Introduction To The Sauna

By Simon Harris

History and Use

The origins of the sauna have been lost in the mists of time
(so to speak), but it is safe to say its history goes back at
least 1000 years. We know that the nomadic peoples of Finland
had a primitive type of sauna that was made by building a fire
inside a tentlike structure. When the heat had built up and the
fire had gone out, the people would enter the sauna to bathe.
This was very similar to the American Indian sweat lodge.

This type of sauna evolved into a smoke sauna -- a small
building with a stone fireplace inside. There was a small hole
in the roof where the smoke could escape but the fire had to
die down before the building could be entered. This type of
sauna was commonly used up until the 1920s when it started to
be replaced by modern saunas as we know them today. The smoke
sauna, however, has enjoyed a recent revival in Finland. Many
people consider them to be the finest type of sauna.

By the 1930s, a new type of sauna stove was introduced. This
sauna stove allowed the rocks to be heated without being placed
directly over the flames of the fire. This meant that the fire
could burn while the sauna was being used. The earliest stoves
of this type used wood as a fuel but later models used
electricity.

Types of Saunas

Saunas can be built in many shapes and styles. They can be
separate buildings or they can be installed in a house or
apartment. Traditional saunas are wooden structures and are as
beautiful as they are functional.

The worldwide popularity of saunas has spurred innovative new
designs. One of the most unusual of these is the portable sauna
-- folding saunas that can be used almost anywhere. They are
just big enough for one person to sit in. There is a hole for
your head and slits for your hands if you wish to read or talk
on the phone while you are sitting in this sauna.

Another unusual design is the barrel sauna. This is a small
cabin constructed using barrel making techniques and can hold
six to eight people. Barrel saunas can be installed either
inside or outside the house and can be heated with a wood or
electric stove.

Infrared saunas have been used since the 1960s. The heating
source in this type of sauna is an infrared heater. Unlike
traditional heaters that heat the air of the sauna, infrared
heaters heat objects and people but not the air. Infrared is a
type of light and proponents of infrared saunas say that they
have superior health benefits to traditional saunas.

Sauna Construction

Almost every type of sauna is made of wood. The walls,
ceilings, and floors and benches are all made from a wood such
as cedar or hemlock. The only non-wood materials are the stove
and the rocks that are heated on the stove.

The sauna provides a dry heat -- usually between 70°C and
100°C. From time to time water can be thrown on the rocks on
the stove. This creates a cloud of steam which has the effect
of immediately raising the temperature.

The sauna can be heated with an electric or wood stove. Wood
stoves are traditional in the countryside, but most urban
saunas use an electric heater.

About the Author: This article provided courtesy of http://www.whirlpool-tubs-shopper.com


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