Reference guides
Guides
A reference library on planning, sizing, building and maintaining cold-climate outdoor saunas — how to read profiles, size heaters, choose foundations and plan for the cold. The catalogue, not the guides, remains the heart of the archive.
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How to Read a Sauna Catalogue Profile
Every profile in the archive uses the same structured fields. This guide explains what each one means, why the numbers are reference ranges, and how to compare profiles fairly. Read guide → -
Understanding Sauna Capacity
Capacity is not just floor area — it is bench length, tier layout and how people actually sit and lie. This guide explains how the archive's capacity figures are derived and how to plan for the number you need. Read guide → -
How Heater Classes Are Estimated
A sauna heater is sized from the room's air volume, adjusted for glazing, uninsulated surfaces and cold-climate exposure. This guide explains the reasoning behind the archive's approximate kW ranges. Read guide → -
How Glass Affects Heating Volume
A glazed wall does not just add a view — it adds heat loss and effectively enlarges the volume the heater must serve. This guide explains the trade-off and how to design around it. Read guide → -
Outdoor Sauna Foundation Types
The foundation decides whether a cold-climate sauna stays level, dry and frost-stable for decades. This guide compares the seven base types in the archive and matches them to structure weight, soil and site. Read guide → -
Understanding Cold-Climate Insulation
A cold-climate sauna is an assembly, not just a heater. This guide explains the insulated envelope, the vapour barrier and the rainscreen — and why getting the moisture control right matters as much as the insulation itself. Read guide → -
Electric vs Wood-Burning Configurations
The heat source shapes everything from your electrical supply to your chimney clearances. This guide compares electric and wood-burning configurations so you can choose for your site and the ritual you want. Read guide → -
Understanding Sauna Ventilation Profiles
Ventilation is what separates a stuffy hot box from a comfortable sauna. This guide explains passive and mechanical systems, where the vents go and why, and how the archive describes each profile's ventilation principle. Read guide → -
Sauna Design Terminology
A reference glossary of the terms used throughout the archive, defined plainly so you can read any profile with confidence. Grouped by heat, structure, materials and site. Read guide → -
How Catalogue Profiles Are Created
Every profile follows the same method: a defined archetype, a consistent field set, and approximate reference ranges rather than engineered values. This guide explains that method and its honest limits. Read guide →