Growing up in the western upper peninsula of Michigan in the land of many Scandinavian descendents all who kept the fine art of the Finnish sauna alive and well. I left the area of many saunas long ago and began my adult live but as I settled into my new home with my wife and new daughter I kept thinking that a sauna would really be a nice addition to our new home. As this first house was rather small as it was our starter home we did not have the room for a sauna in the interior, so I began to think outside much like the saunas I enjoyed as a youth I did have room outside for a sauna.
I secretly began looking at outdoor sauna kits I had several brochures from several of the top sauna manufactures in the country but after looking at what they had to offer and the price they wanted for even a minimal sauna I was out of luck I could not afford a new outdoor sauna kit.
As fate would have it our neighbor had a old dilapidated garage in the back corner of there property that they were going to tear down and rebuild well to make a long story shorter when I heard about this I stopped in a took a look at the structure as it was it was not much good but the siding was a cedar lap siding and many of the interior 2x4,s were in good shape so I volunteered to dismantle the building for my neighbor and in doing so I save plenty of material to build a new outdoor sauna and a tool storage shed.
I had to purchase very little materials to finish my sauna a few 2x4’s and some new shingles, insulation and some new hardware for the door and a small window. I recycled the Cedar siding with a little sanding and reversing it I achieved a very nice exterior I also used the recycled siding to finish off the interior I added some aromatic cedar to give it that Cedar smell. Being frugal or cheap I opted for a garage sale small wood stove that I fixed up and installed in the sauna for a heater.
My wife young daughter and I enjoyed many hours of quality family time in that sauna. Even though that was many years and a few houses ago I still remember the good times we spent in that sauna. Every home that we have had since that time has included a sauna my wife no longer objects to the idea she actually demands a sauna be installed as soon as possible when ever we move. We have had a few saunas all much nicer than that first one but none are remembered as fondly.
