Newsletter: Winter 2024

Sauna is everything.

One of the many labor of loves this year was building a sauna in Scarlet’s family cottage. It was one of those funky basement challenges but well worth it to be steps from the water. When you close the door, don’t be surprised by the whimsy naked lady enjoying the fruits of life. To Scarlet, its a reminder of those midsummer skinny dips as kids and the sentiment of a cottage that her parents have held on to. Read Rob’s new blog post about “Cottage Life” >>

The addition of a sauna to a cottage,
is like ice cream on berry pie.

---

New Years’ Sauna Baby

We just finished and delivered her (below) days before Christmas. This traditional wood-fired sauna is what we call our “Purist” model and it really is just that. New England style Cedar bevel siding with candle windows for light source—no solar, no electric. It is tastefully elegant & traditional in turn simple and relaxing. This size without dressing room is still great for groups and hosted sauna events especially when you sit cheek-to-cheek!  

“…The perfect contrast to sitting on top of a roaring engine out at sea in dense December fog” says our client.

If you’ve read our newsletter you’ve seen the many port windows we’ve made this year for the sauna boat. These windows are an exhaustive labor of love but well worth the unique and inviting moon-like draw. When our client – a sauna/wellness business woman and fisherman’s daughter – asked us for the port window, we couldn’t say no!

---

🎵 Guess who’s coming to Sauna…

Rob was on the Upper Bench Podcast with Risto, Sam and Eero. 

Listen in to the episode where he shares his sauna stories of Podunk and beyond in episode #46: “Rob Wants to Make Sauna BORING” … as well as ubiquitous and part of our everyday. If you “relish wood-burning sauna tales” from a sauna guru like Rob, you’ll like this episode. We hope Rob joins the crew again to talk sauna and more about sauna building science. Subscribe to Podcast Show >

Rob’s Sauna Blogging

We know it’s like the wild west out there in US sauna building terrain. Rob has been blogging to educate people on the science of sauna building in posts like Insulating Saunas and hot topics like External Feed Sauna stove or thru-wall stove. Building saunas without an understanding about building science can be dangerous or a tragic waste of time and materials. Here are new blog post excerpts on hot topics like Radiation. 

When you close your eyes in a good sauna,
you cannot tell where the stove is. 

HOT TOPIC: RADIATION. In the sauna, radiation is really important. Transfer of heat is a hot topic in sauna forums so I hope the post is a good resource for everyone. Recently I heard, in an online sauna forum, two seasoned sauna veterans saying you don’t want radiant heat in a sauna. I believe they misspoke. You don’t want high intensity radiant heat, but no radiant heat just is not possible, unless everything has reached a state of equilibrium.

I have my bathers all facing the rocks and typically the stove is fired from outside, thru-wall, so there is no worry about the intense (visible) radiant heat through the firebox glass door, which, as cozy as it sounds, may feel too much sitting around a hot campfire and is not the kind of heat you want in a sauna. Learn the truth about heat transfer and how it applies to the best practices of sauna building. Read the full blog post about Radiation > 

HOT TOPIC: FOIL. If you are interested in learning more about radiant heat vapor barrier, and the materials we use in the sauna these posts are packed with science-based info and thermodynamic experiments from our shop. In the post “The Last Word on Foil.” learn more and don’t get caught using a holiday tinsel-like product behind your cedar walls!

To give a gift to your body and experience thermodynamics
try A full body sun-bath on a calm, freezing day to boost the sauna experience.

At the years end, we are thankful for our clients and the great opportunities for our small family run business. But most importantly we have made many friends along the way. Wishing you Health and Happiness in the New Year!