Outdoor Wood Sauna

[Whitenuckler]

HARVIA M3 Sauna Wood Stove / Heater

We sell Harvia M3 Wood Sauna Stove / Heater in Canada & the USA. Find your wood stove in Canada or the USA. Buy wood burning sauna stove. ☎️ Call us today!

harviaheater.ca

I have an itch to build a backyard mini cottage with a wood sauna. I see these heaters which I like. I'd like to get a stove that I can feed wood from the inside so that I can use it as a mini cottage as well. Some sauna's have outside stove feed, and I don't think I want that, although for just a sauna that's probably smart.

Has anyone built one?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I saw a documentary on Swedish or Norwegian saunas. Inside fire, in fact, they smoked meat up in the rafters of their sauna.

I don’t really have anything to add here, except the pleasant thought of slabs of bacon curing above you in the sauna.

 

[Whitenuckler]

I saw a documentary on Swedish or Norwegian saunas. Inside fire, in fact, they smoked meat up in the rafters of their sauna.

I don’t really have anything to add here, except the pleasant thought of slabs of bacon curing above you in the sauna.

Hey, I have room for a few pigs back there too !

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Looks like it’s different rooms, lol.

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[Murray01]

HARVIA M3 Sauna Wood Stove / Heater

We sell Harvia M3 Wood Sauna Stove / Heater in Canada & the USA. Find your wood stove in Canada or the USA. Buy wood burning sauna stove. ☎️ Call us today!

harviaheater.ca

I have an itch to build a backyard mini cottage with a wood sauna. I see these heaters which I like. I'd like to get a stove that I can feed wood from the inside so that I can use it as a mini cottage as well. Some sauna's have outside stove feed, and I don't think I want that, although for just a sauna that's probably smart.

Has anyone built one?

I’m intrigued with your idea.

This cottage is the sauna? Add water to generate steam when you want a sauna, if overnight guests show up they sleep in the toasty warm sauna without adding water?

 

[Whitenuckler]

I’m intrigued with your idea.

This cottage is the sauna? Add water to generate steam when you want a sauna, if overnight guests show up they sleep in the toasty warm sauna without adding water?

Ya, but I don't need it to sleep guests in though. I could have it lined with cedar boards in one half with a wide door. Then in the other end have a sitting area with windows and skylight. Big double garden doors with windows. I have a spot where I have my outdoor wood fireplace, so I could have a covered porch to sit in front of the outdoor fire. Then have the inside fire to have a sauna or hang out.
I was going to have to build a wood deck anyway as all I have now is a gravel area where they filled in a fish pond. I just hope my back can handle the work...there would be no rush though...build it in the spring. Could run water out there from a garden hose and have water for the sauna rocks and an outdoor shower. They pay big money to go to these Nordic spas up here.

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I used to live near this one.

 

[Murray01]

Sounds impressive!

Anything that extends outdoor time in the “shoulder season” is a plus.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Most of my guests are my wife’s relatives. The opportunity to tell them the next day repeatedly that they smell like ham might seal the deal for a smoker/sauna/guest house. I think I’d be giggling about that weeks after they went home.

 

[Whitenuckler]

Most of my guests are my wife’s relatives. The opportunity to tell them the next day repeatedly that they smell like ham might seal the deal for a smoker/sauna/guest house. I think I’d be giggling about that weeks after they went home.

Imagine waking them up to go look at your hams and add wood to the fire. They'd probably be dead anyway from smoke.
I don't think that other one you posted was a sauna anymore unless it was in the left side somehow.

 

[hockeypuck]

About 25 years ago I worked for a general contractor. He built a small separate "shed" for a sauna. It was fantastic. Had always vowed to build my own when I get the time. Here were the things is saw done right and really only one wrong.

He used an old Fisher wood stove and welded an open box on the top of the flat area to place large stones for dousing with water. It was in the corner and in that corner he laid some 3" thick cement block to a foot or so above the stove with a space behind it to shield the wood wall. The only mistake he made was to use pine v groove on the wall. It caused the knots to leak sap for a while. Can't cheap out on that so go with cedar. Floor was just PT so the water could just drip down through. He did have a change room which was spot on for the colder nights. Also be sure to have a water source close by. A cold bucket of water over the head is fantastic between sessions and at the end. You will never feel cleaner than after a sauna and a cold water bath. And obviously, a large enough window to crawl out of if you had to. I won't even tell you the temperatures we hit. You wouldn't believe me. Let's just say the hotel saunas don't cut it. We had the local fire department drop by one time. They could not figure out why they saw a plume of smoke on a hot summer evening. I would take a sauna over a hot tub 10 to 1. Do it if you can.

