Sauna Exterior Entry Door-- Inswing or Outswing?

 When I built my outdoor wood fired sauna, now about 10 years ago, I didn't give the exterior entry door too much thought. I knew I wanted it to be glass for that sauna/spa feel, but other than that, I just wanted to keep the cost down. Once the sauna was built and getting used, something about the front door really annoyed me. 

My sauna is 12 feet by 14 feet. It has a 6 x 12 hot room and an 8 x 12 changing/hangout room. I also have a TV hanging on the wall where the entry door is. In the summer, we keep the entry door open because it gets hot in the changing room. That means the door is blocking the TV. Other times, when we have more than a couple of people in the changing room, every time someone comes in or goes out, they end up hitting someone standing by the door. After many years, it has become really annoying.

Inswing Sauna Entry Door

Now, enter the outswing door. After doing some research, I learned that there are doors available that swing out to the exterior instead of inside of the building. These doors are available, but they're special order. Takes about a week to make. Having a door that swings outside, would solve my blocking TV problem, my hitting people in the back problem, and a bonus problem of, in case of emergency, the door can easily be kicked out if I need to escape. 

I was worried about cost. Entry doors go up in price very fast. However, I was able to get a pre-hung outswing door from Menards and paid about $400 for it (in 2026). Add the fact that I carefully removed my old front door, I was able to sell it as pre-hung used door for $150 on Marketplace. Overall, a very good upgrade at a palatable cost. 

Outswing Sauna Entry Door

When planning/building your sauna, be sure to give an outswing entry door a serious thought!

Sauna afterburn-- feeling hot for hours after a good sauna

 I take my saunas in the evening after work. I live in a cold climate with winters-- Minnesota, USA. My sauna ritual is to have friends over to socialize, drink beer, eat food and, of course, sauna. We do 4-6 rounds on average, each round taking 5-10 minutes, depending on the temperature. Some days our sauna is at 190F. Some days 210F. We have a changing room with a table, snacks and beer. Between rounds, we cool down and talk in the changing room. Once we're done for the night, I clean up, shower and go to bed.

I have noticed, several times, that when I go to bed afterwards, the house that may usually feel cooler in the winter, all of the sudden feels warmer. Almost to the point where if I lived alone, I'd lower the thermostat setting. In the morning, when I wake up, I still feel like the environment around me is warmer. This only happens after taking sauna. Somehow, the sauna must truly heat you through to the bone. I don't know where to find a scientific explanation for why this happens, but if you have ideas, let me know in the comments section.

Asking chatGPT for the reasoning, we get this:

What you're describing is actually pretty common after heavy sauna use. A few things are happening physiologically:

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1️⃣ Your Core Temperature Stays Slightly Elevated

After multiple sauna rounds, your body temperature doesn’t instantly return to baseline. Your thermoregulation system stays slightly “turned up” for hours.

That means:

• Your resting core temp may be a bit higher

• You feel warm in environments that normally feel neutral

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2️⃣ Blood Vessels Stay Dilated (Vasodilation)

Sauna causes strong vasodilation — blood vessels widen to dump heat.

That effect can linger into the night and even the next day, which:

• Increases blood flow to the skin

• Makes you feel warmer at normal room temperature

• Can make you more heat-sensitive

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3️⃣ Nervous System Activation

Sauna is a controlled stressor. It activates:

• Sympathetic nervous system (during heat exposure)

• Then parasympathetic rebound afterward

Your temperature regulation center (hypothalamus) can temporarily recalibrate, making typical room temps feel warmer than usual.

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4️⃣ Mild Dehydration

Even if you rehydrate, you may still be slightly low on fluids or electrolytes.

Dehydration:

• Reduces your ability to cool efficiently

• Makes you feel warmer more easily

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5️⃣ Increased Metabolic Rate (Short-Term)

Heat exposure can temporarily elevate heart rate and metabolic activity. A slightly elevated metabolism produces more internal heat.

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Is This Normal?

Yes — as long as you don’t have:

• Fever

• Chills

• Persistent night sweats

• Dizziness or rapid heartbeat

If it’s just “the house feels warmer than usual,” that’s typically just lingering thermoregulation effects.

