How to Build a Portable DIY Sauna

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Complexity

Cost

Introduction

Taking a sauna has many proven health benefits. It not only helps you detoxify and relieve tension and stress, it can also help you burn calories and maintain clear healthy skin. You can build this affordable four-person outdoor year-round home sauna in your garage and take it to your cabin. All you need are reliable carpentry skills, a few power tools and a place to build it. Read on and follow this step-by-step building plan.

Watch How to Build a Portable DIY Sauna

Tools Required

• 18-gauge finish nailer
• Bar clamps
• Circular saw
• Drill/driver - cordless
• Flush-trim router bit
• Hammer
• Hearing and eye protection
• Measuring tape
• Miter saw
• Router
• Speed square
• Staple gun
• Table saw
• Tin snips

Materials Required

• #11-1/2 x 2 in. galvanized siding nails
• #13 x 2 in. galvanized finish nails
• #8 x 2 in. finish screw
• #8 x 2" exterior screws
• #9 3" deck screws
• 1 x 4 x 8' cedar trim (14)
• 1/4" x 3-1/2" cedar shiplap (123 Sq ft)
• 26x8' corrugated metal roof panels (3)
• 2x4 x 8' cedar (7)
• 3-1/2" hinges
• 3/8-in staples
• 4 x 8 x 1-1/2" foam insulation (4)
• 4' x 8' T1-11 plywood (wall sheathing) (5)
• 4' x 8' x 3/4" plywood (3)
• 5/16 x 4-in. structural screws
• 5/4 x 6 x 8-ft. cedar deck boards (4)
• 8' 2x2s (24)
• 8' 2x4s (14)
• 8' 2x4s Pressure treated (3)
• Aluminum foil tape
• Butyl sealant tape
• Door handle
• Drive in door ball catch
• Foil vapor barrier
• Horizontal plastic closure strips
• Ice and water roof shield
• Rubber Gasket Roofing Screws

Family handyman

I built this portable sauna with accessible and affordable materials you can find at your local building center. The simple design enables you to easily construct the four walls, floor, roof and benches on-site or in your garage, then transport it to a remote location.

The sauna is five feet wide x four feet deep x 7-ft. 8-in. tall. Build your sauna to the size that meets your needs. See Figure 1 for a look at how it all goes together.

Before you start cutting boards and pounding nails, put together a flat work surface such as a 4×8 sheet of plywood on sawhorses. This will make assembling and maneuvering the components of the project much easier. Enlist a helper to assist in lifting walls and roof components.

When purchasing materials, always buy a few extra 2x2s and 2x4s for your project. You can often return extra building materials you don’t use.

Figure 1

Overall dimensions: 95-in. H x 6-in. W x 48-in. D.

Family Handyman

Cutting List