Garden Sauna Specifications
Composite Garden Saunas:
The composite garden saunas are crafted with the goal of helping individuals reconnect with the natural elements. Manufactured by Altha UK, these saunas are premium outdoor installations that merge luxury and wellness with the serene beauty of the garden environment.
Designed to offer relaxation and rejuvenation, these saunas use intense warmth to help improve blood circulation, relieve muscle tension, and induce sweating, which supports the body in flushing out toxins.
More than just functional wellness spaces, these garden saunas are elegant outdoor features, delivering a calming sanctuary right at home. The craftsmanship, attention to detail, and focus on therapeutic benefits make each sauna a personal retreat.
Handcrafted Outdoor Saunas:
These outdoor saunas are the product of exceptional craftsmanship and are handmade to ensure the highest quality and uniqueness in every build. The construction involves a traditional timber frame that offers both strength and timeless appeal. Externally, the saunas are clad in composite materials that are not only attractive but also maintenance-free and long-lasting, enhancing durability against outdoor conditions.
The interiors are lined with Western Red Cedar, a material highly esteemed for its performance in high heat and humidity. Bamboo flooring adds a final touch of elegance and eco-conscious design, reflecting the bespoke nature of the sauna's construction. Together, these features make the sauna both a visually stunning and deeply functional structure.
Western Red Cedar:
Western Red Cedar is widely acknowledged as the superior material for internal sauna cladding due to its exceptional thermal properties and aromatic qualities. This wood is highly stable under the extreme conditions typically found inside a sauna, such as high temperatures and elevated humidity.
Beyond its physical resilience, cedar naturally emits a subtle, pleasant scent that enhances the sauna experience by introducing a soothing and relaxing atmosphere. This aroma contributes significantly to the overall sense of calm and wellness that a sauna provides.
Many users find that the presence of cedar adds a restorative dimension to their sauna sessions, further enriching the benefits of regular use.
HUUM Sauna Heaters:
HUUM sauna heaters represent a harmonious blend of rustic authenticity and elegant Nordic design. The inspiration behind these heaters lies in the organic shapes and forms found in nature, which are beautifully echoed in the design and construction.
The result is a product that delivers a soft, consistent, and health-promoting steam experience, intended to last for many years, providing comfort and wellness to its users.
The saunas include an optional HUUM UKU controller, which simplifies the process of heating and monitoring the sauna. The heater itself is selected based on the internal dimensions of the sauna, with appropriate kilowatt ratings assigned accordingly. To complete the steam experience, HUUM rounded sauna stones sized between 5–10 cm are used to fully fill the heater unit.
The Complete Service:
Altha UK provides a fully comprehensive sauna installation service, taking care of every aspect of the process from beginning to end. This includes not only the delivery of the sauna but also the preparation of the foundation upon which it will be installed.
Once on-site, the team handles the complete assembly of the unit, ensuring that all internal components such as concealed electrics and the sauna heater are properly and professionally installed.
It is important to note that these saunas are not shipped as flat-packed kits for customer assembly. Nor are they delivered in a way that requires the customer to organise heavy machinery such as cranes or forklifts. Every effort is made to deliver a seamless and convenient experience, allowing customers to enjoy their new sauna without logistical complications.
Sauna Electrics:
Our saunas include hand crafter saunas include a range s and accessories available to further enhance the performance, functionality, and comfort of each sauna. From the electrical side, customers can choose an IP65 waterproof-rated external consumer unit for heater and control systems. Additionally, professional electrical testing and certification are provided under the Part P Test, ensuring safety and compliance with relevant standards for all electrical components including lights, wiring, consumer units, and heaters.
While the base pricing does not include the connection from the sauna to the main house, this mains connection can be supplied upon request. Another available component, the Mains Consumer Unit 2, provides external-rated protection for internal and external lighting systems and switches.