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Quick Fixes

• Aggressive hydration + electrolytes

• Cool (not cold) shower

• Light movement the next day

• Avoid stacking multiple long sauna sessions back-to-back

Sauna Steam Generator- Sauna Steam Bucket

 Everyone knows, throwing water on the rocks makes sauna way more enjoyable. The steam makes it feel hotter while making the sauna more humid. Add some great scents to the water, and the experience is that much better. 

When I built my sauna, the first accessory I purchased was a wooden sauna bucket and a wooden ladle. It was expensive and small. The ladle cracked within weeks and was burned in the stove as punishment. The bucket didn't last much longer either. The changes in temperature caused both to lose their shape and fall apart. I needed an upgrade. So, I replaced the wooden ladle with a metal one. I did the same with the bucket. That worked great! Still have both to this day. However, I liked steam so much, I wanted to do better. This is when the Sauna Steam Bucket was born. I wanted to sit on the bench and enjoy as much or as little steam as I felt like at the moment. I didn't want to jump off the bench to throw water on the rocks. 

Today, I have the Sauna Steam Bucket sitting on my top bench next to the sauna stove. When I want steam, I simply open the valve, and the water rushes down the pipe and hits the hot stones instantly and evenly. No more water dripping on the floor past the rocks from putting too much on. No more cooling the stones more than necessary due to pockets of water. I have full control over the steam. If I want the room to be humid, I simply crack the valve open just a bit and leave it for the whole sauna session. The water then drips very slowly on to the rocks providing constant humidity and great aroma smell. If I'm at the end of the sauna session and really want to heat up, I can open the valve most of the way, then a wave of hot steam wraps the whole room. If I want it to stop, I just close the valve, and the steam stops.

Ever since I build the first Sauna Steam Bucket, everyone complements me on how good the sauna experience is. It's a perfect accessory that I think every sauna should have.

Buy Sauna Steam Bucket Now!

Sauna Steam Bucket

Buy Today! https://www.etsy.com/listing/4380624148/sauna-steam-bucket-add-steam-humidity

Sauna Fan - Move Hot Air and Aroma Around the Sauna Hot Room

 https://www.etsy.com/listing/1576365793/sauna-twister-for-aufguss-to-distribute

  You've done saunas for years. This is not your first rodeo. You get it nice and warm, put your favorite aroma oils in the water bucket, go in and get comfortable on the bench, with your favorite music playing. Throw a few ladles of that great smelling water on the rocks and enjoy. You're in your best sauna. But, are you really?

Have you ever had anyone in the sauna whip out their towel and start spinning it to circulate the air around? All of the sudden, the air gets hotter, the aroma scent thicker, and the sauna feeling much much better! The formal history of it, I guess, is that it's a ritual. The formal name-- Aufguss. From German meaning "infusion" as the following site explains:

https://chelsea.lenordik.com/en/2021/10/what-is-aufguss/

If you've read the blog post from the link above, there are professionals that do the towel spinning. They're called the Aufgussmister. But, no need to be that technical, this is your private sauna after all. However, if you don't feel like spinning your sweat-soaked towel around and adding aroma you don't intend, there are sauna accessories that can be purchased online that will help you achieve that next level sauna. 

One such fan was designed and is used in both of my saunas. The Sauna Twister is a fun an easy way to get the air moving and makes the sauna more enjoyable. Give it a try today and support this blog!

Buy Sauna Twister

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1576365793/sauna-twister-for-aufguss-to-distribute

Next time you go for sauna, give Aufguss a try. Then, come back and comment below with your thoughts.

Sauna and Campfires

    One of my favorite aspects of a wood burning sauna is watching the fire flicker in the stove while you're on the bench warming up. Especially if it's freezing outside and everything is covered in snow.

Fire burning in sauna stove

As great as it is, periodically you have to get out of the sauna and cool down. I think sauna is about being social. It's not the same doing it alone. When inside heating up, conversations with friends and family are a big part of the experience. Cooling down outside, the conversations can continue by the campfire. I think a person can watch a campfire burn for hours. The fact that it also gives off heat is a bonus. This heat allows you to spend more time outside cooling down and prolongs the conversations.

 Another benefit of a campfire is the smell. Sure, you get the wood burning smell in the sauna when you open the stove door to throw in a log, but by the campfire, you get to enjoy it longer.

Saunas and campfires go hand and hand

When building your sauna or looking to improve an existing sauna experience, don't forget about your outdoor space. Make sure you make space, have lighting for evening hours and cold winters, comfortable seating and most importantly, a firepit for campfires!