LAKE VERMILION – Sauna expert and Lake Vermilion cabin owner Glenn Auerbach’s newest book, “Sauna Build: Start to Finish, Fourth Edition,” is now available in print on his website, saunatimes.com, and through online retailers. A must-have for DIYers and sauna enthusiasts alike, this updated and expanded guide walks readers through the entire process of building an authentic sauna from first idea to final löyly without needing a Finnish bloodline or a professional contractor. Much of the material in the book was gleaned from his personal experience from projects he completed on Lake Vermilion.
The book also talks about his favorite sauna stove, from Kuuma in Tower, which is “part of our sauna tapestry up here.” The locally produced sauna stoves are “much better than the European stoves,” he said. The stoves for sale in Europe seem to be engineered to be as cheap as possible, he said.
“Sauna has always been popular up here,” he said. “It’s magical.” But now, Auerbach said, saunas are becoming popular worldwide, even in warmer climates.
Auerbach said his favorite sauna styles echo the classic Northwoods lakeside saunas which can be seen on Lake Vermilion, including along the lakeshore of Pine Island, where his family has a cabin.
“But the best sauna,” he said, “is the one that gets used.”
Auerbach is a longtime sauna advocate and “geek of good heat.” He started Sauna Times back in 2008, and now that he is retired, spends his free time as a sauna student and educator, helping thousands of individuals build their own saunas through his e-book and widely followed online resources. The new print edition brings the experience full circle, offering enhanced instructions for greater clarity and confidence, updated drawings and detailed schematics, and “Empathy photos” that show real builds in real-world conditions.
“Building a sauna isn’t just about tools and lumber, it’s about creating a personal space for your own health and wellness retreat,” says Auerbach. “This book gives and empowers a roadmap to get there, through an understanding of the holy trinity of good sauna: heat, steam, and ventilation.”
More and more people are making lifestyle changes to live happier and healthier lives. The sauna is right up there at the top in terms of adding to a home’s value while also creating a space for solitude, friendship, and physical and mental wellbeing.
“Sauna Build: Start to Finish” is informed by more than a couple of decades of conversations, builds, and field research in the growing sauna movement. It distills everything from layout to moisture barriers into a single, user-friendly guide.
Perfect for first timers and seasoned builders alike, the book aims to empower anyone with the desire, and a little sweat equity, to create their own authentic sauna experience.
Auerbach is known world-wide for his expertise on saunas and sauna construction. He even has his own podcast, Sauna Talk.