What is the project timeline?

The project timeline outlines what to expect from your project with Finnished. If you haven’t seen it already, you can find it here.

How does does the building process take? 

Typically, builds take around 8-16 weeks — but this depends entirely on your bespoke design and the chosen materials. 

Why should I invest in a bespoke sauna versus ready-made? 

Your garden space is unique, so a ready-made sauna will rarely feel perfectly at home there. With Finnished, we build custom saunas from the ground up, designed to complement every aspect of your garden. You’ll have the freedom to design the sauna or garden studio of your dreams, and you’ll be able to choose the precise materials and specifications that will make that dream happen.

While we can’t speak for any ready-made sauna companies, ours are hand-crafted to be robust, durable and suitable for use all year round.

An extra benefit is that our saunas are a permanent extension to your house — an integral part of living there — and could add value to your property.

Should I choose wood or electric sauna? 

Wood, almost definitely. Okay, our heritage might make us a little bit biased. But we’re biased for good reason.

Wood saunas provide a much more pleasant sauna experience. Löyly (the steam created by throwing water on the stones in the stove) is gentle, soft and easier to breathe. Not to mention the immersive crackling sounds and the aroma of fire and wood are integral to the traditional sauna experience. For us, it’s the fire (and the rituals that come with it) that makes a sauna so grounding and relaxing.

Also, as an exercise in mindfulness, the natural light from wood fire is calming and elemental, which you just don’t get with electric.

If we’re being objective, electric saunas do have their pluses for some people. While they’re not as experiential, heat levels and timings can be managed remotely. And of course, there’s no need for wood storage. On balance though, wood wins every time.

How sustainable is a Finnished sauna?

We’re proud to use authentic, sustainable timber — such as Finnish timbers like birch, pine and aspen. Our design and building process minimises waste and off-cuts, and we recycle everything that we can.

As for the customer, quality building work and proper insulation reduces energy consumption to a minimum, and high quality building materials ensure the longevity of the structure itself. Materials will be selected based not just on their appeal, but whether they are resistant to heat and humidity.

As every project nears completion, we’ll provide you with care instructions to maximise the life of your sauna — so that it stays dry and in excellent condition for many years to come.

Are saunas safe? 

Saunas have been used for centuries in Finland, and they’re still regularly used by people of all ages. Many studies support the idea that saunas have beneficial effects for overall wellbeing and cardiovascular health.

Our buildings are of the highest quality and built with care and attention. They comply completely with all UK health and safety regulations, and with UK weather conditions in mind.

Sauna maintenance 

A well built and ventilated sauna is very simple to maintain.

The sauna needs to be washed 1-2 times a year with natural cleaning products designed especially for saunas. 

Make sure to use fresh seat covers or towels every time.

We always include a tap and shower inside the sauna for the sauna water, and to make it easy to rinse the benches every couple of weeks. 

The afterheat of the sauna stove will dry the inside of the sauna, which keeps it in good condition without any extra effort from you. 

Will you require a deposit? 

We require a 50% deposit before the building work starts. The rest is payable after the inspections and handover. 

Will a Finnished sauna/garden studio require a planning permission? 

In most cases, planning permission is not needed unless the location has some special requirements.