Home Saunas Section
Steam Saunas
Steam saunas have been known for over 7000 years. Nordic nations, Russian and African tribes have been using the facility to relieve stress and tension for centuries. However, the current home steam saunas are predominantly the Finish invention. These are usually wooden cubicles with place for the heating and steaming. Today you can purchase these units as kits or pre-assembled structures. What's more, the lower range of these facilities are still affordable for an average home owner.
Steam Saunas Mechanism
There is a lot of confusion between a steam sauna and a steam room.
Essentially, the outer layers of these rooms are the same.
However, steam rooms are made of tiles and have humidity level of near 100%.
Thus, steam rooms constantly generate condensed vapour.
Steam saunas are similar but the mechanism is different.
For starters, steam saunas are internally made of wood.
The humidity level for steam saunas is kept at 10%.
Thus, the temperature of these units can be twice as much as that for the steam rooms.
Therefore, it is not surprising that steam saunas can reach 100 degrees of Celsius without damaging the skin.
In some cases the humidity can be raised to 20%.
In the case of increased humidity, the temperature needs to be lowered to about 60 degrees of Celsius.
With higher humidity, less heat energy is permitted to heat the room.
The energy to heat the sauna is drawn from sauna heaters.
Often stones (rocks) are provided to test the readiness of the heater.
If you sprinkle water on the stones and they bubble slowly then it means that sauna is not ready.
Otherwise, you can jump in and enjoy this great relaxation method.
Steam Saunas Prices
The prices for steam saunas are similar to those of infrared units.
Essentially, the construction is the same.
Accessories may differ.
For steam sauna you need convectional heater, while infrared models use the infrared energy source.
You can expect to pay around $1000 for a medium quality, one person steam sauna.
2 people saunas will cost about $1200-$1300.
6 person units run at $4000+. Good quality steam saunas are also expensive.
2 people, good quality cedar models with tinted glass can reach $4500.