A base and a spot for your garden sauna

The base

Irish sellers say every outdoor sauna needs a solid, level base. The usual options:

• A concrete pad. The most solid and long-lasting choice.
• Paving slabs laid level on a compacted sub-base.
• Decking, if it's built to take the weight, including the heater, stones and people.

Make it slightly larger than the sauna, and level within the tolerance the seller gives. Ask the seller who prepares the base. Some include it; others expect it to be ready before delivery.

Choosing the spot

• Behind the front of the house, with at least 25 m² of garden left. See planning permission.
• Close to the fuse board to keep the cable run, and its cost, down. See electrical requirements.
• Private. Many garden saunas have glass doors or fronts; think about who can see in, and add screening if needed.
• Somewhere that drains well, not at the bottom of a slope where water collects.
• A short path to the back door, a shower or a cold plunge.
• Away from trees that drop leaves and sap on the roof, and well away from them for wood-fired saunas.
• For wood-fired saunas, where smoke will drift away from your house and your neighbours'.

Delivery and access

Sellers also need suitable access to deliver an outdoor sauna. Measure your side passage, gates and any steps before you order. Ask the seller whether yours arrives in parts to be assembled in place or more complete, and how wide a route it needs.