Building An Accessible, Outdoor Sauna Out Of All Natural Materials: What We Wish We’d Known Before We Started
Our sustainable, bespoke Glasgow Community Sauna #2 has been handcrafted by Mon (qualified pirts master and sauna architect) and Maté (carpenter specialising in reclaimed Wood)
All of our choices in building the wood-fired outdoor Sauna #2 have centered on using completely natural materials, sourced sustainably, while also being able to withstand a community of hundreds of people using it every day.
Cheap vs Bespoke Saunas - What’s the Risk?
Offgassing was a real worry, as many cheap prefab saunas are made from materials containing hazardous chemicals. When you heat them up, these toxic gasses are released into the air.
This is really risky and bad for your health! Saunas are regularly sitting at 90c, so you’re risking breathing in a whole lotta noxious gasses every time you get a sweat on.
We really wanted to avoid this! So, we did a lot of meticulous research to guarantee the new Glasgow Community Sauna is non-toxic, safe and sustainable.
We would have used tiles if it was a static structure. But because this is a mobile wood-fired sauna, we needed something more flexible which won’t smash when we are trundling down a lochside road.
Almost finished exterior of the second sauna!
What Materials Are Best For A Sauna?
We’ve gone with a natural linoleum for the floor which has been very… fun to install? Yes, let’s say fun. (It’s taken them five days, it doesn’t look fun)
For all the construction elements, we’ve used untreated, reclaimed Scottish Spruce from Glasgow Wood, which looks and smells nice and is completely natural - unlike MDF or OSB which, horrifyingly, many saunas are made of! Maté is really passionate about reclaiming wood and eco-friendly building.
Mon drew on their extensive experience of using saunas - as a sauna-goer, a host, a sauna builder and as a trained traditional Lithuanian Pirts Sauna Ritual Master - to make decisions about every individual part of the sauna.
The Most Important Part of Running A Sauna Is…
80% of running a sauna is keeping it clean. So we wanted Sauna #2 to be easy to clean and maintain. The lino is seamless and runs up the sides of the wall for about 30cm, with a nice curve rather than a sharp corner where grime could collect. The easy to handle, liftable bench design makes them easy to air out and keep clean.
Why Ventilation Matters In A Sauna
Ventilation was also a key consideration. Fresh airflow is so important! I’ve been in many saunas where there is not enough ventilation, which means not enough oxygen and potentially carbon monoxide. Which can all cause headaches and just is not good for you! So we ensured proper airflow in and out of the sauna, without sacrificing too much heat.
Mon installing Alder and Aspen interior cladding.
Which Wood To Use In Your Sauna Build?
In the Lithuanian pirts tradition, we select different woods for each individual slat depending on the energy needed for each body part. For example, we select oak for where the spine rests against because it is a very strong hardwood, offering the support the spine needs to relax.
Since we’re going to have many many people sitting all over this sauna, we’ve chosen to only use Alder for the benches. Alder is exceptionally good at handling wet conditions, thriving in bogs and swamps. It is resistant to rot and actually strengthens and hardens over time under water. It was historically used to build bridges, boat piers and even water pipes! So the perfect wood for Glasgow Community Sauna benches! To identify Alder trees in the wild, look out for purple leaf buds, with heart shaped leathery leaves on long stems. And of course wet underfoot!
With the interior cladding, the energetics of the trees definitely influenced our choices. We’ve used Alder and Aspen, both of which are known to have drawing properties. This means that when you rest against Alder and Aspen, the wood draws out impurities, further cleansing and purifying you as you sweat.
The timber cladding on the outside is very pleasing, the way it all fits nicely together and the door nestles in perfectly. It’s all natural untreated timber, treated only with Danish Oil. And the way the cladding compliments and contrasts with the corrugated metal is very beautiful.
Maté Gehberger (L) and Mon Klavins (R)
The UK’s First Accessible Mobile Sauna
We’re really honoured to be building the UK’s first wheelchair accessible mobile sauna.
We’ve put a lot of thought into designing a wheelchair accessible area, with a low bench which will be a warm and enjoyable place to sit. Inclusive wellness spaces are hard to come by in Glasgow, and we’re working hard to change that!
A big highlight is getting to work together for the first time. We’re a really good team and work well together, we really get on and have similar working styles! We each have a dog - Mon’s Amber and Maté’s Ivy - which can make things complicated, but also really fun. Ivy needs lots of pinecone playing breaks and Amber needs her scavenging time.
Ivy the gaffer surveying the workday