Edit, I forgot to add there was a small cement pad poured for the stove.

 

[Whitenuckler]

https://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/the-nature-of-things/can-saunas-actually-improve-your-health-is-it-science-or-just-hot-air-1.7426124

More info - From what I just read the sweat you get form a sauna is not the same as sweat from exercise and not as good for you. Humans have the most sweat glands, which is perhaps why we survived while other's went extinct? (along with our brains)
I know that human's are capable of running down 4 legged animals that can't sweat in the heat.

 

[RustyShackleford]

I had friends on Colorado who had a wood-fired sauna. It had just a little cheap-ass woodstove (no need for a Blaze King or any kind of catalytic or airtight stove); build a quick fire and in 15min or so you're good to go.

 

[RustyShackleford]

I know that human's are capable of running down 4 legged animals that can't sweat in the heat.

According to something I heard, we are literally THE best animal at running long distances in the heat. And of course our best friends are the best at doing it otherwise, but only if it's pretty cold.

 

[Whitenuckler]

I had friends on Colorado who had a wood-fired sauna. It had just a little cheap-ass woodstove (no need for a Blaze King or any kind of catalytic or airtight stove); build a quick fire and in 15min or so you're good to go.

I actually owned a house which had an addition added by a guy that was Finnish. Next to the house was a huge sauna with a wood burning stove in it, fed it from the hallway stove door. The hall lead to another room for wood storage. There was an airtight in the basement which I kept going most of the winter. He only had concrete block, so I lined it all with cedar T+ G. Memories like that you never forget even when you move on. It was so huge. I could have put a dozen people in there. I just would like a small setup for maybe 4 max.

 

[Kamiobi]

I built this one and it seats four fairly comfortably.

 

[FTG-05]

I built one back in the early 80's. It was wood fired, using a China-made cheap wood stove I bought from one of the local box stores (Fred Myer?) WA state outlawed them a couple years later. I got the shed from a Home Depot-type place in Kent WA as a kit and put it together myself.

My record time temp/time was 250 American degrees for 20 minutes. I used two oven temp gauges to measure temps. That would kill me today.

When I moved to Huntsville in 1990, Boeing actually paid to move that shed from Des Moines (Seattle) WA all the way to north AL.

Fun times.

 

[Whitenuckler]

I built one back in the early 80's. It was wood fired, using a China-made cheap wood stove I bought from one of the local box stores (Fred Myer?) WA state outlawed them a couple years later. I got the shed from a Home Depot-type place in Kent WA as a kit and put it together myself.

My record time temp/time was 250 American degrees for 20 minutes. I used two oven temp gauges to measure temps. That would kill me today.

When I moved to Huntsville in 1990, Boeing actually paid to move that shed from Des Moines (Seattle) WA all the way to north AL.

Fun times.

One sauna I remember from my late twenties was located at a cottage on Lake Huron east of Sudbury where I lived. It was outdoor feed, and rocks inside. It had benches to raise you up so your head was close to the ceiling. There was no water ect in the cottage in the winter, so we would get water from the lake or melt snow. After a hard day snowmobiling and shoveling snow we'd head in there, and then go roll around the in the snow.

 

[Whitenuckler]

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Here is a nice design - It's facebook though

 

[begreen]

While looking, check out the Kuuma stoves too.

Wood Burning and Electrically Heated Saunas for Sale

Browse our collection of wood-burning and electrically heated saunas at Lamppa Kuuma today. Our products are produced with craftsmanship and charm.

www.lamppakuuma.com

And some more sauna info

SaunaTimes Journal | SaunaTimes

Authentic Sauna Blog is your resource for all things authentic sauna. Find helpful advice, exciting stories, and interviews with top names in sauna.

www.saunatimes.com

 

[Whitenuckler]

While looking, check out the Kuuma stoves too.

