The Sauna Room; Insulation And Wall Materials Of The Sauna Room; Room Construction - General Information; Darkening Of The Sauna Walls - Harvia HL7U1SA Owner's/Operator's Manual

2.1. Insulation and Wall Materials of the
Sauna Room
In an electrically heated sauna, all the massive wall
surfaces which store plenty of heat (such as bricks,
glass blocks, plaster etc.), must be sufficiently insu-
lated in order to keep the heater output at a reasonably
low level.
A wall and ceiling construction can be considered
to have efficient thermal insulation if:
the thickness of carefully fitted insulating wool
•
inside the structure is 4" (100 mm) minimum
2" (50 mm).
the moisture protection consists of e.g.
•
aluminium paper with tightly taped edges. The
paper must be fitted so that the glossy side is
towards the inside of the sauna.
there is a 1/4" (10 mm) vent gap between
•
the moisture protection and panel boards
(recommendation).
the inside is covered by 1/2" – 5/8" (12–16
•
mm) thick panelling.
there is a vent gap of a few millimetres at the
•
top of the wall covering at the edge of the ceiling
panelling.
When aiming at a reasonable heater output, it may be
advisable to lower the ceiling of the sauna, (minimum
height 75" (1900 mm)). As a result, the volume of the
sauna is decreased, and a smaller heater output may
be sufficient. The ceiling can be lowered so that the
ceiling joists are fixed at a suitable height. The spaces
between the joists are insulated (minimum insulation
4" (100 mm)) and surfaced as described above.
Because heat goes up wards, a maximum distance
of 47" (1200 mm) is recom mended between the
bench and ceiling.
NOTE! The protection of the walls or ceiling with
heat protection, such as mineral board fitted directly
on the wall or ceiling, may cause the temperature of
the wall and ceiling materials to rise dangerously high.
2.1.1. Room construction – general information
FRAMING
2" x 4" (50 x 100 mm) any suitable wood material,
16" (406 mm) o.c.
CEILING HEIGHT
No higher than 7' 6" (2300 mm).
INSULATION
R11 Fiberglas with foil back in walls and ceiling, foil
facing into room.
DRYWALL
See local codes. Is not required in most residences.
See local codes for commercial. If drywall is used
apply 1" x 2" (25 x 50 mm) nailers so that wall and
ceiling boards can be attached to solid wood.
PANELING
Use kiln-dried softwood (with moisture content not
exceeding 11 %).
BENCHES
Use matching softwood. Fasten from bottom to
prevent burning of bathers.
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2. THE SAUNA ROOM

DOOR
Must open out and should not have a lock. Types
of door fastenings that may be used are magnetic
catches, friction catches, spring-loaded or gravity
loaded door closers, and the like.
ROOM LIGHT
Should be a vapor proof, wall mounted type, with
rough-in box mounted flush with inside paneling.
It should be mounted 6'' (150 mm) from ceiling, not
directly over the sauna heater, and not over upper
benches. It could be installed under benches. Light
bulb should not exceed recommended watts of the
light manufacturer.
Note! Receptacles OR PLUGS are not allowed in
a Sauna room. If a speaker is installed in a Sauna
room, it should not be installed higher than 3' (914
mm) from floor, away from the Sauna heater (con-
sult manufacturer for ratings).

2.1.2. Darkening of the Sauna Walls

It is perfectly normal for the wooden surfaces of the
sauna room to darken in time. The darkening may
be accelerated by
sunlight
•
heat from the heater
•
protective agents on the walls (protective
•
agents have a poor heat resistance level)

2.2. Sauna Room Floor

Due to a large variation in temperature, the sauna
stones disintegrate in use.
Small pieces of stone are washed down on the
sauna room floor along with the water thrown on
the rocks.
To prevent aesthetic damage only dark joint
grouts and floor coverings made of rock materials
should be used underneath and near the heater.

2.3. Heater Output

When the walls and ceiling are covered with panels,
and the insulation behind the panels is sufficient to
prevent thermal flow into the wall materials, the
heater output is defined according to the cubic vol-
ume of the sauna. See table 2.
Because log walls are heated slowly, the cubic
volume of a log sauna should be multiplied by 1.5,
and the heater output should then be selected on
the basis of this information.

2.4. Sauna Room Ventilation

Should be provided by lower vent close to heater,
4" (100 mm) from floor, and upper vent on opposite
wall (if possible) 6" (150 mm) from ceiling or as
low as 24" (600 mm) from floor. Vents should be
adjustable and should allow air to change 5 times
per hour. Sauna shall be provieded with intended
ventilation as required per the local code authori-
ties. See figure 3.
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