Outdoor Sauna Guide

Locally Sourced Timber

Using imported materials for construction contributes to climate change due to the carbon emissions associated with transportation across long distances.  

By opting for locally sourced thermally modified Radiata, we reduce emissions, support sustainable forestry practices and ensure that your sauna room is the perfect outdoor sauna for your backyard.

Plastic Free

Plastics are widely used in the construction industry, including in weather wraps and insulation materials, posing significant sustainability concerns. They are derived from fossil fuels and contribute to long-term environmental damage due to their non-biodegradability and the energy-intensive production processes. 

Fully framed saunas often use plastic weather wraps while many prefab saunas and outdoor sauna kits use EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) insulation. These can release harmful chemicals when exposed to the intense heat, compromising both the health and safety of users.

By avoiding plastics in our saunas, we reduce the environmental impact and ensure a healthier sauna session. We use sustainable, chemical-free alternatives, NZ sheep’s wool insulation and Magnum Board weather barrier, ensuring a safe and eco-friendly environment that’s better for you and the planet.

Chemical Free

Many saunas use chemically treated cladding and flooring to enhance durability, often with toxic substances like copper chrome arsenate (CCA) or alkaline copper quat (ACQ). These chemicals can leach into the environment, harming wildlife and soil health over time. In addition, when exposed to the heat of a traditional sauna, treated timber can release harmful VOCs and other substances into the air, compromising air quality and affecting respiratory health. 

At Sustainable Saunas, we avoid these chemicals while mainting durability by using thermally modified timber. This way, we create a robust sauna without compromising the health benefits and without harming the environment.

Fully Framed

A fully framed outdoor sauna is built to the same high standards as a home, ensuring strength, stability, and long-term durability. At Sustainable Saunas, we construct our saunas with LVL framing, designed to withstand harsh outdoor conditions year-round. 

In contrast, many small saunas and improted sauna kits lack proper framing, affecting long-term reliability. Without proper framing, these saunas are prone to structural weaknesses, rapid wear, and potential damage from moisture, which can compromise their durability over time. 

By using a fully framed design, we create saunas that are not only stronger and more reliable but also built to last, offering a better, longer-lasting investment for our customers.

Durable Outdoors

The durability of both the cladding and base is crucial to ensuring the longevity and structural integrity of your sauna. Exposure to the elements, particularly moisture and ground contact, can lead to rot, decay, and structural failure if the materials aren’t up to standard. For a sauna that will stand the test of time, it’s essential to use high-quality materials that are specifically designed to handle these outdoor conditions.

Many sauna kits use wooden bases that sit directly on a timber deck or concrete pad, without adequate protection against moisture. This leads to a high risk of decay and rotting over time, as the wood is constantly exposed to damp conditions. While locally built saunas often rely on chemically treated timber or imported materials, which can compromise both our health and environmental sustainability. 

At Sustainable Saunas, we use thermally modified cladding which meets the same durability standards of a home. This ensures our saunas are resistant to moisture, rot, and decay, making them ideal for harsh outdoor conditions. For the base, we use a steel frame that elevates the sauna off the ground, protecting it from moisture and preventing rot. 

Kitsets

Sauna kitsets, including single-walled structures like barrel saunas and those with prefabricated walls that are assembled on-site, are often imported from overseas. These saunas typically use EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) insulation, a plastic-based material that can degrade over time when exposed to high temperatures, compromising both the durability and health benefits from regular sauna use. 

Additionally, many kitsets are not designed to withstand the harsh conditions of outdoor use, as their materials and construction methods are generally not built for long-term exposure to moisture, UV rays, and temperature fluctuations. This makes them less durable compared to saunas built with high-quality, locally sourced materials and proper framing designed for outdoor conditions.

Other Saunas

Other saunas that are built locally often feature framing for structural support. However, they typically rely on plastic weather barriers and chemically treated timber for cladding and flooring, which can release harmful substances and is not environmentally friendly. Many of these saunas also use imported timber, which increases the carbon footprint due to transportation. 

While they have structural integrity, these saunas are often less sustainable and less healthy compared to those made with local, chemical-free materials and environmentally conscious construction methods.