That said my plan is to build the hot room within a larger sauna structure a room within a room.
Sauna insulation foam.
To keep energy consumption down and to protect the wall structure from extreme temperature variations i covered them with 2cm of soft wood fibre insulation the same as was used on the outside of.
Rigid insulation is one of the best tools to reduce your energy costs.
Insulation the wooden walls insulate quite well.
It comes in standard size 4 8 sheets and smaller sizes in many different thicknesses from 1 4 inch to 2 inches.
Is there a reason to not use rigid foam insulation instead of.
Outdoor saunas while there are many ways to construct a sauna our saunas are manufactured exclusively from solid lumber without the use of laminates or non wood materials.
Later the craft paper will be removed because it is an unnecessary layer that could potentially trap moisture.
Foam board insulation is easy to use and is a great diy way to add some insulation.
Resists moisture that can lead to mold or mildew and provides increased sound and thermal insulation.
Any exterior walls with 2 x6 studs should still have r19 insulation.
The thermal mass of the log wall radiates heat back into the sauna.
2 6 hot room walls filled with packed coarse sawdust from a local sawmill.
It reflects heat back.
Here the insulation batts sneak behind the rear bench support beams.
As with typical home construction your sauna walls and ceiling must be insulated and protected with a vapor barrier.
Polystyrene insulation is not a good choice.
The hole in the sauna ceiling is not particularly tidy but in the finished sauna it is not visible.
Some types of thicker foam board insulation are available but they may need to be special ordered.
Install it anywhere from the roof to the foundation.
Ceiling insulation should be r26 or greater.
Rigid foam insulation also known as insulating boards provide high r values.
It has a temperature limit of 165 f which is lower than you want your sauna to operate.
Additionally we build our saunas with western canadian red cedar the choicest of sauna wood due to the texture color and aroma the lumber provides.
Touch n foam 2 component spray foam expands and touch n foam 2 component spray foam expands and cures quickly to fill cavities gaps cracks expansion joints and other sources of air leakage in a building envelope.
Are there any special considerations to be taken given that 1 it will be used outside and 2 it will be a near infrared sauna heated by red heat lamps so much less moisture than a traditional steam sauna dry rather than wet heat.
If you really want rigid foam insulation polyisocyanurate board like thermax brand might be worth looking at.
It s an outdoor sauna and so should be able to retain heat year round.
You can even place it under the foundation slab.
Insulation can not do that.
Indoor saunas with 2 x4 studs do just fine with r13 insulation.