The Sauna Benches

Sauna Bench Design

Considerable thought and planning was put into the design and construction of the sauna benches. I used a similar design on the first sauna we had constructed and I made a few tweaks to that design to improve them. As with our previous benches, we wanted these benches not to be permanently attached to the walls so they could be moved for cleaning them and the sauna floor at times. The benches sit upon rails which are securely attached to the walls which allows the benches to slide or be tipped up as required. A 1/4" gap was left along the edges to assure the benches could easily slide as required.

I had acquired some 2"x6" poplar boards specifically cut (had rounded edges) for use as sauna benches from Superior Sawmill in Trenary, Michigan to be used for sauna benches. Poplar is an idea wood to use for a sauna bench because they have very little knots (which can become quite hot to sit on) and the wood doesn't get as hot as many other wood materials.

A frame made from 2"x4" poplar (also purchased from Superior Sawmill) was constructed and the were screwed to the frame from the bottom with a 1/4" gap between them with countersunk holes so no exposed screws or nails were visible. (screws and nails are also hot to sit on!)

However.... I made the mistake of leaving them outside during the construction of this project and they ended up with a lot of mildew on them which proved to be difficult to remove. The benches were also very heavy.

Although it was a costly decision, I scrapped the whole poplar idea after they were built because I did not like their appearance or weight. The benches were then reconstructed from red cedar 2"x4" and 5/4 red cedar decking material.

A step stool was also provided to be used to gain access to the upper benches and to sit on when bathing. The design of this stool replicates the design of the small stool that my grandfather made for the sauna our family had growing up.

Also to help facilitate safe access to the top benches, a grabrail, made from a cedar branch, was affixed to the wall adjacent to the benches.

Under the top bench support rail we placed an LED light strip that is dimmable and color changing to create the lighting ambiance you may desire.

Unlike many modern saunas you may see today, the area between the benches was not enclosed. This helps insure more adequate air flow through the sauna.

Sauna Bench Design - Side View

The sauna benches were strategically placed so their height was above the sauna stove to help assure that your whole body would be heated and soothed by the stove's heat and löyly. The foot bench height also allows someone of my short stature (5'-2") to be able to stand on this bench without hitting their head on the 8' high ceiling. The distance between the top and foot bench was also made 16" high which is a bit less than typically seen in many saunas but the height is more accommodating if you want to lean forward and tuck your head between your ass during a hot blast of löyly. In hindsight (pun not intended, but as someone pointed out, it fit well into the context of the subject), I probably would have made this dimension 12" to 14" in height.

The small boxes you may observe below the top bench to the right of the window in the illustration are adjustable air outlet vents to help provide proper air exchange and a way to slowly cool off the sauna after its use.

Sauna Bench Sitting Options - Side View

The foot bench has a foot rail to allow one to rest their feet upon it while sitting on the top bench and it also acts as a guardrail for the hot sauna stove. This bench can also slide horizontally on the wall support rails to adjust to the length of the legs on an individual using the foot rest. This option is also nice when cleaning the floors of the sauna as it allows you easier access to them.

(The box shown under the top bench is the lower sliding ventilation outlet.)

Sauna Bench Design - Top View

The width of the top bench ended up at 2' - 4" (28"). We wanted a wide top bench so we could more comfortably bring our feet up onto the bench. The 7-3" length allows adequate room for one to be lay upon the top bench if they so desire.

The bench tops were made from 5/4 red cedar decking material with 1/4" gaps between them.

Hidden Bench Wall Supports

Before cladding the wall with the cedar tongue and groove paneling I installed 2"x6" boards between the studs (on the end walls) where the cedar support rails for the benches can be screwed into. This will give some extra support instead of having to rely on hitting the vertical studs exactly.

Bench Wall Supports

Cedar 2"x4" were screwed into the hidden wall supports with (2) 3-1/2" long screws at 9" on center and will be used to support the sauna benches. The supports will also act as slides allowing the benches to be moved or tilted upwards for occasional cleaning. The benches can be hosed off and left to drip dry.

Sauna Bench Construction

The frames were made from 2"x4" red cedar. I ended up salvaging the connector rails and screws which I had removed from my deck and reused them to secure the boards to the bench frames so no screws are visible. (screws and nails are also hot to sit on!) 5/4 red cedar decking was then affixed to the screw rails with 1/4" gaps.

Sauna Benches Installed

The completed sitting and foot bench are very clean looking with no visible fastners and compliment the cedar walls nicely and feel very sturdy. Time will tell if I need to add more support to the foot rest.

Bench Back Rest

I originally had back rests planned but I took them out of the design during construction. However, after having a few hot saunas we decided that perhaps they would be nice to have instead of leaning against the hot cedar walls and perhaps staining them with our sweat.

I mounted four 1"x3" poplar boards (with all screws hidden either by mounting them from behind or covering them with wood plugs) horizontally across the back wall above the top bench. Poplar wood is typically less hot to the touch and has minimal knots (which also can get very hot to the touch). We can also hang a towel on this back rest for extra protection. We typically do lay a towel on the top bench to keep it cleaner and cooler

Sauna Stool Design

During the design I realized that it would be a challenging effort to get on the foot bench so I decided to have a smaller stepping or sitting stool for that purpose. This stool's height was also high at about 18" so I added another step to its design to allow easier access to the upper benches and make the stool more stable. The design of this stool replicates the design of the small stool that my grandfather made for the sauna our family had growing up

Original Sauna Stool - Side View

This is a photo of the original sauna stool we had in my childhood sauna. My grandpa Leppala made it for my sister Helen when she was a little girl to use in the sauna. Helen's daughter Betsy now has ownership of this stool.

Original Sauna Stool - Top View

It appears that the stool was also used for some painting projects through the years! You will notice a lot of nails in the construction of this stool. My grandpa Leppala was known to use a lot of nails when he put something together.

For my design, I decided to forgo the extra nails and cover the screw holes with wood plugs to give the stool a cleaner look.... no one wants to sit on a hot nail!

New Sauna Stool

The new sauna stool, like the sauna benches, is built with red cedar decking material. It is bigger than the original sauna stool but it is a multipurpose stool. Besides using as a step stool to the higher benches, it also can be used to sit on when washing up. Sitting at a lower level during this process is helpful as you aren't so hot and you have more easy access to water and the soaps and shampoos which are stored at a lower level.

The photo is taken right after it was completed so the screw holes are not yet plugged.

I recently added a treated 2x4 horizontal stabilizer board along the backside of the stool at floor level to help assure that the stool would not tip over if someone stepped on the outer edges of it.

Original Changing Room Bench

My brother Steve Leppälä has the bench that was used in our childhood sauna changing room in his sauna changing room. Since he is not yet ready to give this bench up I decided to also try to replicate its design for the bench used in our sauna changing room.

New Changing Room Bench

I used the photos and dimensions that my brother Steve sent me to fabricate our changing room bench. I had to upsize some of the lumber since the original bench was constructed of thicker rough sawn wood.

To try to recreate the look of the original bench I first used a wire brush on a drill to take away some of the softer wood to highlight the grain of the wood to make it look more distressed. I then coated the wood with a homebrew stain made by soaking steel wool in white vinegar for a week and then coating the wood with it. This is supposed to make the wood turn a gray color replicating the look of the original bench. The color was perfect my sample piece but when I did the complete bench the wood turned a more reddish color. I ended up putting a weathered gray stain over it. It does not match the hue of the original bench so I am a bit disappointed with the outcome. Perhaps in the spring I will try to stain it again to try to achieve my desired results.

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