Pros and Cons of In-Home Saunas
June 25, 2019When you get the chance to design and build your custom home, you have a lot of opportunities to add interesting touches. After all, you get to customize every detail of the home to your style, tastes, and lifestyle. If you want to create a relaxing spa retreat at home, you can consider adding an in-home sauna to your bathroom. Here are some pros and cons of in-home saunas to help you decide whether this luxurious bathroom feature is right for you:
3 Types of In-Home Saunas
There are several types of saunas available for residential use. These are three of the most common types of in-home saunas:
1. Traditional Sauna
A traditional sauna is a dedicated room or space, usually made of cedar, where you can relax and unwind in the steam. Cedar reacts better to humidity than other woods and reduces the risk of warping and cracks. With the proper wood and treatment, a traditional sauna maintains heat, steam, and air quality for the perfect in-home spa experience.
2. Steam Shower
Another popular option for an in-home sauna is to integrate the sauna experience into your shower with a steam shower. Usually, this will be a walk-in shower unit with a bench or built-in seat. It functions as a normal shower and also has steam generator pipes to allow for a sauna experience in your shower when you want it.
3. Infrared Sauna
An infrared sauna is another in-home sauna option. Like the traditional sauna, it’s built as a dedicated room or space. However, instead of using steam, an infrared sauna uses light to create heated air. It’s essentially radiant heat sources using light to create the traditional sauna feel without needing water to generate steam.
Pros and Cons of In-Home Saunas
As with anything, there are potential benefits and drawbacks. Here are some pros and cons of in-home saunas:
3 Pros of In-Home Saunas
An in-home sauna can provide several benefits to a homeowner. Here are some pros of in-home saunas:
1. In-home saunas provide luxurious relaxation at home.
The biggest benefit of an in-home sauna is that it allows you to have a luxurious spa-like retreat in the convenience of your own home. You have the privacy of your own space that also provides a relaxing, stress-free experience whenever you need it. Including an in-home sauna is also one of the ways to make a cold bathroom warmer.
2. They can provide health benefits.
Although there are many health benefits associated with saunas, not every claim out on the internet is backed up with scientific evidence. Some of the supported health benefits include relaxation and its related benefits. In general, sitting in a sauna can increase your circulation and relax tense muscles. The act of taking a moment and relaxing can be a useful tool for relieving stress, which has its own slew of health benefits and can be connected to improved cardiovascular health.
You’ll want to be careful in general and use your sauna responsibly as staying too long in a sauna can cause dehydration and could lead to heat exhaustion if you were to fall asleep while enjoying it. However, people with heart disease and women who are pregnant should talk to their doctors about whether a sauna is a good idea for them. Depending on the severity of the heart disease, your doctor may recommend that you stay cool and avoid heating up in the sauna. In the case of pregnancy, they may also advise you to avoid it.
3. An in-home sauna can increase the value of your home.
In-home saunas can be a desirable addition to a home. Although you may not be building a custom home with the intention of selling it anytime soon, an in-home sauna can increase the overall value of your home, which is a benefit when you do decide to put it on the market. In the meantime, you get to enjoy having your own in-home spa available any time at your convenience!
3 Cons of In-Home Saunas
There are also some potential drawbacks to an in-home sauna. Here are some cons of in-home saunas:
1. In-home saunas can be expensive.
An in-home sauna will take some extra planning and materials, regardless of the type of sauna you choose. This means adding one to your custom home will increase costs. If you’re a homeowner with less flexibility in your custom home budget, an in-home sauna may be an extra feature that pushes your budget too high or wouldn’t be worth the sacrifices in other areas in order to get it.
2. They can take up valuable space in your bathroom.
A traditional or infrared sauna takes up space, so you will need to plan for them in your bathroom layout and design. Depending on the rest of your home layout, they could take up valuable space in your bathroom. The benefits of having an in-home sauna may outweigh the cost of giving up some extra space.
Plus, you have some flexibility in how large your sauna will be – you can choose to have a smaller one with just enough room for one person or you can go larger for some space to stretch out. And, following some home sauna design tips can help make sure it is worth the space you’re giving up.
If the thought of giving up extra space in your bathroom isn’t appealing to you and you still want an in-home sauna, you can opt for a steam shower instead of a traditional or infrared sauna. Unlike the other types, a steam shower can be integrated into your normal shower, which means it won’t take up extra space in your bathroom – it’ll just add another set of pipes to your shower for the steam generation.
3. An in-home sauna requires maintenance.
Another potential drawback to an in-home sauna is simply that it is another item in your home that requires maintenance. If you’re someone who particularly hates cleaning chores, it might be better to stick to a steam shower for your in-home sauna so you don’t have yet another separate area to clean and maintain.
Whether an in-home sauna is right for you or not, it’s important for every room in your custom home to be the right fit for you. By partnering with the right custom home builder, you can ensure the journey is an exciting one and that you end up with the home of your dreams. If you’re ready to make your dream home a reality, contact Custom Home Group at 717-284-4090!