A sauna is rapidly becoming the must-have home upgrade for health conscious Americans, and not just in the northern states. The growing availability of affordable home saunas and steam rooms means that even in the Bronx, people are sweating it out in the sauna without having to leave their homes after a hard day. Here, we will look at the practicalities of adding a home sauna to your Bronx home, along with some of the main points you need to consider.
A sauna or a steam room?
Saunas and steam rooms are often discussed in the same breath, and there are numerous US companies that supply both. But there are significant differences that go beyond the physical layout and design. A sauna is usually installed outside in the garden or backyard. Typically made of wood, it might be in the shape of a cabin, a barrel or a pod. So adding a home sauna means you need some outdoor space and the means to connect the sauna to utility supplies. A steam room, on the other hand, can be added in any home, even an apartment, as a bathroom upgrade.
But there is another inherent difference, too. Saunas generate dry heat, from rocks, an electric sauna heater, or a wood-burning stoves. A steam room also uses an electric heater, but this is used to boil water that releases steam into the environment. So a steam room has far higher humidity than a sauna. Both deliver proven health benefits. The dry heat of a sauna can aid circulation, relaxes the muscles and helps the body release toxins through sweat. Steam, on the other hand, is ideal for easing respiratory conditions like blocked sinuses. Both saunas and steam rooms promote relaxation and stress reduction.
Choosing the sauna heater
Traditional Finnish saunas have a log burner, but this is not practical in the Bronx due to Department of Environmental Conservation regulations. Similar rules exist across the US, which is one of the reasons electric sauna heaters from manufacturers like Humm are such a popular choice. But legal restrictions on the alternative are not the only reason.
Electric sauna heaters offer precision temperature control at the touch of a button, something that cannot be achieved with a log burner. They are also easier to install and live with as they do not require ventilation and have minimal maintenance requirements. Anyone choosing a sauna heater might assume the downside of an electric heater to be the running cost. However, modern electric sauna heaters from the major manufacturers are highly energy efficient. Recent research suggests that the average sauna session costs the user about one dollar in electricity, although this obviously depends on the size of the sauna and the power output of the sauna heater.
Selecting the perfect location for your sauna
If space is at a premium in your Bronx home, you can install an indoor infrared sauna in your basement, garage or even in a large closet. But for an authentic sauna experience, an outdoor sauna is the perfect choice if you have room for one in your garden or back yard.
You do not need to live in an exclusive property or a Riverdale mansion to have an outdoor sauna. Two-person cabin saunas demand a footprint of less than five feet by five feet, so you can fit one into the most compact outdoor space.
Add value to your Bronx home with a sauna
Even if you are planning to move in the medium term, a sauna can still be a shrewd investment. Health and wellness are increasingly important priorities, especially among millennials, who are sometimes known as the wellness generation. Research conducted for the real estate industry found that creating an on-trend space in the home can increase its value from anything between eight and 10 percent. Even if it doesn’t directly increase the sale value of the home, a sauna will certainly be a factor in making it more attractive to potential buyers.
Featured image credit: DepositPhotos.com
