To ask you if you have a sauna at home? I really want one.

[CuriousMama]

Can I get one for the shed? We don't have a lot of outside room but if we get the shed empty I reckon one would fit?

I just really love a sauna and know there's a lot of health benefits.

I've googled saunas but there's so many to choose from. Different prices. Plus I wondered if we can build our own? DH is pretty handy. I'm not bad.

Have you considered the energy cost? Will be very high

What are the costs of running one versus a gym membership with a sauna/steam room?

God I would give five years of my life for a hole sauna. They are better than sex.

I dont have the money or the space though so it’s not going to happen.

Home sauna! Hole sauna sounds very dirty…

@Thepeopleversuswork Hole Sauna made me laugh, thought in my head it was a weird underground thing.

I haven't considered the energy costs but we rarely have heating on so it'll even out maybe?

No. It won’t even out.
Even-img out would mean if you do have the heating on but either are prepared to turn down the heating to afford the sauna, or won’t need the heating when you’re in the sauna - and even then, only if it was the same energy cost per minute.
The sauna energy cost will be entirely an on-cost.
So you need to cost that out.

We used to have one.

It was hardly used.

It's one of these things you think you'll use (went to the gym one every week) then don't.

Having it outside will cost a ridiculous amount to heat, inside is bad enough.

A high end gym membership would be cheaper.

It would cost a small fortune, surely?

My neighbour had one growing up. Never used it, except to store potatoes.

Energy cost will be a lot

my parents have one.
they only use it during daylight as they can use solar energy then.
uses a shitload of electricity, without solar costs £££ for a 3 hour session (takes one hour to get up to temp.

they have a 4m3 one with 2 benches.

We have one - an infrared sauna so it's pretty quick to heat up. Gets used about once a week. No idea of the energy cost.

Infrared sauna here too.

Used once a week and wouldn't be without it.

You can get portable personal ones with a pop up tent. Google portable sauna. might be worth a shot will probably get just as much use as a real one and can be put in the attic to be never seen again!

My PIL had one for a while, and same as others here, it hardly got used. Also because they wood-panelled it, it stank like B&Q timber section.

We have one and don’t use it much.

Thanks everyone. Food for thought.

I have an infrared one, used about 2-3 times a week (I have arthritis, so it helps - a lot), but I also have solar panels so the cost is negligible. Cost about £1500 five years ago. To be honest, I'd have it even if it cost more to run - it's worth it for the medical support it gives.

Following with interest, love a sauna, hate gyms so luxury gym membership would be pointless for me.
Anyone got figures (actual numbers, not ‘loads’) for energy consumed on a typical cycle?

Looking at the manufacturers info the heaters in them are about 2,000W. So if you run one for 3 hours that’s 6kWh of energy. Electricity costs about 30p/kWh (according to my bill). So that’s only £1.80? Doesn’t sound so bad once or twice a week.

My parents have one, it's pretty good for an electric one. It is a contained unit so it looks like they have a shed in their bathroom! If you're worried about the cost of heating it, get a proper woodburning one, they're much better anyway. Or a kota. Obviously, Brexit may have made more traditional Finnish sauna's too expensive... www.saunainter.com/en/woodburning-sauna-stoves/narvi-sauna-stoves/sauna-woodburning-stove-kota-luosto-vs/narvi-2145-2510/

I suppose you could put a wood burning sauna stove in your shed but I'm not sure how safe that is!

I have one (I live in Finland, so its pretty inevitable) but with electricity prices now its only getting heated on special occasions or on a sunny day once our solar panels are up and running. We used to use it weekly at least so its a hard adjustment, there is nothing better than sitting in that hot sweaty heat, throwing some tar scented löyly, and really relaxing.

So long as its done right its fine, plenty of my neighbours have wood heated saunas in outhouses.