The Building of an Authentic Scandinavian Full Scribe Log Sauna
There is not much info out there on log saunas. Hopefully this blog will help others. A project with no time line, the logs need to dry anyway. It is off the grid and you need to cross water to get here. Enjoy the journey with us!
Day 1, Monday March 8, 2010
A beautiful winters day, +8 and full sun for the next week and -5 averaging in the evenings. We need to work fast as the ice on the lake is melting rapidly, it is 18" thick now and melting along the edges. Dwight was busy at the cabin on Sunday cutting trees and prepping the trail behind the cabin to skid the logs down the hill to the lake and then pile on the yard next to the cabin. There, they will be peeled by ourselves and Josh Dagg. Josh Dagg is the same young man who did the log work on the cabin Lone Wolf Cabin rental (lots of info) The property is off the grid so a generator provides our heavy duty power. I will be referring to Josh Dagg as Dagg to avoid confusion, as my son's name is Josh.
Dwight and I have been talking saunas for a while....lots of ideas....but if we get our own logs and do what we can to help our log builder we will be able to cut our costs plus the satisfaction we would get. We were getting ready to go down south but decided to put that money into the sauna instead, plus with the sun we are getting now it would be crazy to go somewhere else, its beautiful out and it works for us.
Things always seem to work out. I gave Dagg a call last week to see if he would be available to work for us and he just lost his job so this was perfect timing for all of us, he accepted the job and will be here on Tuesday and Wednesday, perfect because it is going to be the coldest 2 nights this week, -12, we need the freezing temperatures to get the logs out of the forest. Dwight will take the two days off work and we hope to have all the pine trees cut and down the hill. I marked all the trees to be cut on Sunday. They are white pine and average about 10 to 12" at the butt. I marked 17 trees and figure to get at least 2 logs each. Dagg will tell us how many we will need on Tuesday.
Dwight got the trail ready on Sunday, cut trees out of the way and packed a trail with the ATV and tracks so that it would freeze overnight, we will see how it goes. In the mornings everything is hard and by afternoon it is all softened up. We may only be able to work in the mornings, we shall see. Today I will go back to the cabin and mark more trees so Dagg has a selection.
The snow is melting fast and so is the lake, we have to get the logs down this week. Guests are checking into the cabin for two days on Wednesday afternoon. Next week it is rented for four days so in between we are going to work like buggers or Dwight and Dagg are....I have a bum arm but there is still lots I can do, I just have to be careful and not overdo. Then the sauna will be staged on flat ground beside the cabin. As soon as the frost is out of the ground we hope to prepare the site up the hill, then hoist the sauna up log by log where it will sit for the summer to start the drying process. The inside dimensions will be 7 by 8' We are so excited.
Day 1, Monday March 8, 2010
A beautiful winters day, +8 and full sun for the next week and -5 averaging in the evenings. We need to work fast as the ice on the lake is melting rapidly, it is 18" thick now and melting along the edges. Dwight was busy at the cabin on Sunday cutting trees and prepping the trail behind the cabin to skid the logs down the hill to the lake and then pile on the yard next to the cabin. There, they will be peeled by ourselves and Josh Dagg. Josh Dagg is the same young man who did the log work on the cabin Lone Wolf Cabin rental (lots of info) The property is off the grid so a generator provides our heavy duty power. I will be referring to Josh Dagg as Dagg to avoid confusion, as my son's name is Josh.
Dwight and I have been talking saunas for a while....lots of ideas....but if we get our own logs and do what we can to help our log builder we will be able to cut our costs plus the satisfaction we would get. We were getting ready to go down south but decided to put that money into the sauna instead, plus with the sun we are getting now it would be crazy to go somewhere else, its beautiful out and it works for us.
Things always seem to work out. I gave Dagg a call last week to see if he would be available to work for us and he just lost his job so this was perfect timing for all of us, he accepted the job and will be here on Tuesday and Wednesday, perfect because it is going to be the coldest 2 nights this week, -12, we need the freezing temperatures to get the logs out of the forest. Dwight will take the two days off work and we hope to have all the pine trees cut and down the hill. I marked all the trees to be cut on Sunday. They are white pine and average about 10 to 12" at the butt. I marked 17 trees and figure to get at least 2 logs each. Dagg will tell us how many we will need on Tuesday.
