How to make your own outdoor steam room

Are you ready for a relaxing steam room experience? Chances are you’ve been working a difficult week, maybe pulled some late shifts, sat in rush hour traffic for hours on end and barely found enough time in the day for a microwave meal, let alone a full dinner.

Imagine a luxurious wooden steam room nestled just metres away from your back door. How rewarding would it be to unwind after a long day in the comfort of your back garden?

Build your own outdoor wooden steam room

If you like the idea of owning an outdoor wooden steam room, you are not alone. There are dozens of online tutorials from DIY enthusiasts who have managed to convert an outbuilding or garden shed into a stylish and comfortable outdoor sauna room.

Here at Log Cabins Lakeland, we believe the key to successfully building an outdoor wooden steam room is the baseline structure. And this quirky, round log cabin – which reminds us a little bit of a Hobbit house – provides the perfect base for your outdoor steam room. Benches and all.

An outdoor steam room kit, in five easy steps

Step 1: Start with a wooden garden building

You may already have a timber building, like a shed or outhouse, that you would like to convert. It’s highly likely though that a building you have had in your garden for a while could be weathered, suffering water damage, or could even be too small to satisfy your requirements for a luxurious wooden steam room.

A log cabin, built from slow-grown Nordic timber, offers the perfect base structure for your outdoor steam room. This sort of timber is grown in the coldest region of Scandinavia, to ensure maximum strength and rigidity.

This particular cabin already comes with benches to lounge on, a chimney for ventilation and a central heat source. So, it’s the ideal building to convert into an outdoor wooden steam room.

Step 2: Insulate and seal surfaces to prevent moisture damage

You will need to insulate and seal all surfaces to prevent heat from escaping and – perhaps more importantly – prevent moisture from damaging the timber.

Good water seals to use for this purpose would be Watershield, Evostick or Thomas. These sealants do not crack, shrink or discolour. Many also contain a fungicide that prevents mould growth. Evostick in particular is great for joining any gaps in your walls and flooring.

Insulate your outdoor steam room with heavy duty aluminium foil. Many catering companies and wholesalers will be able to supply this. You may also wish to apply an additional layer of timber to your walls to seal this insulation properly. Don’t forget to seal any gaps here too.

Step 3: Ensure proper ventilation to allow fresh air to circulate

Proper ventilation is key for a safe and fully functioning wooden steam room. This round log cabin is pre-built with a chimney in the centre, which will allow air to circulate. You can read more about proper ventilation for your outdoor steam room here.

Step 4: Install a heat source and water station to get steamy

When making your own outdoor steam room, a heat source is key. There are two options for installing a suitable heat source: build a wood burning stove or buy an electric version. Both options produce great results, but to ensure you get it right first time, it might be advisable to source your own wood burning steam room stove.

Step 5: Relax and enjoy your new garden steam room

Once your garden steam room is complete, simply change into your bathing suit, grab a towel and relax. Maybe even throw in some essential oils if it’s been a particularly bad day.

Want to know more about garden log cabins and what you can do with yours? Contact Log Cabins Lakeland for more information on 01931 712044. We offer a nationwide delivery service, and can even take care of the installation for you.