Annual maintenance of the sauna

Annual sauna maintenance - 8 tips to take care of your sauna

Annual maintenance of the sauna and measures to keep the sauna in good condition should be on every sauna owner's to-do list. For us Finns, taking a sauna is an integral part of everyday life. People often go to the sauna to relax and unwind, to recuperate after a sporting performance, to strengthen friendships and, traditionally, to do business and conclude important cooperation agreements. 

Regular annual maintenance of your sauna and heater will increase the lifetime of your sauna and heater as well as the overall comfort of your sauna. 

Sauna maintenance - how to maintain your sauna? 

1. Always ventilate and dry the sauna after each use
2. Wash your sauna and ceilings at least 3-4 times a year
3. Oil the decking 3 - 4 times a year
4. Clean your sauna floor drain a couple of times a year 
5. Change the order of the stove stone once a year
6. Replace stove stones with new ones every 1-3 years
7. Tighten the sauna ceiling frame once a year
8. Sand the ceilings if necessary
9. Update the look of your sauna if necessary and decorate to your liking
10. Replace an electric heater that has reached the end of its useful life with a new one (every 10-15 years)

Ventilation of the sauna 

After the sauna, let the stove stay hot for about half an hour. After this, open the drain valve and the sauna door to allow the air to pass through. Do not open the sauna windows immediately after the sauna has finished, as this will cause the sauna temperature to drop too quickly and the sauna may not dry out sufficiently. In the worst case, mould may even grow on the ceilings or walls if the sauna remains too damp.

Washing of sauna ceilings 

Many people forget the importance of washing in the sauna, even though everyone knows that you go there to sweat. Sweat and dirt easily stick to the wooden surface if it is not properly washed even once a year. Before washing, vacuum the sauna or at least wipe visible dirt and dust off the tiles with a brush or spatula. 

First, wet the wooden surfaces with warm water to open up the pores of the wood. Wash the boards with a general purpose cleaner diluted in water, such as pine soap, or sauna cleaner, using a soft brush or scrubber-dryer. Chlorine-containing detergents should not even be used to clean sauna floors, as chlorine is harmful to health when it evaporates. Wash in the direction of the wood and finally rinse the tiles with cold water to close the pores in the wood. Remember to wash not only the floorboards but also the walls and ceiling! When you wash the sauna, it is also a good idea to clean the floor well. After cleaning, turn the sauna on for a while to allow the sauna to dry. Remember the ventilation!

If you feel that washing the tiles doesn't help, it's a good idea to sand them lightly. When sanding, treat the tiles with paraffin oil.

Tip! If you use tablecloths when you take a sauna, you will need to wash your plates less often.

Sauna oil treatment 

The durability and lifespan of sauna decks can be extended by caring for the wood. You can tell when a board is in need of oiling. Paraffin oil is the best treatment for decking, so it is a good idea to treat your decking three to four times a year. The oil should be applied with a brush or cloth, but only to a clean, dry board. The oil treatment enhances the colour of darker-coloured wood. Paraffin oil is a mineral-based oil that evaporates and is absorbed by the wood. If you want to test the change in colour beforehand, you should first try the oil on a small area of the surface of the sub-plank. You will see the final colour result a few days after treatment. The sauna can be used once the oil has completely absorbed into the wood, which usually takes between one and two days.

Cleaning the sauna floor drain 

Cleaning the floor drain is one of the most unpleasant tasks in the home and sauna, especially as it is often avoided until the last minute because of the smell. With the right tools and at regular intervals, cleaning the floor drain becomes much easier. So it's better just to grab the rubber gloves and get to work, because a dirty floor drain is an excellent breeding ground for various types of mould and other microbes. In addition to the odour nuisance, a lot of unnoticed but harmful microbes are spread in the air we breathe.

The floor drain in the shower should be cleaned at least 3-4 times a year, while a couple of times a year is sufficient for cleaning the floor drain in the sauna. The more people in the household and the more the sauna is used, the more often the floor drain should be cleaned. If the floor well is cleaned often enough, strong chemicals are not needed. In general, cleaning the floor well can be done with a hand dishwashing detergent or all-purpose cleaner, for example using an old dish brush. Lift the floor drain cover, remove any visible debris and clean the grate. Spray the floor well with water and detergent up to the edges of the well and brush clean. Finally, rinse with plenty of water. If necessary, remove and wash the diffuser lock as well. 

Tip! For a more ecological cleaner, mix half a tablespoon of baking soda with a tablespoon of vinegar. The mixture is effective and environmentally friendly for your household plumber.

Reloading of stove stones 

Before you start working on the stones of the stove, remember two things: disconnecting the fuse (to prevent the sauna from accidentally turning on) and wearing protective gloves. Electric stoves often have sharp corners and stones that have been worn and chipped in use can be sharp. Also make sure that the heater does not accidentally turn on during operation. The stones in the middle of an electric stove are usually the most worn when they are closest to the heat source. Inspect the stones and remove those that are clearly cracked and worn. It may often be easier to replace all the stones at the same time. 