Dwight got the trail ready on Sunday, cut trees out of the way and packed a trail with the ATV and tracks so that it would freeze overnight, we will see how it goes. In the mornings everything is hard and by afternoon it is all softened up. We may only be able to work in the mornings, we shall see. Today I will go back to the cabin and mark more trees so Dagg has a selection.
The snow is melting fast and so is the lake, we have to get the logs down this week. Guests are checking into the cabin for two days on Wednesday afternoon. Next week it is rented for four days so in between we are going to work like buggers or Dwight and Dagg are....I have a bum arm but there is still lots I can do, I just have to be careful and not overdo. Then the sauna will be staged on flat ground beside the cabin. As soon as the frost is out of the ground we hope to prepare the site up the hill, then hoist the sauna up log by log where it will sit for the summer to start the drying process. The inside dimensions will be 7 by 8' We are so excited.
Arent they gorgeous!!! Especially when you get them yourself on your own land.
Day 2, Tuesday March 09, 2010
Theo catching some zzzz's in the late afternoon March sun.
The Day begins
Today was the day, we were up early and waiting for Dagg to arrive at 8am, half an hour later he arrived and we hoofed our stuff in about 500' to the trail where there was snow and our snow mobiles were parked. The south hills are melted already. Dwight and I took the new Yamaha Venture snow mobile with sled and Josh Dagg took the little 74 Elan. We had a fabulous day, getting into the swing of things.
Dwight took today and tomorrow off to get the logs out. We are at a very sensitive time weather wise. We have cancelled our guests that are booking into the cabin because of trail and lake conditions.
At the moment I have tennis elbow, since last fall and I am not going to do anything to aggravate it again. My job is easy, today I was the gopher, lunch maker, tree marker, log counter, measurer, all the easy jobs. Dagg.......well he is doing what he is paid for, today, cutting all the trees needed and peeling the logs.
Dwight was busy hauling the logs to the landing with the ATV which has the tracks. The tracks make it so much more difficult to drive and steer or at least for me with my arm. It is hard to steer and can grab the sides of the trail but its like a little bull dozer.
In the morning the trail is hard but by noon it is soft.....as Dagg calls it "corn snow" Dwight had to stop dragging logs out by 2pm because of the conditions. Tomorrow he hopes to be out there by 7 am. I have marked 6 more trees (max) if needed. All of these trees are within 500' of the cabin, they need to be thinned out a bit. Tomorrow the last of the logs we need will be hauled out and the peeling continues.
The forecast for Friday, Saturday and Sunday is showers, rain or snow....so the push is on to get all the logs down and peeled. Dwight peeled a few logs as well, a hard job indeed, I tried but the arm said no. All in all it was an excellent day for everyone, we are getting into the swing of it.
Dwight is taking tomorrow off, to finish getting the logs out and then I think he will be very thankful to get back to his desk job for a much needed rest! When we got home we both had a drink, something to eat, a hot bath, got the wood stove going and watched some TV. The dogs are passed out on their pillows outside, not a peep.
Today was the day, we were up early and waiting for Dagg to arrive at 8am, half an hour later he arrived and we hoofed our stuff in about 500' to the trail where there was snow and our snow mobiles were parked. The south hills are melted already. Dwight and I took the new Yamaha Venture snow mobile with sled and Josh Dagg took the little 74 Elan. We had a fabulous day, getting into the swing of things.
Dwight took today and tomorrow off to get the logs out. We are at a very sensitive time weather wise. We have cancelled our guests that are booking into the cabin because of trail and lake conditions.
At the moment I have tennis elbow, since last fall and I am not going to do anything to aggravate it again. My job is easy, today I was the gopher, lunch maker, tree marker, log counter, measurer, all the easy jobs. Dagg.......well he is doing what he is paid for, today, cutting all the trees needed and peeling the logs.
Dwight was busy hauling the logs to the landing with the ATV which has the tracks. The tracks make it so much more difficult to drive and steer or at least for me with my arm. It is hard to steer and can grab the sides of the trail but its like a little bull dozer.
