How to build your very own steam room
Home saunas and steam rooms are quickly becoming some of the most popular DIY projects in the UK.
If you have ever been to a steam room in a spa and thought you’d quite like a bit of that on a more regular basis, you may well have thought about how easy it would be to build your own, especially if you are a dab hand with a hammer and drill around the home.
Steam rooms are incredibly popular for good reason, offering a host of wonderful health benefits and extending the experience of a lovely hot steamy shower into relaxing comfortable and incredibly luxurious place to sit and reflect.
If you have the space in your home and are wondering if it is possible to install your own steam room? The answer is yes.
What is a steam room?
In order to find a place to start with your home steam room installation we first need to look at what a steam room is.
Effectively, steam rooms are small spaces with waterproof walls, a seat, and a steam generator that creates a hot and humid atmosphere where steam bathing can be carried out.
This steam generator is located outside of the steam room itself with a small steam head located on the wall inside around 6-12 inches from the floor. A thermostat will also need to be installed to control the internal temperature and switch off the generator when needed.
To create the atmosphere required, steam rooms must have tiles, fiberglass, or a similar waterproof walling system that moisture is unable to penetrate and the floor is usually sloped to prevent water from collecting on the surface.
Where should you install your steam room?
If you are intent on building a steam room in your home you need to find the perfect place to put it. If you simply want a steam shower, this is pretty straightforward as you can simply replace your existing shower stall into a steam shower. This can be done with a minimum of disruption as much of the infrastructure is already in place such as water access and the drainage system.
If you want a full steam room, you will have to compromise your existing space somewhat, unless you decide to build a sauna or steam room in your garden. Some people choose to convert one of their bathrooms into a steam room, which, in the same way as with a steam shower, is convenient as the water system already serves the room and the internal plumbing that would be required is minimal.
If this is not an option, say you live in a property with just one bathroom or don’t want to give up any of your existing bathrooms to a steam room, it is possible to convert pretty much any room in the house, it will just take a little more effort and enthusiasm (and a bit of money).
Another option is to add-on an additional room to your property. This is expensive and may require planning permission but does give you complete control over the project.
Consider calling a professional
When done properly DIY steam rooms can be fantastic but they do require a significant amount of time, DIY experience, and materials to get it right. Many people put a huge amount of effort into building a steam room only for it not to work they way they hoped or for it to consistently break down over the years.
Steam rooms are supposed to be the ultimate relaxation experience, not something you are constantly stressing over, and bear in mind that when you build your own room you get none of the warranty or free repair benefits that are offered by professional steam room manufacturers.
Yes, there is no getting around the fact that DIY steam rooms are a cheaper, on average, than a professionally installed one, but it is a lot closer than you might imagine. A steam generator alone, for example, can cost upwards of £2,000. The cost of buying replacement parts should your steam room break down is also something you need to factor in that is not an issue with steam rooms that come with a manufacturer’s warranty.
Many people considering building their own steam rooms discard the idea after doing some more extensive research into the topic and decide to use a professional home steam room installer instead, enjoying all the fantastic health and lifestyle benefits that steam rooms and saunas have to offer without the wait and stress that comes with designing and building their own.
It is not a question of whether you have the ability to build a working steam room, but whether or not you really want to commit that much time and money to something you could have working and operational in a day or so simply by calling in a best sauna Edinburgh professional.