Loading stones is successful when you proceed on the terms of the resistances. There are two main rules here: don't wedge the resistors and place the elongated stones vertically. The resistors are electrical elements that heat the stones, looking like thick iron wires. Choose the size of the stones according to the stove and position the stones so that they fit in place without bending the resistor in the opposite direction. It's also a good idea to stack the stones evenly across the entire layer, so that all gaps remain evenly spaced. Long stones are placed vertically to leave as much air space as possible between the stones, where the heating air from the resistors rises upwards unhindered. This allows the stove and sauna to heat up more quickly.

Tip! Click here for tips on how to maintain your electric heater.

Replacing stove stones 

Depending on the quality of the stone and the use of the sauna, the replacement interval of the heater stones is 1-3 years. If you heat your sauna on average twice a week, it would be a good idea to change the stones as often as every year. Be sure to check the instructions for your heater for the correct size of stones. 

Sometimes, simply re-trowelling the stones is enough, or at least buys you a little extra time before replacing them. With heavy use, the stones crumble, stick together and thus the air circulation in the stove is reduced and the efficiency decreases. 

Tip! Remember that stones are natural products, not hazardous waste! So don't throw them away with the rubbish, but use the stones that need to be replaced, for example in a flower bed or to line a roadside verge.

Check and tighten the fixation of the sauna ceiling frame

Sauna ceilings are often in heavy use in Finland, and as the wood is subject to fluctuations in humidity and drying, the screws on the ceilings loosen easily. So tighten the fixing of the frame to the walls and tighten as necessary. 

Sanding of sauna ceilings 

It is worth sanding the sauna floorboards at the latest when the floorboards have accumulated dirt, are brittle or have become stained over time. Treating sauna ceilings, such as sanding and protecting them, is surprisingly easy when done with the right equipment and instructions. If your sauna is small and the tiles are not very sticky, you may be able to get away with sanding with a hand tool. However, we recommend a sanding machine. However, if you do end up sanding the tiles by hand, use 120-grit sandpaper. If your sauna tiles are cracking, it's time to replace them with new ones

Start sanding from the top and work your way down one laude at a time. Sanding is always done in the direction of the grain of the wood. Sanding should be done carefully to ensure the surface is as smooth and clean as possible. Clean up the dust when you are satisfied after sanding. When sanding, it is always a good idea to also treat the wood with paraffin oil, which gives the wood durability and a brighter colour. 

Update the look of the sauna 

Now more than ever, people are looking to make their homes more comfortable, and as well as decorating other rooms, many people also like to pay attention to the visual appearance of the sauna. The sauna can be updated by, for example, adding wall panels, updating the lighting, bringing in different decorative elements and textiles, and updating the heater. A new, modern and efficient heater completes the updated look and ensures that the sauna fulfils its most important function, which is to provide a good and sufficiently hot bath.

For some time now, oval-shaped sauna models have been the choice of trendy sauna renovators. This means that there are fewer air-permeable gaps between the tiles than usual. While oval-shaped ceiling designs are attractive to many, they reduce air circulation and provide a place for dirt to accumulate. If you're hoping to upgrade your sauna ceilings to sealed ceilings, it's worth considering access underneath so that cleaning can be done with a reasonable amount of effort once a year. 

Tip! If you're looking for a new look for your sauna in the form of a new energy-efficient stove, consider the Helo stove, which you can get easily and affordably for a package price, delivered to your home and installed in place!

Replacing the electric heater with a new one 

A modern and functional stove is not only safe, it also works reliably and heats up quickly. The average lifespan of an electric stove is 10-15 years, so replacing it from time to time is an important maintenance measure to ensure you enjoy a good fire. The energy efficiency of the heater also plays a major role in the comfort of your sauna. An old and inefficient heater heats slowly, consumes more electricity and is therefore less ecological than a new and efficient heater. 

Since the electric stove will be replaced anyway, it is a good idea to consider whether you want to replace the old wall-mounted model with a newer but similar wall-mounted model or whether you want to replace it with a floor-standing model, or even a model that can be built into the ceiling? 

Modern stoves also no longer need to be controlled manually with fixed controls on the stove, but you can choose a stove that can be conveniently controlled from a remote control panel in the dressing room, for example. Digital wall panels also provide a convenient temperature display, making it easier to control the heating time. Most modern smart heaters can even be controlled remotely via a phone app.

24 Center installation services 

Did you know that through 24 Center you can get your small home installations easily and quickly? Call 0100 2470 and enquire about our installation service - you're guaranteed the fastest installation on the market! You can also order an installation service online hereä!