"Sven" Answers Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a sauna room and a steam room?

Steam rooms are tile, glass, or acrylic plastic rooms where the humidity is 100% (fog in the room) and temperature is 110-114 degrees F. A drain is required as well as a gasketed, airtight door system. Steam generators are installed outside and adjacent, above, or below the steam room.

Saunas are wooden rooms with wooden benches and are heated to 160-190 degrees F with low humidity at 5-15%. You add water to the rocks to produce dry, invisible steam. No drain is required (except commercial installations that require more cleaning). Sauna heaters are located within the sauna room itself.

What is the difference between a precut and a prefab sauna room?

The prefab sauna is a panelized sauna that comes in prebuilt, modular panels that interlock and free stand. The prefab can also be moved if you move. Prefabs are installed inside or outdoors with the addition of the optional roof.

The precut sauna is designed for new construction or situations where you have a small room already framed in . . . You frame and insulate your walls, ceiling, and door opening. Then the door, tongue and groove, benches and trim, which make up the precut kit, are used to finish the interior of the room. Precut saunas are permanent and cannot be relocated.

Can I put my sauna outdoors?

Yes, you have three choices for an outdoor sauna installation:

1. Buy a Cedarbrook panelized, modular sauna, and with the addition of our optional prefab roof kit, you are ready for any weather situation.
2. Build your own structure with a waterproof roof and install a Cedarbrook Precut, interior package on the inside of your insulated walls.
3. Buy an 8'x10' Rancher (prefab or precut) Westbay Shed Kit. This approach allows you to split the 8'x10' Space into a 5' x 8' sauna and a 5' x8' cool down/entry area that can even be used for an exercise area.

How do I prepare the base for my outdoor sauna?

Here are a few approaches that work well:

1. Pour a cement slab. (Note that the exterior size of our prefab modular saunas is 8" wider and deeper than the call-out size of the prefab. For example, a 5'x 7' prefab sauna has an exterior measurement of 5'8' x 7'8".)
2. Build a wood deck and install marine plywood on your joists, and then put tile or sheet vinyl on the plywood for a vapor proof surface.
3. Use cement patio pavers (or similar product) and install level in a bed of sand for proper drainage.

What options do I have for heating my sauna?

• GAS Natural or Propane Gas sauna heaters are larger and are more expensive than wood or electric heaters. You must have a 7'x 8' room or larger and must install the heater on an outside wall.
• WOODFIRED Most wood heaters are installed in an outdoor installation. You must install wood sauna heaters much like a fireplace or wood stove. Options for wood heaters include water jackets and shower plumb in options that heat water.
• ELECTRIC HEATER The majority of heaters are electric (95% plus) and require only 20, 30 or 40 AMP dedicated circuits for residential applications. We estimate the cost per usage for an electric sauna at $0.75.

What about sauna rooms with infrared heaters?

• They heat the object, being you, like a microwave oven.
• They have no rocks to get the "loyly steam" from.
• The infrared rooms have thin (1/4" - 3/8") Cedar tongue and groove on the walls and ceiling that we feel will not stand up to the sauna atmosphere for the long haul.
• The infrareds at $3000-$4000 typical cost are expensive for what you get.

What are the differences between Polar and Tylo sauna heaters?

Tylo features:

1. Evaporation tray on back of heater that allows the addition of moisture as the room is heating.
2. Side air vents for faster heating.
3. Center stacked rock arrangement for maximum steam output when adding water to rocks.
4. "Thermo safe" exterior where no safety guardrail is required by United Laboratories.
5. Three stage thermostat for even, soft heat as well as energy efficiency
6. The Tylo Supersport has the convenient top right location of the control versus built-in at the bottom.
7. The option of adding a steam generator with the Combi-U Model that is designed for wooden rooms with an automatic "dry-out" feature after usage.

How does the Combi-U steam/sauna heater work?

Why should I consider buying a Tylo Combi-U?

Why should I buy from Cedarbrook?

1. We have over 30 years of experience in the sauna industry.
2. Saunas and steam is our only business, not a secondary business like a Pool or Spa Company.
3. We double inspect all sauna lumber for high quality.
4. We have quality, informative support both before and after the sale.
5. We are a Scandinavian family-run business.
6. Cedarbrook's benches have commercial thick (2" nominal) bench tops that are bottom-screwed and back fastened with no exposed metal that could burn your skin.
7. We cover the entire US for both residential and commercial applications.
8. Cedarbrook handles heaters from the World's two largest and oldest heater manufactures: Tylo from Sweden and Saunatec (Polar Heaters) from Finland.

Helpful Hints from "Sven"

"Sven" says:

1. Box in your benches ... this will cut down the cubic area and it will cost less to heat.

2. Use Cedarbrook's air dried cedar because it is stronger, brighter and stands up better in the tough sauna environment.

3. Use unused space when planning your sauna (under stairs, closet area, etc.) ... preferably near a shower.

4. Moving soon? Install a Cedarbrook Modular sauna -- it is easy to relocate.

Index | Modular Pre-Fab Sauna | Pre-Cut Materials Package
Heaters | Accessories | Tips from "Sven" | Happy Customers

Index | Free Sauna Quotation | Sauna Story
Smoke Chips | Planters & Benches