Garden Saunas.
Garden saunas designed for permanent outdoor installation. Cabin shapes, weather-rated cladding, and a heat source chosen to suit your access to power and fuel.
Garden saunas, planned properly.
A garden sauna is a destination piece. The cabin sits at the back of the garden or under a pergola, becomes a small ritual after work and before bed, and within a year most owners describe it as the most-used piece of garden infrastructure they have ever bought. The format ranges from compact 2-person cabins on a 200 × 150 cm footprint up to 4-person flat-walled buildings or 6-person barrels for households who entertain.
Site selection matters. The cabin needs a level base, an electrical or fuel supply, and ideally some shelter from prevailing weather to make the walk in and out of the sauna pleasant year round. Most owners site the cabin to the side or rear of the garden, often with a small covered porch or pergola at the entry. Distance to the house matters in two directions: too close and the sauna dominates the view from the kitchen; too far and the winter walk becomes a barrier to daily use.
Practical considerations: SWA cable buried 450 mm to feed an outdoor 16A or 32A socket for electric saunas; HETAS-compliant flue installation for wood-fired stoves; a clear path from the house, ideally lit and level enough to walk in bare feet through summer; and somewhere to hang or store towels at the cabin. Drainage runoff away from the cabin's base is sensible — standing water at the base of any wooden structure shortens its life regardless of how the wood is treated.
Asked & answered.
The questions we get most about garden saunas. Anything missing, the phone is the quickest way through.
How close to the house can I site the sauna?
For electric saunas, no minimum — many owners site the cabin against the house wall to reduce walking distance in winter. Wood-fired saunas need at least 1 m of clearance from any combustible structure and the flue should clear neighbouring eaves. Always check Building Regulations Part J for solid-fuel installations.
Will the cabin damage the lawn underneath?
The cabin will not sit directly on lawn — it needs a paving or concrete base. The grass under the base goes during preparation and won't return without removing the base. Plan the cabin's location with the same permanence you would a shed or summerhouse.
Can I move the sauna later if I redesign the garden?
Most cabins can be relocated by disassembling and rebuilding on a new base — a full day's work for two people. Barrel saunas in particular are designed for this and ship with marked panel positions. Re-running electrical supply is the bigger cost; budget for this if a future move is likely.
How long does an outdoor sauna last?
Twenty to thirty years for the cabin shell with annual maintenance. The heater (electric or wood-fired) typically needs replacement at year ten to fifteen. Steel barrel hoops on barrel saunas may need re-tensioning at year ten. The bench and wood interior usually outlast the heater itself.
What about garden lighting and atmosphere?
Soft path lighting from house to sauna transforms winter use; a single warm-tone fitting at the cabin entry is more useful than overhead floodlights. Most owners avoid bright lighting inside the cabin — a single dim fitting or candlelight suits the room. Discuss lighting at the same time as electrical supply with your installer.