Clear the Steam Ep. 5 – Go Jump in the Lake

What is a Cold Plunge?

Many sauna enthusiasts enjoy a cold dip in the lake or the pool after a good sweat in the sauna. What is the deal with this, and what are the benefits of taking a cold plunge between sauna sessions? The cold plunge is meant to help cool the body off between sessions. The shock of extreme temperatures can also help boost the immune system, by giving a bit of an extra workout. Here is a good article on the benefits of taking a cold plunge after a sauna. Typically the sauna should be done first, with the cold plunge between or after the sauna. The extreme temperatures are safe for most bathers, provided there are no existing cardiovascular issues. As always, consult with a physician if there are any health concerns. Filling a cold plunge tub with ice, or using a water chiller, can replicate the feeling of rolling in the snow after a good sweat.

Swimming in the Ocean – a Finnish Tradition

Finland is often credited with popularizing the cold plunge practices. In fact, the Finnish tourism board recommends “jumping through a small hole in the ice on a lake, the sea and refresh yourself in the freezing water – or roll in the snow instead.” This is reflected in the word “Sisu”, which does not have a direct translation but refers to “Resilience, Courage, and Grit, as described by Finnmark. There are many tourists who travel to Finland just to experience the traditional sauna ritual, including this story from travel bloggers. You can replicate the traditional sauna experience by taking a nice cold plunge after a sweat.

What about the Sauna Hats?

A popular accessory is the sauna hat. These tend to keep your hair from getting too hot or too cold in the sauna. Typically made from wool, they can also be used in the cold plunge afterwards, to keep your hair from freezing in winter temperatures. These sauna hats are also a great part of a hot tub routine, and let you use the hot tub in the middle of winter! Many sauna hats range from simple and functional to elaborate and silly. There are really no end to the options available! Perhaps a sauna hat is the perfect accessory for a dip in the lake after the sauna.

Clear the Steam Ep. 4 – What wood would you use in a sauna?

Home / Clear the Steam / Page 2

Western Red Cedar, the Gold Standard for Sauna Construction

Western Red Cedar has been the default type of softwood for sauna construction for many decades. This material has been available from mills on the west coast of Canada and contains many benefits that make it ideal for sauna construction. It is a light weight wood, with a wide variety of colours shown in the grain. Typically it is available as clear cedar, which allows for very few tight knots. Vertical grain is a step above, and does not have any knots or flat grain, making it suitable for some components such as door jambs. Most of the clear cedar on the market comes from old growth forests on the coast, and due to limited supply prices have been rising of late. Cedar is also available in a knotty grade. For sauna use, you want the cedar to be kiln dried, which makes it resistant to warping and swelling due to the heat and humidity of regular sauna use. It also has a pleasant aroma, as well as anti-bacterial properties that prevent mould from growing and helps repel insects. You can read more about the benefits from one of our partners, Quality Cedar Products here.

Eastern White Cedar – a more economical option

Another option that is available is Eastern White Cedar. Typically this is available with tights knots, as opposed to clear. These are often logged from new growth forests in Ontario and Eastern Canada. The new growth forests do not grow as large as their western counterparts, and as such knots are more common. However, this allows for a lower cost compared to red cedar. We have recently launched a line of White Cedar sauna kits, from the Canadian Timber collection by Leisurecraft. You can see the different type of wood on our line of Cabin Saunas and Barrel Saunas. White Cedar has many of the same properties as Red Cedar above. You can read more about Eastern White Cedar on the SaunaTimes blog here.

What is Scandinavian Spruce Thermowood?

Saunas in Finland and the Nordic countries typically use Spruce for sauna construction. The term “Thermowood” refers to the kiln-drying process that is done to cure the wood for use in saunas. Thermowood can refer to Spruce as well as other types of wood, such as pine. You can read more here. The thermal treatment process gives the wood a nice dark colour, and helps provide resistance to moisture, mildew, and insects. Our line of Thermowood barrel saunas are hand-crafted in Estonia by sauna experts. You can see our most popular Scenic View model here. Below I have also included an image from our showroom, and you can click here to see the construction process our team went through. The secrets of Scandinavian Spruce Thermowood have come to North American Markets!

Clear the Steam – A Sauna Blog by Robert Furlong

Clear the Steam Ep. 3 – How Tall is Too Tall?

Home / Clear the Steam / Page 2

84” Height – an industry standard

One question I hear frequently is “What is the best height for the sauna room?” Many DIY sauna kits include material for 84”, and I would like to explore where this came from. There are companies out there who say the ceiling should be less than 7’. There are also infrared cabins, which naturally have lower ceilings so these kits can be put together in a smaller room. For DIY kits, a drop ceiling is often installed, to allow room for proper fiberglass insulation. Many electric heaters have a minimum clearance of 78”, meaning lower ceilings would void the warranty on the heater, and may be a fire hazard. To fit most applications, DIY kits are typically made for 84” height, and additional material can be quoted to raise the ceiling if desired.

Considerations for height

An important feature of traditional saunas is the steam, or loyly that is created by pouring water over the rocks. One source of heat loss is through the door, especially with a taller door. This is the reason most Sauna doors are shorter than standard doors. The goal is to create a heat bubble, or loyly pocket above the door opening. Your head should be in this space to enjoy the heat! So the question is – what ceiling and bench height is ideal to maximize this benefit? A traditional 84” sauna room would typically have benches around 17” bottom and 35” top. Raising the ceiling, we would want to make sure the benches are raised by the same amount. I propose that an ideal height for the top bench be measured from the ceiling, and a distance of 44-48” from the top bench to the ceiling would be ideal. For 96” saunas, we provide benches that have a 24” bottom, and 48” top for 2-tier benches. 3-Tier benches is a strong recommendation when working with this ceiling height.

What if I want higher ceilings?

If you raise the ceiling, the benches should also be raised to around 48” to keep you in the heat. A 96” ceiling height will also allow for 3-tier benches, which is ideal for enjoying the heat. Here is a great article from SaunaTimes regarding the law of loyly. This is a traditional saying that your feet should be above the sauna rocks, and this is possible with a 96” ceiling and 3-tier bench setup. However, not every build is able to incorporate this ceiling height, and compromises have to be made. One solution is the new style of “Tower” sauna heaters, which have a much larger rock capacity, including rocks to the floor. Below is an image of a recent build with a HUUM Steel heater. The customer is more than happy with the heat provided, despite many criticisms about his bench height. Ultimately, higher ceilings will allow for better enjoyment of the heat, provided the construction takes into account taller bench heights, but it is not absolutely necessary to raise the ceiling to have an authentic sauna.

Clear the Steam – A Sauna Blog by Robert Furlong

Clear the Steam Ep. 2 – A Blast of Heat from the Past

Home / Clear the Steam / Page 2

A Sauna Blog by Robert Furlong

Savu Sauna Heaters

I recently came across an interesting find at a ReStore, by Habitat for Humanity. It was an old Savu Sauna heater, a model that has not been manufactured in over 30 years. This heater is typical of many older heaters produced during that time. It is very much an older design, that has been replaced by more modern wall-mounted designs. The heater itself was designed by Bert Jalasjaa, the same individual who wrote our book, “The Art of Sauna Building”. It even came with an ancient time-stained brochure showing how people ordered sauna kits back in the day. You can read a scan of the brochure here. The red enamel design is sharp, but these days stainless steel is preferred. These heaters will not pass code these days, but I have spoken to someone who had one of these units working perfectly for over 35 years. Ultimately, the brand name Savu Sauna fell out of use, and was changed to something that North American customers would recognize.

History of the “Savu Sauna”

As the sauna industry continues to evolve, changes have been made to make home saunas an affordable option for consumers. One such improvement was the ability to hang heaters from the wall, freeing up valuable space in the sauna room. The word “Savu Sauna” refers to a traditional Finnish smoke sauna, which was used for centuries before the development of electric heaters. These saunas typically had over a ton of rocks, with a fire built in the middle. Once the fire is extinguished, the room is cleared of smoke, and the bathers enjoy the radiant heat from the large mass of rocks. Here is a link to the Voromaa smoke sauna in Estonia, which was recognized as an UNESCO representative of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. You can read another article about sauna rituals on the North American Sauna Society’s website blog, written by Kate Hazell.

Modern Award-Winning Designs

Many sauna builders want to return to the traditional design of Savu Saunas, and one feature in demand is the high rock capacity. While extra rocks will increase the warm-up time, they will retain the heat and radiate it outwards for a longer period of time. While many people prefer the convenience of a quicker start-up time, the higher rock capacity brings the sauna heater one step closer to the traditional sauna enjoyed for centuries. Below are some images of modern heaters that incorporate the larger rock capacity.

While the Savu Sauna brand has become a relic of sauna history, it is neat to take a look back at how saunas were designed in the past. There are many lessons we can learn from history, to help us improve our sauna rituals today!

Clear the Steam ep. 1 – The Epistles of the Sauna Guru

Home / Clear the Steam / Page 2

The Epistles of the Sauna Guru

Hello, and welcome to Clear the Steam, my new sauna blog! I have been building sauna kits in Waterloo Region, Ontario, for the past ten years. Speaking to sauna enthusiasts about their projects has become a passion of mine. I benefitted greatly from the mentorship of a sauna pioneer, and want to use this knowledge to promote authentic, traditional sauna lifestyles and to dispel many myths and misconceptions around saunas in general. Many of the designs and principles we use are time-tested, and have been documented in our book, “The Art of Sauna Building”. This was first published in 1981 by my mentor, Bert (Pertti) Olavi Jalasjaa, and is currently on the 11^th edition. Over my time with Bert, I collected and saved many nuggets of wisdom, which we dubbed “The Epistles of the Sauna Guru”. I hope to share this wisdom with others!

Developments in the Sauna Industry

As the sauna industry continues to evolve, I want to be on the leading edge of changes which can improve the sauna lifestyle, reduce costs for consumers, and change how people use the sauna. There are many cultural aspects to consider. For example, many people only have the option to use a sauna at a gym, but these are often poorly designed and have inadequate ventilation. There is an emphasis on authentic Canadian made products, as many accessories on the market are imported from overseas. There are also technological and design improvements, such as tower saunas. Heaters such as the Homecraft Revive, the HUUM Cliff, and the Harvia Cilindro all have a larger rock capacity, and have rocks to the floor. This seems to be a simple answer to the traditional Finnish saying, “Feet above the rocks”. I will dive into subjects such as these in my blog!

My experience with heat therapy and the Sauna lifestyle

I first discovered saunas over a decade ago and did not think much at first. I have been a life long chronic pain sufferer, and know first hand the benefits of heat therapy. At the same time I started learning more about traditional Finnish bathing practices, and decided I wanted to make it part of my lifestyle. I have an infrared cabin that gets regular use. Although I don’t consider it to be an authentic sauna, I recognize the benefits to be had. Similarly, steam showers are just as beneficial, but nothing beats the blast of loyly from a traditional hot rock sauna. Regardless, heat therapy has many benefits, and I feel my role is to advocate for healthy lifestyles and authentic sauna experiences.

I will be writing a blog entry every 1-2 weeks under my pen name, Robert Furlong. I chose the name “Clear the Steam”, as I wanted to dispel misconceptions about saunas, and educate people on how to properly add the benefits of the sauna to their lifestyle!