Wood Burning and Electrically Heated Saunas for Sale

Browse our collection of wood-burning and electrically heated saunas at Lamppa Kuuma today. Our products are produced with craftsmanship and charm.

www.lamppakuuma.com

And some more sauna info

SaunaTimes Journal | SaunaTimes

Authentic Sauna Blog is your resource for all things authentic sauna. Find helpful advice, exciting stories, and interviews with top names in sauna.

www.saunatimes.com

OK I will. I have seen that name before Kuuma. I think I need to go talk to the fire department too and see what they think. I am allowed an open fire in my backyard, but I should check about a woodstove inside a wood "shed". I can always go electric. I need to upgrade my garage feed anyway. I have a 200A panel.

 

[Whitenuckler]

While looking, check out the Kuuma stoves too.

Wood Burning and Electrically Heated Saunas for Sale

Browse our collection of wood-burning and electrically heated saunas at Lamppa Kuuma today. Our products are produced with craftsmanship and charm.

www.lamppakuuma.com

And some more sauna info

SaunaTimes Journal | SaunaTimes

Authentic Sauna Blog is your resource for all things authentic sauna. Find helpful advice, exciting stories, and interviews with top names in sauna.

www.saunatimes.com

This is what I want!

David and Daphnee Poolhouse Sauna | SaunaTimes

David and Daphnee Poolhouse Sauna David and Daphnee Poolhouse Sauna

www.saunatimes.com

 

[Whitenuckler]

Harvested from Facebook:

a detailed cross-section diagram of a Masonry Heater (often called a Russian or Finnish stove). It illustrates how these systems use a "labyrinth" design to maximize fuel efficiency and heat retention.
Unlike a standard fireplace where most heat escapes up the chimney, this system forces hot exhaust to travel through a long internal path, soaking the heat into the surrounding heavy brick or clay.
KEY COMPONENTS & MECHANICS
The diagram highlights four primary functional areas:
1. THE FIREBOX (TOP BURNING)
Located on the left, this is where the primary combustion occurs.
• Top Burning: The label suggests a "top-down" burn method, which is often cleaner and more efficient.
• Primary Air: Below the wood grate, there appears to be an air intake (indicated by the lower arrow) to provide oxygen to the coals.
2. HIGH MASS HEAT EXCHANGER
This is the "maze" in the center of the structure.
• The Labyrinth: Instead of going straight up, the smoke and hot gases are forced through a series of vertical and horizontal channels.
• Thermal Mass: As the hot air moves along these walls, the "high mass" (thick stone, brick, or cob) absorbs the thermal energy.
• Radiant Heat: Once the fire goes out, the stone continues to radiate warmth into the room for 12–24 hours.
3. PRE-HEATING FIRE (STARTING THE DRAFT)
A common challenge with complex masonry heaters is the "cold start."
• The Bypass: The diagram shows a small fire burning at the base of the chimney. This is a clever trick to warm the air in the flue quickly.
• The Physics: Cold air is heavy and creates a "plug." By lighting this small fire, you create a rising column of hot air (a draft), which then "pulls" the smoke from the main firebox through the labyrinth.
4. EXHAUST & FLOW
• Arrows: The orange arrows track the movement of the air. It travels up from the fire, down through a baffle, up again, and finally out through the flue at the top right.
DESIGN OBSERVATIONS
• Material: The structure appears to be made of Adobe or Cob (a mix of clay, sand, and straw), given its smooth, organic curves.
• Efficiency: This design is built for intermittent firing. You burn one hot, fast fire, and the "High Mass" exchanger handles the rest of the heating work for the day.

 

[begreen]

A russian fireplace design or masonry heater doesn't seem appropriate for a sauna. It's more of the low and slow release kind of heat.

 

[Whitenuckler]

A russian fireplace design or masonry heater doesn't seem appropriate for a sauna. It's more of the low and slow release kind of heat.

Yes, I think when I saw that I wanted to post it where Eatenbylimestone? posted his info on a Ukraine 2 room farm house with two types of wood fireplaces. I was wondering how they built the inside to extract the most heat.

 

[Whitenuckler]

A russian fireplace design or masonry heater doesn't seem appropriate for a sauna. It's more of the low and slow release kind of heat.

Dickinson Solid Fuel Heater Newport

Dickinson Solid Fuel Heater Newport The Dickinson Newport Solid Fuel Heater is a small stainless steel solid fuel heater designed for casual use ideal for boats 20-25ft. This heater burns one to two 1” thick wood or presto log, a handful of charcoal briquettes or coal. Removable ash drawer and...

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I saw this stove installed in camper - I wonder if it would have enough BTU. Looks like it would work good in a hot tent too.