In the morning the trail is hard but by noon it is soft.....as Dagg calls it "corn snow" Dwight had to stop dragging logs out by 2pm because of the conditions. Tomorrow he hopes to be out there by 7 am. I have marked 6 more trees (max) if needed. All of these trees are within 500' of the cabin, they need to be thinned out a bit. Tomorrow the last of the logs we need will be hauled out and the peeling continues.
The forecast for Friday, Saturday and Sunday is showers, rain or snow....so the push is on to get all the logs down and peeled. Dwight peeled a few logs as well, a hard job indeed, I tried but the arm said no. All in all it was an excellent day for everyone, we are getting into the swing of it.
Dwight is taking tomorrow off, to finish getting the logs out and then I think he will be very thankful to get back to his desk job for a much needed rest! When we got home we both had a drink, something to eat, a hot bath, got the wood stove going and watched some TV. The dogs are passed out on their pillows outside, not a peep.
Day 3, Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Theo & Winston soak up some sun & pine gum.
Wow what a day! We worked like !@##$% Dwight was out the door at 7:30 and Dagg joined him at 8:30 and I followed a couple of hours later. There are things to be done at the house.
The cabin is only 2 km from the house and by skidoo or ATV give it five minutes. I started to peel a log, just go easy and do one. I ended up peeling 6 and a half logs, the logs arent big. The average size of our logs is 10 inches. Dwight was busy pulling the logs out of the bush and putting them and the peeled ones up on skids with Daggs help. Meantime Dagg cut the last of the trees needed for the sauna, double checking to make sure we had enough logs.
In the early morning everything is frozen but then warms up. At one point it was not possible to get up the hill with the ATV and tracks....way too slippery with the grainy snow so the remaining logs were pulled and winched down the hill then dragged with the skidding cone and ATV. We actually managed to crack up the skidding cone but funny thing is that it did not crack when we built the cabin in 2003. Dagg said that it was probably because the plastic had deteriorated since then....makes sense to me. The cone made it possible to take the logs out of the bush and down the hill, otherwise they would have gotten stuck on every stump and rock in the way. With the cone they just slipped between everything.
Things really warmed up this afternoon and as soon as the sun goes down it cools down quickly. I think that Dwight will be very glad to go to his desk job tomorrow. My job tomorrow is to haul the rest of the logs down the hill with Daggs help and drag the peeled ones (with ATV) to prepared skids. We were all peeling today and we have about half of the logs peeled or barked. Theo and Winston just love when we are working outside, by mid afternoon they are bushed and Theo is underfoot like a dead dog/log getting all covered in sticky pine peelings. Winston seems to know better with his long hair. So all in all not a bad start, two days, all our trees are cut and half of them peeled.....give me five!!!
The cabin is only 2 km from the house and by skidoo or ATV give it five minutes. I started to peel a log, just go easy and do one. I ended up peeling 6 and a half logs, the logs arent big. The average size of our logs is 10 inches. Dwight was busy pulling the logs out of the bush and putting them and the peeled ones up on skids with Daggs help. Meantime Dagg cut the last of the trees needed for the sauna, double checking to make sure we had enough logs.
In the early morning everything is frozen but then warms up. At one point it was not possible to get up the hill with the ATV and tracks....way too slippery with the grainy snow so the remaining logs were pulled and winched down the hill then dragged with the skidding cone and ATV. We actually managed to crack up the skidding cone but funny thing is that it did not crack when we built the cabin in 2003. Dagg said that it was probably because the plastic had deteriorated since then....makes sense to me. The cone made it possible to take the logs out of the bush and down the hill, otherwise they would have gotten stuck on every stump and rock in the way. With the cone they just slipped between everything.
Things really warmed up this afternoon and as soon as the sun goes down it cools down quickly. I think that Dwight will be very glad to go to his desk job tomorrow. My job tomorrow is to haul the rest of the logs down the hill with Daggs help and drag the peeled ones (with ATV) to prepared skids. We were all peeling today and we have about half of the logs peeled or barked. Theo and Winston just love when we are working outside, by mid afternoon they are bushed and Theo is underfoot like a dead dog/log getting all covered in sticky pine peelings. Winston seems to know better with his long hair. So all in all not a bad start, two days, all our trees are cut and half of them peeled.....give me five!!!
Day 4, Thursday March 11, 2010
Sunny and a high of 10 today, another great day! All the logs got peeled today. I took a video of Dagg peeling a log and it took him about 5 to 7 minutes to do one, you couldnt keep that pace up for too long. I do it slow and steady. My arm seems to be holding out and the ibuprofen helps.
There were about six logs to pull down the hill but with the bark on it would be hard going in the soft snow so Dagg peeled one and pushed it down. It slide down like "wet soap" Daggs words, so he peeled them up on the hill and slide them down and hauled them around onto the skids with the ATV. Lots of fun and laughs.
This is the first day that the ice is starting to rot, it wont be long now with the weather. We will have some friends and Dagg up this weekend. We hope to drop a big tree across the creek so we can walk across when the lake is not safe. I cancelled all bookings for the cabin but had a couple that did not care about the conditions and said they would walk in and around and would love the adventure so they will come in on Monday and leave Friday morning. The logs can have a chance to get rained on and dried out a bit. They are a bit gummy but we had no choice but to get them out at this time. Dwight is taking the afternoon off tomorrow and will join us to help out at the cabin.
Now is the time while we are able, to cross the lake with the ATV. The ATV is a great help to pull the logs out and around. The dogs continue to have a good time and then lie in all the sticky pine bark for their afternoon siesta.
There were about six logs to pull down the hill but with the bark on it would be hard going in the soft snow so Dagg peeled one and pushed it down. It slide down like "wet soap" Daggs words, so he peeled them up on the hill and slide them down and hauled them around onto the skids with the ATV. Lots of fun and laughs.
This is the first day that the ice is starting to rot, it wont be long now with the weather. We will have some friends and Dagg up this weekend. We hope to drop a big tree across the creek so we can walk across when the lake is not safe. I cancelled all bookings for the cabin but had a couple that did not care about the conditions and said they would walk in and around and would love the adventure so they will come in on Monday and leave Friday morning. The logs can have a chance to get rained on and dried out a bit. They are a bit gummy but we had no choice but to get them out at this time. Dwight is taking the afternoon off tomorrow and will join us to help out at the cabin.
Now is the time while we are able, to cross the lake with the ATV. The ATV is a great help to pull the logs out and around. The dogs continue to have a good time and then lie in all the sticky pine bark for their afternoon siesta.
Day 5, Saturday, March 13, 2010
Dagg draw knifing a log. Man that guy is good!
Always a great day. Saturday morning and another day begins. Yesterday it was cloudy and melting. Today sun and cloud. Dwight ended up taking the whole day off and was the first one to start working at the cabin. He hauled the last of the peeled logs onto the yard where Dagg is working. We had to wait till the morning again when everything was frozen cause it was too muddy yesterday afternoon. But now thats done.After that he plowed all the bark pieces off the lake and into a pile on the shore and then raked it.......then he was off to haul some sand with the snow mobile and sled to fill in some holes in the yard.In the afternoon he was up clearing the site for the sauna and we burned all the brush on site, it was lots of fun.
Meanwhile Dagg was busy getting the base ready on flat ground by the cabin to build the sauna on and drawknifing the first logs, gosh they are gorgeous!!! I figure by the end of today he may almost be done the second round. Dwight was around to help him man handle the logs into place when needed.
Dwight was just heading off to the cabin this morning and came back with a wild turkey, apparently he found it off to the side of the drive, our pup found it and was starting to dig in, it must have died or got killed since dawn. Dwight and I took off the wings and tail....the feathers are simply beautiful.
Meanwhile Dagg was busy getting the base ready on flat ground by the cabin to build the sauna on and drawknifing the first logs, gosh they are gorgeous!!! I figure by the end of today he may almost be done the second round. Dwight was around to help him man handle the logs into place when needed.
Dwight was just heading off to the cabin this morning and came back with a wild turkey, apparently he found it off to the side of the drive, our pup found it and was starting to dig in, it must have died or got killed since dawn. Dwight and I took off the wings and tail....the feathers are simply beautiful.
Day 6, Sunday, March 14, 2010
It's my sons 25th birthday today, Happy Birthday Josh! Today it is raining. Dagg worked yesterday and the first round is down and two more logs, draw knifed, scarfed and ready to scribe. Dwight and I puttered around a bit at the cabin and had friends over for a visit, so the guys helped Dagg lift the logs into place.
