Sauna on deck

As attractive as this sauna appears, I must admit that I did not build it — the homeowners purchased a kit from Sauna Central, and installers from that company erected the sauna on site, shortly after it was delivered. Nonetheless, the roughly 1,200-pound sauna required a sturdy platform upon which it could be placed, and that’s where I came in.

Having given their front porch a complete makeover early this summer, the homeowners decided to introduce a sauna on the property. After comprehensive research, they elected to purchase a small two-person model that could be built on site next to the front-porch stairs.

Rather than erecting the sauna structure on the existing patio stones adjacent to the front steps, it was decided the sauna was better suited recessed behind the stairway. This mandated the introduction of a proper rigid platform, able to support the structure’s weight.

After a brief chat with the homeowner, and based on recommendations from the supplier regarding the size of the sauna, a minimum 72-by-72-inch platform was required. Further discussion revealed that a 12-inch front edge could serve as a step to the front access of the sauna.

Following the earlier completion of the front porch, which features a two-tone design of grey composite boards, there had been a rather bountiful pile of remnants. In the spirit of cohesiveness, the homeowner hoped there would be enough composite remaining to decoratively sheathe the impending sauna platform which would be framed using two-by-six treated lumber.

After a few calculations, and once the homeowner confirmed the lengths of composite stacked behind the garage, it appeared there would be just enough material to decorate a small platform — essentially a tiny, ground-level deck.

As such, the area chosen for sauna placement was first prepared by the client using three-quarter-down limestone gravel, with six 24-by-24-inch diamond patio blocks configured in a rectangular manner to make for outer edge dimensions of 70-by-82 inches. By framing the deck structure to this size, the “picture framing” of the composite along the perimeter of the platform would then overlap the fascia to expand the overall size to the requested 72-by-84-inch outer measurements.

The deck was framed so the orientation of the joists was on the long plane, allowing subsequent top-deck composite boards to remain parallel with the front access to the sauna. Moreover, after a quick tally of the lengths of available remnant boards, this was also the best utilization of the leftover composite.

Once the platform was fully framed, the darker-grey fascia was then secured along the vertical sides of the structure. Solid boards in matching colour were then introduced along the perimeter with the aforementioned overlap, mitred at every corner. The inner lighter-grey, grooved composite boards were then cut to length to fit within the picture framing, secured with hide-away clips. The final board at the far end of the tiny deck was then ripped using a table saw, to meet the required depth needed to complete the top decking.

The revamp of the deck platform in a manner matching the front porch gave a preview as to how well the entire project would appear esthetically once the sauna was on site. To no one’s surprise, the sauna’s installation revealed just that — a huge “wow-factor” and the homeowners overjoyed.

By using the composite remnants from the porch facelift, the sauna’s platform didn’t require any new material beyond lumber, which saved the homeowners additional expenditure beyond the sauna itself. Luckily, there was enough leftover composite to get the job done. And that is precisely why I always suggest homeowners never get rid of anything in haste, because you just never know when and if you might need it.

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