Sauna vs Steam

Sauna vs Steam

Types of Rooms

  • Sauna: A sauna room is a wood-lined room featuring a sauna heater or rocks that will produce a dry heat of 150 to 195 degrees. The heat produced by the sauna is very dry heat until you pour water on the rocks, creating steam and increasing the humidity level between 10 and 15 percent.
  • Steam: A steam room is a tiled room with benches in which steam is generated at high pressure and temperature. The steam generator will produce a very cloudy and moist heat of about 110 degrees with high humidity of almost 100%.
  • Infrared: An infrared wood room uses a special heating system that generates infrared rays similar to that produced by the sun. Temperatures in such a room are typically around 150 degrees.
  • Heat Therapy: A steam room may also be called a Banya (Russian) Hamma or Turkish Bath (Turkish) Therme (Roman) Shvitz (Jewish) or Wet Sauna (English). Other cultures have created their own heat therapy rooms by using dry and moist heat is different combinations: Sweat Lodge (North American Indians) Nahuat (Aztec) Sifutu (African) Mushi Buro (Japanese) Temazcal (Maya) Mogyoktang (Korean).


Sauna Words

  • Loyly: This is the steam vapor produced when you pour water on the sauna rocks.
  • Vihta: A bundle of birch branches used to slap against the skin to stimulate circulation.
  • Saunatontto: Sauna Elf, a little gnome that was believed to live in the sauna and was the sauna room’s spirit.


Descriptions

  • Pre-Cut Sauna Room: These lumber packages install into rooms that are already framed insulated and sheetrock.
  • Custom Cut Sauna Room: This is a pre-cut package that has special room dimensions.
  • Modular / Panel Built Sauna Room: These are self standing structures that can sit in the middle of the room or slide into a corner.
  • Portable Sauna Room: This room system comes in two pieces, can be assembled in minutes and fits through standard doorway.
  • Patio Sauna Room: These packages come in two pieces and are usually installed outdoors in climates that are warm during the entire year.


Room Construction

  • Ceiling Height: Hot air rises, therefore your room should be 84 inches high. Ceilings should not exceed 96 inches, as the rooms will not get hot enough at bench level.
  • Insulation: The ceiling and all four walls must be insulated with R19 grade insulation or better.