When Véronique and Danny contacted a manufacturer to obtain parts to build their own sauna, the attendant tried to dissuade them from embarking on such a project.
They didn’t listen, and that didn’t stop a charming barrel-shaped sauna, perfectly functional, from sitting today in their backyard in Montreal. And even though they made a few mistakes along the way, they didn’t find the experience that difficult.
“We were inspired by an article presenting the approach of a gang of friends who had built a sauna in the woods. It didn’t seem very complicated. Geometrically, it’s rather simple, but you still have to machine the wood to bend the pieces and make them fit into each other,” explains Véronique Lamontagne, who took care of drawing the plans on software. 3D, while his partner Danny played the saw.
It was in 2020 that the couple thought about making a sauna, considering placing it in their basement, which needed to be renovated. Due to lack of space and lack of time (they couldn’t wait to have their sauna, and the work on the basement was expected to take a long time), Véronique and Danny opted for a layout in their courtyard.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
In winter, you have to hurry to get to the hot barrel!
As for materials, they acquired simple cedar boards (moisture-resistant wood) from the local Home Depot. For the heating, they found their electrical unit on an online classifieds site. The elements that were a little more difficult to find were the metal hoops to loop everything together; they had to bring them from the United States.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
The challenge was to bend the boards and fit them together.
As for tools, Danny used the usual tools, namely a hammer, saws, etc. The only special item was a wood router, needed to bend the boards. “In the article I read, they burned their first top… and the same thing happened to us, in 24 hours! We got another one, more powerful and better suited. It takes a little time and trial and error, but it’s not difficult, once you understand the technique,” says Véronique, who shopped for these two second-hand spinning tops.
However, you have to be quite manual, which is the case for Danny, who worked in renovation for several years and is therefore comfortable with more powerful tools. How long does it take to assemble this sauna? The couple took their time, with long breaks, over a year.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
Véronique Lamontagne can now enjoy the heat of her sauna.
The longest part was making the plans and machining the wood. Assembly was done in a few hours. But someone with a plan and the materials on hand could do it all at once in a week.
Véronique Lamontagne
Today, they use it about twice a week. Véronique emphasizes that the artisanal side does not allow a perfect seal to be obtained, especially as the wood is subsequently worked, so they added a waterproof layer to seal everything.
And on the budget side? For a 6-foot-long barrel, with a 2-foot vestibule, the bill came to around $2,500. “We couldn’t have had something comparable, already ready-made, for the same price,” they specify. And doing it yourself, yes, there may be unforeseen events, but that’s the fun! »