Panels:
Inside the sauna, a number of design enhancements are available. These include optional sauna benches, heat-resistant high-temperature silicone cables discreetly concealed within the timber frame walls, and aluminium humidity-proof lighting fixtures paired with cedar light covers. Internal wiring is carefully embedded and the interior is lined with an aluminium heat reflector and moisture barrier to enhance efficiency and comfort. Each sauna also includes a temperature sensor from HUUM with hidden wiring to maintain a clean aesthetic. Airflow and comfort are further supported by strategically placed intake and exhaust vents that help maintain consistent air circulation and even heat distribution. Premium profiled slatted Western Red Cedar is used throughout the interior for a high-quality finish that is both functional and luxurious.
Black Woodgain Composite & Western Red Cedar External Cladding:
Externally, the saunas are clad in a low-maintenance black woodgrain composite, with additional colour options available to suit individual preferences.
A fixed specialist double-glazed glass panel allows natural light to enter, while anthracite-coloured aluminium roof edge trims and black composite fascia boards offer sleek finishes. The sauna door is made of clear safety glass, housed in a cedar frame, and includes a roller lock, hinges, seal, and handle for secure access.
Structural integrity is maintained with double air-vented walls, a robust timber frame, and thick insulation using Knauf R45 at 75mm. All external walls are protected by a high-performance breathable waterproof membrane to safeguard against moisture ingress.
External Features:
Roofing is made from 100mm thick trapezoidal insulated interlocking panels in dark grey, providing both energy efficiency and a clean, modern appearance. The floor is completed with bamboo hardwood boards and 100mm x 50mm tanalised timber foundations, further enhancing strength and visual appeal.
An external LED lighting setup is installed under the recessed canopy to improve nighttime visibility and ambiance.Internal and external barriers can be added for safety or visual enhancement. Functional external features such as black PVCu guttering and downpipe are available, along with dual external light switches rated for IP65 waterproofing. These allow separate control of the canopy lighting and the internal illumination. Additionally, every sauna includes a standard accessories pack featuring a sand clock, sauna thermometer, wooden bucket, and ladle to complement the traditional sauna experience.
Site Area
In order for us to construct your new composite garden pod on site we need the construction area to be clear of any old buildings or sheds, trees, rocks and shrubs etc.
When constructing our pods, it is important to choose a suitable location that is level and has proper drainage.
This helps to ensure that the building is stable and durable, and prevents any water damage or drainage issues.
Garden Saunas Permitted Development Rules
Outbuildings (including garden pods) are considered to be permitted development, not needing planning permission, subject to the following limits and conditions:
- No outbuilding on land forward of a wall forming the principal elevation.
- Outbuildings and garages to be single storey with maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres and maximum overall height of 4 metres with a dual pitched roof or 3 metres for any other roof.
- Maximum height of 2.5 metres in the case of a building, enclosure or container within two metres of a boundary of the curtilage of the dwelling house.
- No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.
- No more than half the area of land around the "original house"* would be covered by additions or other buildings.
- In National Parks, the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and World Heritage Sites the maximum area to be covered by buildings, enclosures, containers and pools more than 20 metres from house to be limited to 10 square metres.
- On designated land* buildings, enclosures, containers and pools at the side of properties will require planning permission.
- Within the curtilage of listed buildings any outbuilding will require planning permission.
* The term "original house" means the house as it was first built or as it stood on 1 July 1948 (if it was built before that date). Although you may not have built an extension to the house, a previous owner may have done so.
* Designated land includes national parks and the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, conservation areas and World Heritage Sites.
Please note: The permitted development allowances described here apply to houses not flats, maisonettes or other buildings.
Disclaimer
This guidance relates to the planning regime and building regulations for England. Policy in Wales & Scotland may differ. If in doubt contact your Local Planning Authority.If you would like to talk to a member of our friendly staff about our garden sheds, we would be very happy to hear from you. You can call us free on 0800 170 1272 Monday To Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm.