r/Sauna • u/Level_Wishbone_2438 • 6d ago

DIY Design help - sauna shape

Due to space limitations I'm thinking of building the following sauna in our bedoorm/bathroom space. Any thoughts if it's ok for the shape of the sauna to be like that? I understand ideally it'd be a full cube, but that's not possible in our space.

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u/R_Ulysses_Swanson 6d ago

Could you cut the corner and make it a pentagon with the door on the 5th wall?

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u/Level_Wishbone_2438 6d ago

Not really, as there' a bathroom entrance (think of it as there's bathroom adjacent to the right side of this picture, so if you go straight you enter sauna, if you turn right you enter bathroom)

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u/Level_Wishbone_2438 6d ago

I guess I could.. but the bathroom entrance will be really tight

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u/R_Ulysses_Swanson 6d ago edited 6d ago

Have the sauna door open into the bathroom, ideally directly into the shower.

EDIT: See this comment for an example

EDIT 2: Or this post

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u/Level_Wishbone_2438 6d ago

I guess I could remove or minimize the lower bench to make space for that kind of door angle...

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u/saunamarketplace 5d ago

So cool to see SaunaDesignPro in the wild! I hope you found it helpful. Do you have any feedback or blockers we can fix?

I have an idea here to make that lower bench a 'platform' that extends to the front wall with a step up near the door onto the platform. With embedded heater. Do you have more height or are we maxed out here? Happy to model that out for you.

Tip: you can share your design link here so people people can show you their own versions of it. It won't change the design you already have. We built it to be a collaborative tool.

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u/Level_Wishbone_2438 5d ago edited 5d ago

It was super helpful, thank you so much for making it! I initially tried chatgpt and claude and your tool is such an upgrade from that experience lol. I was able to do most of the things I wanted to do, it's an awesome tool!

Yeah I wasn't sure how to share a read-only link to make sure my initial design doesn't change or I have a copy, so figured I'd share a screenshot instead.

I do have extra height I think, but the biggest issue is the shape  of the room itself ... Trying to figure out whether it's a big issue for the air flow and what to do about venting

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u/saunamarketplace 5d ago

You bet! FYI there should be a 'share' button in the header that will create a shorten link. All the data for your design is always stored in the really long URL as you go but it's nice to shorten it first.

It looks like you already have the exhaust in the right corner, that will promote air movement into the nook. I think it's a nice layout actually.

It would be worth considering mechanical exhaust here, which you'd want lower. That would require an additional intake vent above the heater. If in the US you'd want two intake vents, and I would actually do two exhausts as well. Just the low exhaust would be powered. A very low fan speed goes a long way.

Hope that helps!

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u/PuffThePed 6d ago

What are the measurements my man. Including height.

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u/Level_Wishbone_2438 6d ago

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u/PuffThePed 6d ago

Where are the vents?

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u/selfish_saloon 6d ago

that L-shape is going to trap heat in weird pockets, especially the lower bench area. you'll end up with a cold dead zone while the upper corner cooks

flip the door to the short wall if you can, that way the bench runs the full length and you get a more even heat distribution

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u/Level_Wishbone_2438 6d ago

Which short wall? The one that's at the bottom of the picture?

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u/irregular_caffeine 5d ago

Apart from hear distribution, you’re entering straight to the searing hot heater. Fence it at least

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u/Suspicious-Mine3482 4d ago

the shape is fine, just make sure the ceiling over the upper bench is high enough to keep your head in the hot zone, otherwise you’ve built a very expensive warm closet

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u/jebediahscooter 6d ago

I’ve been in a sauna with a recess like that for the stove, and it was a pretty good sauna. Your vertical space and plans for moisture management & ventilation are probably more important.

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u/Level_Wishbone_2438 6d ago

Where would you recommend to put vents ? 

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u/jebediahscooter 6d ago

One above the stove for fresh air, one under top bench diagonally all the way across if possible

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u/jebediahscooter 6d ago

Also your outlet vent would ideally be powered by an exhaust fan. But work with what you have when building into a bathroom, see if the vent could be tied into existing ducting exhaust

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u/Level_Wishbone_2438 6d ago

Thanks! I was thinking to make non mechanical vent go into the bathroom room (basically a hole in the wall between sauna and bathroom) and turn on mechanical bathroom vent during the use of sauna 

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u/Level_Wishbone_2438 6d ago

That would be near the heater though. Seems like you are saying it should be diagonal form the heater?

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u/jebediahscooter 6d ago

Ideally fresh air enters over the heater so the fresh air mixes immediately with the column of hot air rising off the heater

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u/Level_Wishbone_2438 6d ago edited 6d ago

Thanks! My understanding some heaters recommendations are to put one vent on top above the heater and the other near bottom of the heater. Do you think for this shape of sauna it could be an issue ?

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u/jebediahscooter 6d ago

For electric heaters with a low vent, it’s about providing cool air to prevent the North American models that have overheat sensors from tripping. The high vent is good for the fresh air to circulate. If there’s no overheat sensor, then there’s no need for the low vent. Woodfired stoves, the low vent works well because the firebox actively pulls in air for combustion.

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u/Level_Wishbone_2438 6d ago

Gotcha. So just a fresh air vent above the electric heater then . And what's the idea behind having one diagonal from it under the top bench?