I will go back to the cabin tomorrow to clean up the yard a bit and ready the cabin for guests coming in for the week., then back to the house to pick them up at noon. The conditions of the trail and lake after all this rain remains to be seen.....will have to have a plan B? I tried to cancel the guests because of conditions but they really want the adventure. So no sauna building till friday or saturday. It will give me a chance to think things out.
I will go back to the cabin tomorrow to clean up the yard a bit and ready the cabin for guests coming in for the week., then back to the house to pick them up at noon. The conditions of the trail and lake after all this rain remains to be seen.....will have to have a plan B? I tried to cancel the guests because of conditions but they really want the adventure. So no sauna building till friday or saturday. It will give me a chance to think things out.
Day 7, Friday, March 19, 2010
It's bedtime now, a good day, got Dagg to the cabin, our guests to their car. Dwight was busy at work and with family stuff. Dagg had a great day as you can see in the photo. It's gorgeous!!! Weather is spectacular! Looks like the horse shoes up my butt are still with me.....did I say that?
Anyway the rainy weather we were supposed to have this weekend has now turned to sun!
Anyway the rainy weather we were supposed to have this weekend has now turned to sun!
Day 8, Saturday, March 20, 2001
One log at at time, two more are fitted. Its looking great!
Day 9 & 10, Tuesday, March 24, 2010
A beautiful day, plus 12, still crossing the lake, pushing a canoe with our gear in it though....just in case someone goes through we can jump in. Dagg takes the ATV and I go in the afternoon and finish with a photo shoot. I took the chains off the ATV this afternoon, most of the snow is now off the trail although there are a few mud spots.
There is a wonderful pile of wood shavings piling up from drawknifing the logs. Dagg wants me to leave them so that when he drags a finished log over it keeps it a bit cleaner. Dwight showed up around five to help pull another log over and put a scribed one on top. It is looking soooooo nice...an artist at work.
Once Dagg is done with the shell we need to move it......so we need to prep the site on the side of the hill, build the floor, carry the logs up and fit them back together and put a roof on. Oh and benches inside and buy a sauna stove! Of course I will have my artistic influence........ well things might even change as we go along???? A work in progress.
We still have a lot to do once the shell is finished. Things are thawing out nicely around the cabin.
After three more days of Josh Dagg working on the logs we are up to here, now it is Easter weekend and we wont see him till Monday. It is looking oh so great!!!!
April 5th, 2010
Just checked the weather forecast for next week....not looking good....rain, showers, flurries!!!!
April 8th, 2010
Josh Dagg got them both of the next logs up all by himself, did'nt even break a sweat. He did get full of resin covered lichen from tying off the winch on balsam tree though, so he was a little sticky and black at the end of it!
April 9th, 2010, 16th day
That includes the days helping us with the logging. Dwight and I will be out to the cabin on the weekend, starts tomorrow. Dagg is a bit under the weather and may not be up to par tomorrow. Dagg had to spend some time with a jack leveling the cabin again as the frost is coming out of the ground and things are shifting. Remember this is only the staging area. Within the month we plan on moving it up the hill. Wanna help? Beer and food for helpers after the fact. This is a work of ART in progress, it excites me and it excites Mr. Dagg. I have the vision for this project and he has the craft as well as vision and understanding my vision, together we all work very well together. Its a wonderful adventure.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Here it sits to dry for a year in the staging area
beside the cabin
Well we are on day 25 with one more day to go to finish things up. Can you believe this thing of beauty! Just wait till day 26th is finished. It will be like when you finally frame your painting, everything comes into place. There are the angles on the ridge pole to cut, the decorative curves on the end logs all around to match the cabin, the roof line to cut and the keys to be cut alongside the window and door to slide the 2 by 4 in.
Dagg is off on another job and should be back within the week to finish things up. The ridge pole has a wonderful crook in it so that goes at the back against the hill. You can see the big opening at the front that will house the glass door and side windows. We are maximizing the view and there is a gorgeous one up the hill. We are going with a Harvia stove, and it needs to be sized properly depending on the size of your sauna and the windows that are in it. Because of the glass and the logs we need to size it up.
