so it opens away from the sauna, and if desired have tempered glass for its window. If you install a pre-hung sauna door be sure to make the width of the rough opening 2 inches larger than the door. The height needs to be an inch taller, so the jamb of the door can easily fit within the space, and it can be properly squared up.

Insulation is not a requirement in a far infrared sauna, but advised as it is energy efficient and keeps the temperature from fluctuating. It is important to ventilate the sauna. Often a space is left at the threshold of the door which provides fresh air into the sauna. Outgoing vents need to be built into the sauna at roughly two-thirds up the opposite wall from the air intake. Putting intake vents near the floor is also acceptable if the space under the door does not provide enough air.

Traditionally the floor in a sauna is an elevated platform called a duckboard. This design keeps your feet from getting wet, but since far infrared is a dry heat a duckboard is not necessary. It is necessary the floor be made of fire resistance materials. Just like the duckboard, a vapor barrier on the walls is not needed, but will help insulate the room if used.
Step 4

Installing the Bench and Lights

The bench is usually about 2 feet wide and as long as the interior of the sauna. But again the concept is not written in stone. Custom design the bench to create the kind of comfort you desire. It is important nail and screw heads be recessed into wood so their metal does not burn you when sitting on the heated hardware. And finally, there should be a light in the sauna, location is up to you.
Step 5

Figure 2 - Solid Ceramic Heaters Create the Best Far Infrared Heat

Putting the Far Infrared Emitter Units Together

The muscle of the far infrared sauna are the heat generating emitter units. Each unit has only five different kinds of parts. These are the housing tray, reflector, 2 ceramic emitters, 2 clips and 2 sets of screws and nuts (Figure 2). The housing tray and reflector are shipped as one unit. In order to install the heat emitters the 2 sets of screws and nuts holding the housing tray and reflector together must be removed. There are 2 screws and an inch long nut per each set. Once the housing tray and reflector have been separated the emitters can be installed.
Step 6

Figure 3 - It is as Easy as 1 2 3

Installing the Emitters

Put the emitter wires through the oblong hole in the reflector (Figure 3). The back of the emitter fits nicely into the oblong hole. To attach the emitter to the reflector, slide a clip into the groove provided. The emitter wires are then put into the terminal blocks and screwed down to secure. Repeat this process with the second emitter.

Once the emitters have been installed it is an easy job to reattach the reflector/emitter unit to the housing tray. First screw the inch long nuts to the reflector/emitter unit. Put this unit into the housing tray and screw the housing tray to the same nuts from the back side.
Step 7

Figure 9 - Emitters above the bench should be installed vertically and horizontally when below the bench

How Many and Where to Put the Emitters

There is a very simple formula for figuring out how many emitters will be required for your sauna. Simply multiply the length by the width by the height to find out how many cubic feet of space your sauna will have. You will need 17 watts of emitters per each cubic foot. So, multiply 17 by the number of cubic feet you came up with. This number will tell you how many total watts you will need. The emitters Promolife sell are 163 watts each. To figure out the number of emitters you will have to divide the number of watts needed by 163.

Emitters above the bench should be installed vertically and horizontally when below the bench. In the following photo you will see the emitters have been finished off by placing a wire grid over the unit and furring out the wall so the person taking a sauna does not touch the heating element directly (Figure 9). There is no right or wrong way to complete the encasement of the emitters, but safety should be kept in mind when designing all aspects of the project.
Step 8

Figure 10 - Installing the Emitter Units and Controller

Installing the Emitter Units and Controller

Each of the emitter units must be installed into the sauna walls. This entails recessing them into the 2×4 wall and hooking them up to the main electrical power. It is advised you install fire resistant insulation behind each emitter unit (Figure 10). Is is not required, but will add peace-of-mind to your sauna experience by providing the knowledge the wood behind the emitter unit is not vulnerable to combustibility.

It is advised you hire a professional electrician if you have no experience installing electrical wiring. However, the majority of locations in the United States still allow a home owner to do their own wiring, but it must go through the same building inspection a professional electrician goes through. To learn more about how to wire electricity visit the DoItYourself.com website. Be sure and check with your local building codes before installing your own electricity. Please note if you pound a nail badly you may split the wood, or end up with something that looks unsightly, but when electricity is installed incorrectly you risk the chance of a fire.
Step 9

Figure 11 - Installing the Sauna Controls

Installing the Sauna Controls

The sauna control is the last thing that needs to be installed. The photo below shows a dual control unit which has controls on both the inside and outside of the sauna (Figure 11). The black control goes on the outside of the sauna. When purchased, a schematic drawing is provided as to how the controller should be wired.
Step 10

Enjoy Your Newly Built Far Infrared Sauna

Once you have built your sauna undoubtedly you will want to proudly show off your handiwork, as well you should, you will have earned bragging rights. However, the best part is not the chest thumping you can do, but the years of health benefits you will receive for having done something that may just prolong your life.