How to Prepare your Site for Outdoor Sauna Installation

Are you thinking about how to install Yuki Sauna in your back garden?

Sit back, grab a snack and read this article to find out everything there is about how to prepare for the sauna installation day. Good preparation is key to ensure the sauna lasts long and is safe to use.

One key thing: It is your responsibility to prepare the site ahead of the sauna delivery. Our team will provide you with all the necessary details for preparing your site.

Sauna foundation and ground preparation

While your sauna is being built, which can usually take from 4 to 8 weeks, it is an ideal time to prepare the ground for the sauna installation. To ensure that your sauna stands securely and lasts for years, proper ground preparation and foundation are essential. Below, you’ll find clear guidance on how to prepare the site before your Yuki Sauna is delivered and installed.

1. Choosing the Location

• Level ground:

  Select a site that is naturally level or can be leveled easily. To level the site, you can cut into the slop e and fill on the lower side, but remember, foundation should be built on undisturbed soil. On the high side, remember about surface water and that it should be channeled away from the sauna.

  If the site you chose for your sauna has more than 10 degrees of slope, we recommend Ground Screw foundation. This foundation is a bit different as it involves a specialist equipment, so we recommend it only in special cases.

• Drainage:

  Avoid areas prone to standing water. Good drainage is key to preventing moisture damage. The ground around the sauna should divert the water away from the building.

• Accessibility:

  Accessibility begins with delivery. Whether you’d like your Yuki Sauna placed on an island or at the top of a mountain, it’s possible—but we need to know in advance to plan the best delivery method and final placement.

  To make the process smooth, please consider the following:

  • Road conditions: We’ll check if access roads are suitable and if turning radiuses are sufficient for transport.

  • Clear path for delivery: A minimum access width of 3 meters is required. The slope should be gentle enough for a standard truck to reach the site safely.

  • Alternative solutions: If standard access is not possible, we can arrange a crane to lift the sauna into place. The largest cranes can reach up to 50 meters horizontally.

  • Information needed from you: Our project manager, Tim, will contact you to request accurate location details, photos, videos, or any other helpful materials. These can be sent through Whatsapp to Tim.

  • On-site visit: For complex locations, we can travel to your site and plan the installation together with you, your site manager, or landscape architect. This service is available at an additional cost, which will be confirmed in advance.

• Surroundings:

  Consider privacy, views, and proximity to plunge pools or relaxation areas.

2. Foundation Options

Your Yuki Sauna can be placed on several types of foundations. The right choice depends on your garden layout and preferences:

• Concrete pillar foundation
  A reinforced concrete pillar foundation is the option we recommend the most. Our team will get in touch with you to give you a foundation layout for your sauna. Share this layout with your builder. The foundation needs to go beyond the frost dept in your area. This is so that the frost does not move the pillars when the ground freezes over in the winter. The soil under the sauna, and a perimiter of 30cm around it should be replaced with well draining and compacted gravel and the layer should be 150mm thick

• Concrete pavers or patio stones
  A more flexible solution is a pad made of large, tightly laid pavers. This option is easier to install and can look more integrated into a garden setting.

• Groundscrew foundation

  This option is great for sites that are really challenging. Groundscrews can be installed on sloping sites, without the need to pour any concrete. The downside is that specialized equipment is needed to install these screws. If this is the option that we choose, we will connect you with groundscrew installing company.

3. Electrical requirements for an outdoor sauna

Understanding proper electrical requirements is key to a safe sauna. These electrical requirements will vary depending on the type of heater your sauna has. Some saunas are fully electric, others have wood burning heater and Electricity is used for lights, and others are fully off-grid and use solar (photovoltaics) for light. You can also just go totally off-grid and just use the wood heater.

Key things to consider:

• Qualified electrician: Any power supply necessary needs to be installed by a qualified electrician.

• Power cable: Your sauna will come with a power plug, ready to be plugged in, If you need a power cable, it’s available to buy from us.

• Coordination: Your electrician should coordinate with the site preparation contractor. This is necessary to locate any existing utilities that can be in the ground and could be damaged during power cable installation. It also allows for a streamlined installation process and reduced labor cost.

• Your Yuki sauna project manager is here to help with coordination of electricians and contractors.

The main electrical takeaways for sauna installation:

1. Choose the right breaker size for the heater, and make sure your electrical house system has sufficient capacity for the sauna.

2. Choose the right cable diameter for powering the sauna. This depends on the distance from the breaker box.

3. Choose the correct power plug : CEE 63A, IP67, three-phase plug.

4. Planning permission for a sauna - is it necessary?

In most cases, a planning permission is not necessary. However, each country, region and municipality is different so it is your responsibility to check if the sauna that we will deliver needs a planning permission.

There are other aspects that should also be considered:

1. Are there any offset /setback rules from the property edge?

2. Is the site for the sauna protected under nature laws that could prohibit installation of the sauna

3. In case of wood fired sauna heater, are solid fuel type of stoves allowed in your area?

4. Are there rules regarding minimum distance away from lakes or rivers?

5. Wood fired sauna heater - what should be considered.

Wood fired heater are a special case - there are a few different things that should be considered.

1. There should be no overhead trees or foliage in 4-meter radius from the top of the chimney. Any trees that are in this area should be removed.

2. Only dry wood should be used for clean and almost smoke-free burning.

3. Chimney should be periodically checked and cleaned by a chimney sweep professional. This is usually done annually or twice a year. If you burn wood from deciduous tree, then there is less sap in it and the chimney should require less maintenance than with conifer wood.

4. The hearth of the heater and the surrounding should be regularly cleaned and the ash removed.