The following is a question we received from a customer who has had their Almost Heaven Sauna for twelve years.  We thought some of our other customers may benefit from reading our response.

“Have had our barrel sauna for over 12 years. What type of products should I use to reseal the outside of the Barrel?”

To recondition the exterior of your sauna, you should first pressure wash your sauna to remove all of the dirt that has accumulated over the years.  Be sure to do so with a wide pattern spray on the pressure washer and take care not to damage the wood with too much pressure.  You may want to spray the seats and floor on the interior of the sauna as well, removing sweat stains and dirt that has built up.

Once the sauna has dried, you should use a UV resistant exterior stain and treat only the outside of the sauna.  A transparent stain will allow the natural color and grain of the wood to show through, and you may want to test a small section on the back or underside of the sauna first to be sure you like the color.  The same type of stain that is used on the outside of your home or deck would work, and you can check with your local paint professional for a suitable product. 

Apply the stain with a standard brush or foam brush and allow the stain to penetrate the grooves in the sauna, wiping away the excess stain with a rag.  The end result will freshen up your sauna wood and launch you on the next 12 years of enjoyment in your Almost Heaven Sauna!

When searching for a home sauna , you will find considerable references to “sauna kits” in your web searches.  Typically the sauna kits you find consist of pre-cut boards and the necessary components to build your own sauna.  There is really not much difference in what these kits include than what you can find at your local lumber yard, except perhaps for the heater and sauna accessories.  The pre-cut sauna kits are often used for those building a sauna into an existing room, closet or other home enclosure.

An Almost Heaven Sauna differs from a typical sauna kit in many ways, including quality, type of material, style, design, craftsmanship and easy of assembly.  In terms of assembly, you will find that an Almost Heaven Sauna is actually much easier to assemble than a typical sauna kit.  Every Almost Heaven Sauna actually consists of pre-assembled components, including barrel ends, benches, and roof and wall sections for our Modern Saunas. Assembly for our saunas will take anywhere from 3-6 hours, depending on size and model, and several of the designs can nicely fit into existing rooms or closets.  Also, we can build custom sizes of our basic desgins for a modest upcharge. 

Call us at 888-355-3050 for information on the best sauna kit on the market today; Almost Heaven Saunas, the Authentic sauna experience!

My position on infrared therapy rooms has been stated before; I’m not a fan.  Infrared rooms are not saunas, and the supposed health benefits of infrared are only fully realized in a traditional sauna.  That said, we do offer infrared therapy rooms for those who prefer them, and when answering questions concerning infrared the most common questions we here is, “how hot will it get?”  The question, however, is invalid as the whole point of infrared is that it does NOT get hot.  Infrared rooms will get to a maximum of 60F above the ambient temperature in the surrounding area, which is why they are generally not suitable for outdoor use.  If the infrared is effective from 115F to 135F, then the outside temperature must be at least 55F for the infrared to have any effect at all.  So, don’t plan on hot temperatures when using an infrared room… that is the exclusive domain of a traditional sauna, and Almost Heaven Saunas is the place to obtain the best sauna on the market today!