The black flies have started, and some are biting, that's early.
How sweet would it have been to have plopped it right beside the lake? Real sweet! but the municipality of Val des Monts requires that you place it 50' from the high water mark. I could not get a variance.
Some of you may ask yourselves.....why did they put it way up on the hill....well that is why. As it turns out it will be just fine. The times that we use it as a bunky will give our friends privacy and even using it as a sauna it will be fine and the view is fantastic!
We are just waiting for Dagg or someone else to finish up now. Another day or two should do it. Then the shell will sit and dry for a while. I have sprayed it with a borate and glycol solution for mould, fungus and covered the tops of the logs to keep them nice.
January 15, 2011
A new year and it's wintertime again, today is the day we move the sauna up the hill, it has all been organized and it is snowing quite heavily today although not too cold. We sent out invites to a pile of friends and as of 1pm we still had no one! Who the hell wants to manually move massive logs up a hill for petes sake!
I was at home waiting for our yurt guests that were checking in at 2pm. I made lots of food in anticipation of lots of people wanting to be a part of the log sauna history....heh nothing I cant freeze up. Dwight and Josh Dagg finally had to enlist the help of a couple of our neighbours who were ice fishing on the lake to get a couple of the first logs up. As of 1pm the sauna shell was dismantled by Dagg and Dwight.
Dwight had a system of marking all the logs before it was dismantled and yesterday Dagg cut the roof line on the top logs and then Dagg and Dwight took it all apart. Looks like a nice giant set of Lincoln logs, I take that back, it does NOT look like a set of Lincoln logs!
My son Josh arrived about 1:30 with a couple of his friends...yeahhhh Josh!, they walked in, all three of them tall and strong, other friends of ours Paul and Karen arrived to lend some muscle as well, so with 6 strong men ....we were vanilla. By 4pm the sauna was up! Incredible!!! Watch the below video, lots of fun, 5 minutes long, you should be smiling by the end of it.....or maybe its just me:)
The roof should be on by the end of January somewhere between guests and weather
I was at home waiting for our yurt guests that were checking in at 2pm. I made lots of food in anticipation of lots of people wanting to be a part of the log sauna history....heh nothing I cant freeze up. Dwight and Josh Dagg finally had to enlist the help of a couple of our neighbours who were ice fishing on the lake to get a couple of the first logs up. As of 1pm the sauna shell was dismantled by Dagg and Dwight.
Dwight had a system of marking all the logs before it was dismantled and yesterday Dagg cut the roof line on the top logs and then Dagg and Dwight took it all apart. Looks like a nice giant set of Lincoln logs, I take that back, it does NOT look like a set of Lincoln logs!
My son Josh arrived about 1:30 with a couple of his friends...yeahhhh Josh!, they walked in, all three of them tall and strong, other friends of ours Paul and Karen arrived to lend some muscle as well, so with 6 strong men ....we were vanilla. By 4pm the sauna was up! Incredible!!! Watch the below video, lots of fun, 5 minutes long, you should be smiling by the end of it.....or maybe its just me:)
The roof should be on by the end of January somewhere between guests and weather
Log shell is completed and will sit in the staging area for a year before it is moved up the hill.
5 minute video
Thursday Jan 27, 2011
It was a lovely day today, things are coming along slow and sure. Tomorrow I will cut up the insulation boards for the roof. The sauna is looking very adorable. I am pleased. Waiting for a quote for my window/door and window units. To get them made may be another 6 weeks. Then I size my stove and whoooohoooo
January 31, 2011
To be ready later this year. Still lots to do. First the shingling has to be done, Now I order the window and door unit, then the special sauna stove, then the chiminey goes in, then a deck out front, caulking, log finish on outside and treatment inside, floor, the seating....as you can see the list goes on, Yesterday I put plastic on the window and door just for fun, then put a kerosene heater in it just to try it out....it was amazing how warm it got!
February 27 2012
The soffits
Here we are a year later from the last post!!!!! Where does the time go. I have the sauna stained but I dont have the clear uv coat on yet. That will wait till spring. I used the Perma chink stain on the sauna and a Sansin stain on the cabin, I liked the way the Sansin stain worked better. Perma chink has a better sealant in my opinion.
