ᐅ Sauna in the Main Bathroom or in the Basement?

I built my house quite spaciously and from the very beginning it was clear that it should include a sauna—not just a 2x2m (6.5x6.5 ft) sauna in the 4x4m (13x13 ft) heating cellar, but a dedicated sauna room that is cozy and comfortable. Because our house is newly built, the basement is neither dark, low-ceilinged, nor cold; it has exactly the same living quality as all the other floors. Of course, it is fully integrated into the central ventilation system. The attic is fully finished, and we considered building the sauna there instead (the attic naturally has a balcony and a wonderful wide view over the landscape) or putting it in the basement. Luckily, we were able to test the sauna with friends who had built one in their attic with a roof terrace. In fact, we did many tests at friends’ houses who had built new or renovated before us. Many dreams were crushed, and new ones were confirmed.

We decided on the sauna in the basement, and we have not regretted it for a second. The wellness room is really taking shape with well-planned lighting, room acoustics, a massage table, and all the extras. Of course, we also have a spacious shower where two people can comfortably move around, but deliberately no toilet, because dealing with a lift station (or sewage ejector) would have been too much hassle. Since we have the sauna, and we use it frequently, only once did someone have to go upstairs to get drinks and use the toilet. I personally don’t need a toilet in the sauna area.

When we feel like it, after a sauna session we leave the sauna room door open, and then the whole house smells of the last infusion, while the warmth remains thanks to the ventilation system. That’s of course not necessary—I’ve also closed the door sometimes so that the rest of the house doesn’t smell like sauna at all.

I personally am not a fan of huge bathrooms; no matter how warm they are, I always feel cold in them. Our sauna room is already quite large, and I certainly don’t want it to double as a bathroom space. We have a bathroom with a bathtub in the attic, with a skylight above so you can look at the stars while bathing. I enjoy every time I use one of our four (yes, and I wouldn’t want to miss any) bathrooms, which are just the right size for me. I also appreciate the generous studio in the attic exactly as it is—it’s my workspace, and I’m actually glad it didn’t become the sauna room.

So yes, I wouldn’t want a sauna in a 1950s basement with clay floors and wood shavings insulation full of cave-dwelling creatures. I solved that problem simply by having a basement that is not really a basement but a full living floor that just happens to be below the ground floor. In fact, the tiles in the sauna room are the most expensive in the entire house. Quickly calculating, I have network sockets in eight places in the sauna room, three independently controllable music zones (calibrated for room acoustics with absorbers), and four lighting zones. Of course, there is regular underfloor heating and ventilation. I mention this only because it’s often said so matter-of-factly, "you don’t want a sauna in the basement," as if that means some kind of scary children’s story basement. If a basement in a new build looks like this, then a lot was unnecessarily done wrong. And I also use the sauna shower after coming from the fitness room next door. Yes, warm—hard to believe—and in the basement! And I don’t have to pass by clutter, stumble over cave creatures, or freeze on the floor.

I also considered having a garden sauna; my father always wanted to build one in the garden and had even laid water and electricity lines for it. A garden sauna is something you have to really like or have the right setting for. If at all, I would have done it only as part of a larger garden shed, but that would have been exactly what I didn’t want. For me, a garden sauna is just not an option, but to each their own.

Other friends have their sauna connected to the parents’ bedroom bathroom. When we talk to them about it, they get awkward and just grumble incoherently, “It’s her sauna; she wanted it that way!” “No, you insisted on it!” “No, you!” “No, you!” Not only do they not have larger sauna gatherings there (the room is too small anyway), they have none at all. When asked what kind of stove they have, she just said, “I don’t even remember how to turn it on.”

Conclusion: Everyone as they like and according to the building conditions. Fortunately, the days of “basement = dark = cold” have been gone for several decades now.

HeimatBauer schrieb:

I built quite spaciously from the start, and it was clear from day one that there would be a sauna—not just a 2x2m (6.5x6.5 ft) space in a 4x4m (13x13 ft) utility cellar, but a dedicated sauna room that’s also comfortable. Since our house is newly built, the basement is neither dark nor low nor cold but has exactly the same living quality as all the other floors. It’s, of course, fully integrated into the central ventilation system. The attic is fully finished, and we considered putting the sauna up there (the attic, of course, has a balcony and a wonderful wide view over the landscape) or in the basement. Luckily, we could test the sauna at friends’ place who built theirs in the attic with a roof terrace. We did a lot of testing with friends who built or renovated before us. That shattered some dreams and confirmed others.

