Outside of the shape and size of your Sauna build, a critical factor in sauna design is the height of the ceiling.
While Sauna height is largely up to the person building, standard Sauna height for our Saunas is between 7 and 8′. The majority of Saunas world-wide are built to a standard height of 84″ or 7 ‘ tall. Saunas are rarely built with ceilings taller than 8’ due to the increased sauna heater that is required to maximize the space.
The importance of the Sauna’s ceiling height can not be overstated. If your Sauna ceiling is too tall, you’ll lack the ability to get the most heat out of your Sauna experience. Not to worry, however. If you’ve already started your Sauna build and your ceiling is beyond the recommended heights of 7 to 8 feet tall, we’ll give some advice and pointers on how to maximize your Sauna experience!
In the graphic below, we demonstrate (not to scale, of course) how a taller Sauna ceiling height can limit the users ability to position themselves in the optimal heat zone within the Sauna.
Choosing The Ideal Sauna Ceiling Height
Standard Sauna ceiling height is between 84″ and 96″ tall. Typically, Saunas that are 8 feet tall (96″) will incorporate a raised false floor that still allows for optimal Sauna bench height.
Any sauna built with a ceiling taller than 8′ will require a commercial sized Sauna heater (or wood stove if it’s outdoors) to adequately heat the room. Most of the time, Saunas with a ceiling height of 8′ or more are built in existing outdoor buildings. If this is the case, consider adding a drop ceiling in your Sauna to artificially lower the height of your Sauna. Not only is a ceiling height of anything more than 8′ unnecessary, it’s going to add extra cost to your build by way of materials.
It is considerably cheaper to frame in a dropped ceiling, or bring up the height of your floor by adding a floating false floor than it is to build a 8’+ ceiling height in your Sauna simply because you believe you have to.
Is 9 feet too tall for a Sauna Ceiling?
While there are Saunas with 9′ tall ceilings, it’s not recommended that you build your own Sauna with a ceiling height of 9 feet. There are multiple reasons for this, one of the main being that for safety reasons, many of the Sauna heaters capable of heating a room of this height are designed to sit on the floor.
If you’ve already started your Sauna build with a 9′ ceiling, consider a drop ceiling. The exterior of the Sauna can still extend to the basement or room ceiling height, but the interior of your Sauna will have a maximum height of 7 or 8′. We recommend sticking closer to 7′ or 7.5′ to maximize the effectiveness of your Sauna heater.