The cedar deck got almost finished just before the snow came, we used Australian Timber oil so will have to see how that holds up. I have used so many different products over the years, none of which I have been really pleased with. I have never used this one before and will put another coat on this spring. I needed to get the deck on so I could work on the logs and soffit because the sauna is on the edge of a hill.
Also want to build a rustic cedar branch railing for the deck.
The floor has a drain in the center...I will just have a pipe going directly underneath the deck and a plug to keep the cold from coming in. The drain is a convenience if you ever want to scrub out the sauna or throw a bucket of water over yourself.
R23 Roxul insulation packed under the floor...mice are not too crazy about this insulation from my experience. The ceiling has 2 layers of 2 inch foam with the proper fire rating, its commercial stuff that I got in 4' by 4' sheets called ISO foam, I cut them in half on the table saw. 2" of that particular foam is R17 so I figure I have about R39. That with the massive logs which will radiate heat back I think I am golden!
We put down the reflective foil for the vapor barrier. The floor took me a while to figure out what I was going to use. I ended up doing a pebble floor, the best price were sheets of about 2' by 3' pebbles on a mesh background that I picked up at Maison Bouclair. It took a while for me to get the knack of it but the end result I was pleased with. I will still have to put a heat sheild on the floor under the stove because my floor is still not thick enough. I think I have about an inch. When we sauna I will use some kind of mat or duck boards. When we use it as a bunky I will throw a pretty little rug in the middle.
The fun thing about everything we do at the cabin is not perfection but that is "perfection" in itself....does that make sense?
The window and door unit was going to cost me a fortune so I ended up ordering and picking up the tempered class and paid a friend to make my units at his leisure. He did a fine solid job. I used lots of little pieces of wood to finish the trim, a lot of it I just tacked in because the sauna has not quite fully dried and will still shrink a bit. In a year I will nail everything home. Our door is on the short side because of where it was to end up in the middle of the log....It's like a little hobbit house.
We have a ridge vent in the roof. Shingles to match the cabin. Jean our carpenter and Dwight did the shingles. Between each 2 ' section under the eaves I drilled two 2 1/2' holes for the soffit vents. I had to order them online because I could not find what I wanted, 36 2 1/2" round brown vents that I just popped into the holes, hopefully this will be enough ventilation.
For our stove I was going to go for the Harvia Legend 150, but now I am doing my research and am leaning more towards the Harvia 20 Pro....better price and I think the lines are nice and should take a smaller footprint. It is very important that I can see the fire and there are not a lot of units that you can see the flame. I've gone this far to make an authentic log sauna and I wont compromise at this point.
I have to go with a slightly larger sauna stove because of the glass and logs I have in the sauna. The logs will take up the heat and once heated will slowly radiate it back. Once I am 100 percent certain of my stove then I can lay it out on the floor and figure out my benchs. I would like to be able to put the bottom bench up beside the top bench to make a 30- 32" bench for my foam cushions when I turn it into a bunkie.
In the meantime we have loads of other things keeping us very busy!
Stay tuned.
The cedar deck got almost finished just before the snow came, we used Australian Timber oil so will have to see how that holds up. I have used so many different products over the years, none of which I have been really pleased with. I have never used this one before and will put another coat on this spring. I needed to get the deck on so I could work on the logs and soffit because the sauna is on the edge of a hill.
Also want to build a rustic cedar branch railing for the deck.
The floor has a drain in the center...I will just have a pipe going directly underneath the deck and a plug to keep the cold from coming in. The drain is a convenience if you ever want to scrub out the sauna or throw a bucket of water over yourself.
R23 Roxul insulation packed under the floor...mice are not too crazy about this insulation from my experience. The ceiling has 2 layers of 2 inch foam with the proper fire rating, its commercial stuff that I got in 4' by 4' sheets called ISO foam, I cut them in half on the table saw. 2" of that particular foam is R17 so I figure I have about R39. That with the massive logs which will radiate heat back I think I am golden!
