Preparing for Your New Outdoor Sauna: What You Need in Place Before Delivery

Purchasing an outdoor sauna is an exciting investment in your health and wellbeing, but before the team arrives to build your sauna, there are a few things to consider to ensure the installation process goes smoothly. While other companies may have their own guidelines, here’s everything we recommend for a successful sauna installation.

1. The Base For The Sauna: Start with a Solid Foundation

The base for your outdoor sauna is one of the most crucial aspects of the installation. It’s essential that your sauna is built on a hard, flat, and level base. If the base is uneven, it can affect the structural integrity of the entire sauna, leading to potential issues with its performance, and may even impact the structural warranty.

What do we recommend?

We advise installing your sauna on a laser-levelled concrete slab that is at least 5 inches thick. The slab should be no smaller than the footprint of the sauna, and if you’re adding any extensions (such as changing rooms), these must be included in the base area. Concrete provides a stable and durable foundation, ensuring your sauna will stand the test of time.

Alternatively, you can also install your sauna on reinforced decking, but it’s essential that the decking is strong enough to support the combined weight of the sauna and its occupants. Slabs and patios are another option, but we only recommend this if you’re certain they are perfectly, flat and level as many are designed with a slight slope to allow water drainage. Even the smallest slope can cause problems during construction. We also do not recommend textured tiles/ slabs such as ‘Indian Sandstone’, as this can complicate the installation.

How to Check If Your Base is Flat, Level, and Adequate for Your Sauna:

Before our team arrives to install your sauna, it’s essential to check that your base is level and properly prepared. Here’s a simple step-by-step process:

Use a Level:

1. Get a spirit level (the longer the better) to check the entire base.
2. Place the level on different areas of the base, starting with one corner and working your way around.
3. Ensure the bubble inside the level is perfectly centred in the vial. This indicates that the surface is level.
4. Repeat this process across multiple sections of the base to ensure it’s uniformly level.

Check for Gaps:

2. As you place the level around the base, check to ensure there are no gaps between the level and the base. Gaps could indicate low or uneven spots.
3. If you don’t have a large enough level, you can also use a straight piece of flat construction wood and lay it across the surface to look for any gaps between the base and the wood. Slide the wood across the base, making sure it stays in contact with the surface at all points.

Ensure No “Rocking”:

3. Move the level or flat wood across the base and check for rocking. If the level rocks or tilts, the surface is uneven. This rocking could cause instability in the sauna structure.

2. Sauna Heating Choices: Electric or Wood-Fired?

The next major decision you’ll need to make is choosing between an electric sauna heater or a wood-fired heater. Each has its own set of requirements and considerations.

Electric Sauna Heater

If you opt for an electric heater, such as a 9kW unit, you will need a 40-amp supply and single-phase electrics. A qualified electrician will need to run a dedicated supply from your mains consumer unit, using armoured cable, into a rotary isolator switch. We will install the rotary isolator switch onto the back wall of the sauna (in most cases). This supply will also be used to power the sauna’s LED lights and Bluetooth sound system (if applicable).

Wood-Fired Sauna Heater

For a more traditional experience, you may prefer a wood-fired sauna heater. In this case, no electrical supply is needed unless you want to power LED lights, which would require a simple 13-amp supply. Again, this should be connected to your mains consumer unit and run into a rotary isolator switch at the rear of the sauna.

One important consideration for wood-fired saunas is the flue. The flue must be kept at a safe distance from any combustible materials, such as overhanging trees or nearby structures. In line with UK regulations and general fire safety recommendations, the flue should be at least 1.5 metres away from any combustible material. If the sauna is installed near a building, the flue must extend at least 60 centimetres above the roofline of the nearest structure to allow for proper ventilation and avoid fire risks.

3. Access: Clearing the Path for The Sauna Installation

While our saunas are built on-site, eliminating the need for a crane, it’s still important to ensure clear and easy access for our installation team. The pathway to the sauna site should be clear of obstacles and hazards, allowing for safe and efficient delivery of materials. Remember, our engineers will need space to work, so please ensure the area is as open as possible.

4. Do You Need Planning Permission For The Sauna?

One of the most common questions we receive is whether planning permission is required for an outdoor sauna. In most cases, the answer is no—planning permission is not typically required for small, single-storey garden buildings like saunas. However, there are certain restrictions to be aware of, which can vary depending on where you live in the UK.

• Height Restrictions: In general, planning permission is not required if the sauna meets certain height guidelines. If the sauna is within 2 metres of a boundary (such as a fence or wall), it must be no taller than 2.5 metres. If the sauna is located further than 2 metres from any boundary, it can be up to 4 metres tall without needing planning permission. However, if your sauna exceeds these heights or is attached to an existing structure (like a house or garage), you may need to apply for planning permission.
• Proximity to Boundaries: If your sauna is within 2 metres of a boundary (for example, near a fence or wall), it must adhere to the 2.5-metre height limit. For saunas located further from boundaries, the rules are more flexible.

It’s important to note that different rules may apply in England, Wales, and Scotland. For instance, Wales has stricter guidelines on the size and placement of outbuildings compared to England, while in Scotland, the regulations might differ further, particularly in conservation areas or national parks. Therefore, while it’s rare to need planning permission, we always recommend checking with your local council to be sure.

Final Thoughts: Preparing for Your Sauna Installation

By following these recommendations and ensuring your base, heating choices, access, and planning permissions are in order, you’ll set the stage for a smooth installation of your new outdoor sauna. While every outdoor sauna build is unique, having these details sorted beforehand will ensure that you can start enjoying your sauna as soon as possible without delays.

If you have any questions or need more advice on preparing for your sauna, feel free to get in touch with our team. We’re here to help every step of the way!