Thinking of getting a sauna? Don’t put it off any longer

The popularity of at-home saunas has surged over the last two years. By installing in a sauna, homeowners invest in improving their home, health and well-being.

There are countless benefits to saunas, but if you’ve been waiting for the “sauna surge” to subside, it may not calm down anytime soon.

Glenn Morgan is the president of Waterloo-based Cedarland Lumber & Sauna Co., and they’ve witnessed a 200% increase in sauna sales since the start of the pandemic.

“We’ve seen a huge growth of sauna activity,” says Glenn. “A lot of people being health conscious, they see it in a health club, they enjoy it there. A sauna’s always there for your use, it’s always ready to enjoy, it’s got the health benefits. A lot people are jumping on it.”

They sell Western Red Cedar lumber, which comes from British Columbia. Because of factors like logging restrictions, increasing fuel prices, and supply chain issues, the cost for cedar lumber continues to rise.

Glenn recommends anyone hoping for the market to subside shouldn’t wait any longer to plan their project. He doesn’t foresee any relief in the short term related to lumber and building material costs.

Cedarland Lumber sells do-it-yourself sauna kits, which are assembled over the course of a weekend. With two people working on the project, it’s about 25 hours from start to finish. The kits come in any size, starting from as small as a four-by-four-foot sauna, up to a seven-by-eight-foot sauna.

“We just need the customer to bring their vision of the size they’re interested in, and we walk them through from there,” Glenn explains.

Pergola kits are also available for anyone looking to spruce up their outdoor space.

He estimates about 9 out of 10 customers purchase their sauna for some sort of health benefit. According to research from Dr. Rhonda Patrick, there are countless ways that a sauna could bring betterment into someone’s life.

Benefits like protection against cardiovascular disease, lower risk of dementia, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and many other ailments. Using a sauna two to three times a week could see many of these health benefits.

Saunas achieve this by mimicking moderate exercise, which increases body temperature and elevates the heart rate. It’s understandable why many have built a sauna in their home, whether it’s creating a small oasis in their home, or it’s improving overall health, or the cost relative to other recreational items.

Unlike something like a hot tub, which draws power around the clock, using a sauna for an hour a day would only use around one-dollar in electricity per sauna session. Saunas are very energy efficient and only draw as many kilowatts of power as its built-in heater.

In this case, it’s much more beneficial to start your project with Cedarland Lumber & Sauna Co., rather than sitting back and waiting to see how the lumber and materials market plays out this year. Securing your project and materials now helps avoid any further delays and price increases down the road.

“From a project standpoint, I would suggest people start their projects in early spring and early summer and get them done,” Glenn recommends. “Or to secure their lumber and store it, so they’re not in a predicament when things change.”

To get started on your next project, whether it’s a cedar sauna, pergola, deck, or fence, speak to the experts at Cedarland Lumber & Sauna Co. in Waterloo.