We put down the reflective foil for the vapor barrier. The floor took me a while to figure out what I was going to use. I ended up doing a pebble floor, the best price were sheets of about 2' by 3' pebbles on a mesh background that I picked up at Maison Bouclair. It took a while for me to get the knack of it but the end result I was pleased with. I will still have to put a heat sheild on the floor under the stove because my floor is still not thick enough. I think I have about an inch. When we sauna I will use some kind of mat or duck boards. When we use it as a bunky I will throw a pretty little rug in the middle.
The fun thing about everything we do at the cabin is not perfection but that is "perfection" in itself....does that make sense?
The window and door unit was going to cost me a fortune so I ended up ordering and picking up the tempered class and paid a friend to make my units at his leisure. He did a fine solid job. I used lots of little pieces of wood to finish the trim, a lot of it I just tacked in because the sauna has not quite fully dried and will still shrink a bit. In a year I will nail everything home. Our door is on the short side because of where it was to end up in the middle of the log....It's like a little hobbit house.
We have a ridge vent in the roof. Shingles to match the cabin. Jean our carpenter and Dwight did the shingles. Between each 2 ' section under the eaves I drilled two 2 1/2' holes for the soffit vents. I had to order them online because I could not find what I wanted, 36 2 1/2" round brown vents that I just popped into the holes, hopefully this will be enough ventilation.
For our stove I was going to go for the Harvia Legend 150, but now I am doing my research and am leaning more towards the Harvia 20 Pro....better price and I think the lines are nice and should take a smaller footprint. It is very important that I can see the fire and there are not a lot of units that you can see the flame. I've gone this far to make an authentic log sauna and I wont compromise at this point.
I have to go with a slightly larger sauna stove because of the glass and logs I have in the sauna. The logs will take up the heat and once heated will slowly radiate it back. Once I am 100 percent certain of my stove then I can lay it out on the floor and figure out my benchs. I would like to be able to put the bottom bench up beside the top bench to make a 30- 32" bench for my foam cushions when I turn it into a bunkie.
In the meantime we have loads of other things keeping us very busy!
Stay tuned.
March 22, 2013
Another year has gone by....the Australian Oil I used for the cedar deck was okay....I went to buy more to apply after the first winter and they discontinued the oil and now it is called the same but it is a water based oil so I will see how the second winter goes. I will probably reapply. NOTE TO SELF (I dont like the Australian Oil product)
The railing almost got finished with all my cedar bows. Lots of fun to do.
June 14, 2013
Whoop Whoop, I will be starting back on the sauna in the next couple of weeks. I need to finish the railing but most importantly I need to do the benches inside which will serve as the base for mattresses as a bunky for the summer.
I priced out cedar, both clear and knotted....holy crap, that stuff is expensive! So what I am going to do is make the framework out of the pine cut from the property that Dwight cut on our saw mill and then I will splurge and buy cedar for the top. Hmmmm but then again I may change my mind and use some of our own clear pine with a sauna sealer on it....I will touch base later on that :)
January 20, 2014
We will soon be going on 4 years since we cut the pine logs....they are nice and dry, just need to buy the stove and chimney and get it installed and build our benches. At the moment we are using the sauna as a bunky in the three seasons, a darling little space.
Another year has gone by....the Australian Oil I used for the cedar deck was okay....I went to buy more to apply after the first winter and they discontinued the oil and now it is called the same but it is a water based oil so I will see how the second winter goes. I will probably reapply. NOTE TO SELF (I dont like the Australian Oil product)
The railing almost got finished with all my cedar bows. Lots of fun to do.
June 14, 2013
Whoop Whoop, I will be starting back on the sauna in the next couple of weeks. I need to finish the railing but most importantly I need to do the benches inside which will serve as the base for mattresses as a bunky for the summer.
I priced out cedar, both clear and knotted....holy crap, that stuff is expensive! So what I am going to do is make the framework out of the pine cut from the property that Dwight cut on our saw mill and then I will splurge and buy cedar for the top. Hmmmm but then again I may change my mind and use some of our own clear pine with a sauna sealer on it....I will touch base later on that :)
January 20, 2014
We will soon be going on 4 years since we cut the pine logs....they are nice and dry, just need to buy the stove and chimney and get it installed and build our benches. At the moment we are using the sauna as a bunky in the three seasons, a darling little space.
Dwight Yachuk, Lucy Willemsen live in Val des Monts, Quebec. EMAIL and tell us what you think.
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