We decided on the basement sauna and haven’t regretted it for a second. The wellness room is really coming together with lighting design, room acoustics, a massage table, and all the extras. Of course, we have a spacious shower that can comfortably fit two people, but deliberately no toilet, as that would have made installing a drainage pump more complicated. Since we’ve had the sauna, and we use it often, only once did someone go upstairs to get drinks and use the toilet. So, I really don’t need a toilet in the sauna area.

When we feel like it, after a sauna session we leave the sauna door open, and the whole house smells of the last steam bath; the warmth stays thanks to the ventilation system anyway. Of course, you don’t have to do that—I’ve also closed the door intentionally so there’s no trace of sauna scent anywhere in the house.

Personally, I’m not a fan of huge bathrooms, no matter how warm they are; I always feel cold in them. Our sauna room is quite large already, and adding a bathroom area there—not for me. We have a bathroom with a bathtub in the attic, with a skylight above so you can look at the stars from the tub. I enjoy every time I go to any of our four bathrooms (yes, I wouldn’t want to miss any of them), and they’re exactly the size I want. I also like the spacious studio in the attic just as it is; I use it every day as my office, and I’m glad it didn’t turn into a sauna.

So yes, I wouldn’t want a sauna in a 1950s cellar with clay floors and wood shavings—totally damp and unpleasant. I solved the problem simply by making my basement not a “basement” but a fully usable floor that just happens to lie below ground level. In fact, the tiles in the sauna room are the most expensive in the whole house. Off the top of my head, in the sauna room I have eight network outlets, three independent music zones (calibrated for room acoustics with absorbers), and four lighting zones. Of course, there’s underfloor heating and ventilation. I mention this only because I often hear people say, “you don’t want your sauna in the basement,” as if that were like a scene from a spooky children’s book. If a basement in a new build is like this, then a lot has been done wrong unnecessarily. And I also use the sauna shower when I come from the fitness room next door—yes, warm water, believe it or not. And that’s in the basement! I don’t have to walk past junk, stumble over damp creatures, or freeze on the floor.

I also considered a garden sauna; my father always wanted to build one there and had even laid water and electrical lines for it. A garden sauna needs to be something you really like or have the right surroundings for. If at all, I would have made it part of a larger garden shed, but that would have been exactly what I did not want. For me, a garden sauna is just not for me, but everyone is different.

Other friends of ours have their sauna connected to the master bedroom bathroom. When we ask about it, they get awkward and grumble incomprehensibly, “It’s her sauna, she wanted it that way!” “No, you insisted on it!” “No, you!” “No, you!” Not only do they not have bigger sauna groups there (it’s too small anyway), but no sauna sessions at all. When asked what kind of stove they have, she just said, “I don’t even remember how it turns on anymore.”

In summary: Everyone as they like and as the building conditions allow. Luckily, the days of “basement = dark = cold” have been over for a few decades now.

Your project sounds interesting. Have you shared your floor plans here in the forum? We already live in our own home with a living basement. Our new house will be the same, with ventilation, underfloor heating, and floor-to-ceiling windows where possible. We’re also planning generously but with only three bathrooms.

i_b_n_a_n schrieb:

Hello, have you considered integrating the sauna into the garden area and adding some wellness features around it?
I enjoy lying in my barrel sauna (made of Canadian cedar, mmmhhhmm ;-) in the dark in the evenings, watching the (lit) surroundings.
It is also completely quiet there. However, I didn’t have space inside. But this way, you also avoid the typical building risks associated with a hot and humid sauna...

https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/kombiofen-fuer-fasssauna-und-zusaetzliche-dachdeckung-gesucht.44435/post-638145

Next summer, I plan to add some landscaping around it as well as an outdoor shower.

We are putting a pool in the garden, but the sauna will actually be located inside the house since we use it very often. Nevertheless, thank you very much for sharing your experience. Your garden sounds wonderful.

Nida35a schrieb:

@Mausimaus, definitely test the scent of cedar in a sample sauna,
it lasts for years and benefits your breathing throughout the week

Thank you for the tip, I will do that 🙂

Costruttrice schrieb:

I haven’t shown this here yet and unfortunately won’t be showing anything in the future either. There are reasons beyond the forum for this...
Basically, we have separated one long side of the house as the parents’ area. From the hallway, you go through a door into a walk-in closet, which leads on one side to the bedroom and on the other side to the bathroom. The balcony is basically recessed into the roof.

Thank you for the description. I can imagine it.

No, the floor plan is quite straightforward as well. A rectangular room with a shower niche.

You really can’t test the garden sauna and types of wood enough. After visiting several spas, I had imagined a pinewood sauna to be ideal, until I experienced a new pine sauna and suddenly got a severe headache. It was the en-suite sauna, about ten years old but probably only heated about five times, so it still had a very strong scent.