Enjoying the cycles of hot and cold

When we think about saunas, we often picture them alongside a tranquil cottage or 'summer house' that rests harmoniously on the shore of a beautiful lake, or the blue sea.

From the chimney of the sauna, smoke puffs into the air and vanishes into a sky that is lit up by the midnight sun. The air is fresh; and fragrent from the smell of smoke rising from the sauna.

Inside the sauna, Wood crackles in the stove; steam hisses as water is thrown on the stones. We hear the laughs and chatter as Finns relax and enjoy the heat of the sauna.

And every once in a while these Finns step out into the cool air. Coated in sweat; steam evaporating from their bodies, they head to the lake, or sea , and jump in. Then, after this excercise which is accompanied with much gusto and amusement they return back to the warmth of the sauna.

Of course, this is what Finns do, and it is a rewarding and envigorating experience. But, you don't need a lake to experience the cycles of hot and cold that are associated with the sauna.

One of the best ways to get the most out of your sauna is simply to step out into the cool air of your garden. And this is also how we enjoy the sauna in Finland. Take a deep breath and enjoy the fresh cool air that envelopes your body and cools your skin. Let the steam evaporate off your body. Take a cold drink; a beer, juice, or water, sit back and be; relaxed and refreshed.

And when you start to feel the chill of the air, head back to the sauna to warm yourselves up. Sweat a little more, and perhaps repeat the cycle and endulge in the most relaxing sensation as your body and soul unwinds.

The Home Sauna Company allow you to take one step closer to an authentic sauna experience with the Garden Sauna. Our garden saunas, are built from the finest timbers forested in Finland. Our saunas enable you to experience a sauna like they are enjoyed in Finland.

Confused about home saunas - traditional and infrared

On a recent visit to the United Kingdom, I received free tickets to visit the 'BBC Good Homes Show' in the NEC, Birmingham. As I wondered around the exhibition I was struck by the number of companies that were retailing infrared saunas. Now I have bathed in a lot of saunas during the 10 years that I have lived in Finland. And, all of them have been traditional steam saunas - as well as the occasional smoke sauna. As I moved from stand to stand, I encountered infrared saunas equipped with all kinds of gadgetry such as impressive lighting systems; one even included a sound system. This all left me hard pressed to imagine how these saunas had anything to do with the saunas that I had experienced, and how they could generate the soothing warmth and heat that I was familiar with. Prior to my visit to the NEC I had never come across, or heard of an infrared sauna. So what is an infrared sauna? Is this some gimmick retailed to consumers? Or is this really the next big thing in the personal spa experience?

It appears that the main difference between traditional steam saunas and infrared saunas is the approach to heating the room and the person(s) in the room. The traditional steam sauna relies on the tried and trusted method of thermal heat whereby the room is heated (by a wood or electric stove which heats the stones), and humidity levels are controlled by pouring water on stones to produce steam. This has the desired effect of leading to perspiration, which cleans the body, and relaxes and refreshes the body and soul.

The infrared sauna, on the other hand, relies on infrared wavelengths (radiant heat). From my physics lessons back at school, I remember that it was possible to detect thermal radiation from anything that has a temperature. Since we humans cannot see infrared radiation, we have had to rely on thermographic scanners to detect the heat given off by objects. Doctors use them to detect tumours; border police use them to locate illegal migrants etc. So how does all this fit into saunas? Well it turns out that the sun emits infrared light which we can actually detect as heat. Infrared heating systems apply a similar approach which can heat people directly through a process called conversion, without having to heat the air in between. It turns out our bodies are packed with molecules and electrons that are always in motion. When we direct infrared light at our bodies, the light penetrates the skin and increases this motion. As the molecules and electrons vibrate more, the body is heated and we radiate far more thermal heat. This leads to perspiration.

Now let’s return to the start of this article, where you might remember I mentioned that there were many sauna companies retailing infrared saunas. Sauna, saunas? What is a sauna? According to all common sense, knowledge, and my trusted dictionary (Collins Concise Dictionary) a sauna is 'an invigorating bath originating in Finland in which the bather is subjected to hot steam, usually followed by a cold plunge'. Now these are just words, but they do bring out the historical and cultural essence of what the sauna is. It is this kind of sauna that I have experienced in Finland - it is Finland that we all associate with saunas. The question is, thus, can an infrared sauna justifiably be called an infrared 'sauna'?

In my opinion the problem stems from the way it seems manufacturers have decided to make their infrared heating systems look like traditional saunas.
This only has the effect of confusing the consumer. Judging by all the discussion forums and space on the web dedicated to clarifying the difference between infrared and traditional saunas, I can say that my suspicions are confirmed. For one thing the design, structure and material used in the traditional sauna all have a function in generating and maintaining the atmosphere, heat, and humidity of the sauna. In contrast the infrared heating system works independently of its surroundings. This means that it can be boxed in practically any environment you want. Still, for their own reasons manufacturers and marketers have decided to make the infrared heating system look almost identical to the traditional sauna. Well, we can only ask why.

I have never tried an infrared sauna - and probably will not in the near future as nobody has got them over here. So it is hard to make comments based on my own experiences. However, as the literature suggests, both methods are pretty good at bringing out a sweat and cleaning the body. There appear to be many differences between the sauna and the infrared heating system. One of the main differences here is that the infrared version can lead to perspiring at lower temperatures (due to the process called conversion that I mentioned earlier). The traditional steam sauna on-the-other-hand relies on contact with hot air to open the pores and allow persons to perspire.

Well, everyone has different tastes, and I can accept that a traditional sauna is not to everyone's liking. But here, the traditional sauna stands up to its criticism. Firstly, the traditional sauna is a completely interactive experience. The bather can control the heat and humidity of the sauna. If the air is too dry the bather can throw water on the rocks to produce steam and add moisture to the air. For a cooler sauna, it is easy enough to set the sauna temperature to a lower level. If the sauna is too hot, simply change to sit on a lower bench where the air is cooler. And if you like it hot - well I think you know what to do.

I am not going to argue here which of the two methods is the best. For one thing, I do not really think that the two can be compared, as the approaches are so different. Both have their merits, and have to be evaluated on a personal level by the consumer. What the consumer has to decide is whether they want to buy a sauna. If it turns out the consumer wants a sauna, then the traditional steam sauna is the only option. However, it is not surprising that comparisons are drawn and confusions abound when the two systems are both are called saunas.

For more information on owning and bathing in a traditional Finnish home sauna, please contact the Home Sauna Company limited.

A home sauna company that can stand the heat

The Home Sauna Company which is based in Worcestershire, UK, is one of a number of leading sauna suppliers operating in the UK. The company supplies traditional Finnish saunas to customers in the UK (such as private homes, businesses, health clubs, and hotels). But what makes this company stand out? and really, what does this outfit know about saunas?

In an interview with the founder of the company (Mr Hayden Evans), it became clear that this company knows what its talking about. As it turns out, the founder of this company is himself half-Finnish and half-English, and has lived in Finland for a number of years.

Mr Evans himself is actively involved with building and designing saunas. Since he founded his sauna business, Mr Evans and his team have built hundreds of saunas across the UK, helping many people fulfill their dreams. He also recently fullfilled his own dream by building a a custom-designed garden sauna in his own garden. Interestingly, Mr Evans, revealed how he had matured as a professional through this venture:

"Building a sauna is one thing....but how many out there really know how the sauna will 'behave' once its used? When you build a sauna and use it you begin to learn the many ways that the sauna can be enhanced to bring out its best. I have so learned a great deal and all this knowledge will go into making our saunas even better."

So, promising words from this entrepreneur, and nice to see that he is in touch with the products he sells