How to Install Sauna Room Doors

Sauna room doors can be purchased after you’ve already installed your sauna and want to upgrade the appearance of the entrance, or if you want something jazzier than what came with your kit.

The door you select for the sauna room must not only be able to stand up to exposure to high dry heat and humidity, but its parts - the window, handle, hinges and other hardware - will be under the same stress.

Since the door is one of the most important parts of a sauna room and one that has both a functional as well as aesthetic look, you’ll want to get the door installed correctly or the result will be a loss of heat.

Advantages of Pre-Hung Sauna Room Doors

You can order a door either by itself or already pre-hung on a frame. If you get the door pre-hung, it will come complete with jamb, threshold, hinges, ball catch and wooden handle, and will only cost an extra $100. If you are building a custom sauna room from scratch, a pre-hung door could save you a lot of time and trouble.

These are the steps for hanging pre-hung sauna room doors:

• Set the frame with the door attached into the wall opening. Use wooden shims to hold the frame in place.
• Center the sauna door’s frame inside the opening by shimming the gaps between the studs and the frame. Make sure you place shims where the hinges and lock attach.

Compare Popular Sauna Doors On Sale Here

Use a square and a level to get the door frame as true and plumb as possible, using shims to keep it in place.

Close the door and look for an even space all around between the door and the frame. Readjust the frame with the shims if necessary.

Nail the frame to the studs using 6d finishing nails.

Use 4d finishing nails too attach the molding to the outside of he frame.

Don’t forget to countersink all nails. Use putty to fill the holes.

Other notes for installing the sauna door:

• Hanging a door is much easier for two people than one person.
• Standard doors for sauna rooms measure 24"x 80" with an RO (rough opening) of 26"x 82". Your other option is to get a 36"x 80" (ADA handicapped) door with RO of 38"x 82".
• Additionally, remember that sauna room doors must open outwards from the sauna.
• Use a magnetic or roller door catch only. It should not have anything that will require the bather to unlock or turn a knob to open the door.

What a Swell Door!

Should the hot air and humidity in the sauna room eventually cause the door to swell, you may need to follow the steps above to adjust the door, or replace it altogether.

If you do need a new door for your sauna room installation, there’s a variety of doors for sale on the internet to choose from. Some inexpensive styles come in solid wood, while others are more elaborate; they come with artistically etched glass, or they can be ordered with clear or obscured glass.

The choice of door will depend on your preferences for privacy or if you want to let in outside light to a wood-burning sauna room that does not have electricity or lights. The windows on these doors must be made of tempered safety glass in order to withstand the extremes and changes of a sauna room.

You should pass on any sauna room doors that contains lexan acrylic instead of glass as the lexan scratches easily and will discolor within a few years.