Question on temperature variation with sauna

[lizofwisconsin]

We are just exploring possibility of building a cabin. I have questions about effect of temperature changes on the butt-and pass type of building, particularly the mortar.

We would like to build a small wood fired sauna as our practice building, then a small cabin, well, maybe not that small, thinking 24x30 or so.

The sauna would go from outside temperature which can be -10 to sauna temperature of 160 over a few hours. Is that likely to be harmful to the building?

With our cabin, we would like to build it so the pipes can easily be drained when not using it during the winter, then allow it to get cold when we are not there. When we would come for a week, build a wood fire and let it warm up, which I realize due to the thermal mass, will take a while. Is this practical or would it be too hard on the mortar to go from cold to warm?

Any advice? Thanks much

Liz

[StressMan79]

Your mortar will probably crack, yes...
However, the way we put it in makes this cracking inconsequential.

Why do you want to build such a huge sauna?

Sent from my Galaxy S4 using Forum Runner

[panderson03]

so the future cabin will be 24x30. what size to you anticipate the sauna being?
wecome:)
glad you're here (we're in MN :))
for what its worth our garage at the moment (built LHBA way with mortar chinking) is unheated in the winter and heats up in the summer with no trouble with the chinking cracking.
we don't heat it in the winter right now though, so not sure its relevant :(

[rreidnauer]

Perhaps this would be a case where Permachink would be the better option.

[Tom Featherstone]

Great Idea! I'd stay with the mortar to allow moisture to escape and do a stem wall construction so you can pour an insulated concrete floor with insulation underneath. Put a frost free pump in sauna, good to go... You will have to do extreme venting on the roof to avoid any moisture collecting and freezing.

I wimped out & built a frame construction sauna here in the UP. Mostly because we couldn't decide on where to put it and then the time to build with logs. The sauna will pay great dividends in your house build not only in the experience but in the payoff at the end of a hard days labor. Ours is in use 5-7 days a week. Nothing like stepping out of it on a cool down looking at the night sky and to feel.... Oh So Good!

I wouldn't hesitate to build with logs in the B&P method.

[lizofwisconsin]

Panderson is right, cabin may be 24x30, sauna is anticipated to be significantly smaller.
We were thinking might build sauna first as our trial building, to see if our old bones (~60 yo plus or minus) are up to this task.
Thanks for the suggestions. Today is feeling like a good day for a sauna!

[Tom Featherstone]

Any day... good day for Sauna!