This week on the Sauna Hus horsebox build we finally reached one of those moments where you stare at a piece of wood, stare back at the tools, and realise you’ve got absolutely no idea how to solve the problem in front of you.
This week’s horsebox sauna build update involved fixing a tricky section of cladding, working on the interior wax and making progress on the structure of the sauna itself.
The issue was the front section of cladding on the horsebox.
Most of the sauna cladding has been fairly straightforward. Measure, cut, fit, repeat. But the front of the horsebox was a different story entirely. Nothing was square, nothing was straight, and every board seemed to need a slightly different angle cut into it.
After a couple of attempts, Luke and I both agreed on one thing.
We were making a complete mess of it.
It was one of those awkward jobs where the cuts had to be precise, the boards needed shaping in odd places, and one wrong move would ruin the finish of the whole front panel.
In short, it was a real mare.
So we did the sensible thing and called in reinforcements.
Calling in a Professional
Luckily, help wasn’t too far away.
A good friend of mine, Simon — who many people might know online as Simon, A Bloke in the Woods — is not only handy with a camera but also seriously handy with timber.
Simon runs the YouTube channel Simon, A Bloke in the Woods, where he shares outdoor adventures, bushcraft projects and life in the woods. I’ll add a link to his channel here for anyone who wants to check it out.
Simon has recently returned from an incredible project in South Georgia, where he’s been helping restore the Manager’s Cabin at the old whaling station in Grytviken.
That location is famous in polar exploration history because of its connection to Sir Ernest Shackleton. After the Endurance expedition became trapped in ice in 1915, Shackleton and a small crew sailed a tiny open lifeboat across the Southern Ocean to reach South Georgia. From there he crossed the island on foot to reach the whaling station and organise the rescue of his stranded crew.
So when Simon says he’s been “renovating a cabin”, it’s probably more accurate to say he’s been helping restore a small piece of exploration history.
Compared to that, our awkward bit of horsebox cladding probably felt like a fairly relaxed afternoon job.
With Simon’s help, the dodgy section at the front of the sauna finally started to take shape. A few clever cuts, some proper carpentry skills, and suddenly the boards began fitting the way they should have from the start.
Problem solved.
Waxing the Interior
Inside the sauna we also managed to get the first coat of white sauna wax onto the internal cladding.
This wax is designed specifically for sauna environments. It protects the timber while still allowing it to breathe properly when the sauna heats up.
The first coat has gone on nicely, but it definitely needs another coat to finish it properly.
Unfortunately there’s a small problem.
It seems the entire UK has run out of white sauna wax.
Every supplier we’ve checked is currently out of stock, so for now we’re stuck waiting for new supplies to arrive before we can finish the interior properly.
One of those slightly frustrating delays you don’t expect when building something like this.
A Small Colour Experiment (and a Small Disaster)
While waiting for the wax situation to sort itself out, we decided to experiment slightly with the colour of the interior.
Most of the sauna is finished in light spruce, but we thought it might look good to break up the colour a little.
So we stained some sections of the spruce with a cedar coloured wax, which will match the benches nicely once they’re installed.
The result actually looks great.
Unfortunately the next part of the story is slightly less successful.
At some point during the process the dog managed to knock over the tin of cedar wax.
A full one litre tin.
Which, if you’ve ever bought sauna wax, you’ll know is not exactly cheap.
Roughly £50 worth of wax spread across the workshop floor.
Not ideal.
Rear Wall Installed in the Horsebox Sauna Build
On the positive side, we also managed to install the rear wall of the sauna this week.
That closes off the back of the horsebox and really starts to make the interior feel like a proper sauna space rather than a construction project.
Once the second coat of wax goes on, the inside should start looking properly finished.
Planning the Sauna Door for the Horsebox Sauna Build
Another job we started looking at this week was the sauna door.
Rather than buying a new one, we’re planning to repurpose a solid oak door.
The idea is to modify it slightly so it works well as a sauna door while keeping the character of the original timber.
It’s still early days, but it should add a really nice feature to the finished sauna.
A Small Delay
Finally, there’s been a slight hiccup with the sauna stove delivery.
The stove shipment has been delayed due to the current situation in the Middle East, which has disrupted transport routes.
Because of this, it’s possible we may not be able to open exactly on the 25th of April as planned.
We’re still hopeful it will arrive in time, but at the moment it’s slightly out of our hands.
As soon as we know more, we’ll share an update.
Follow the Build
We’ve also recently set up our Instagram and Facebook pages for Sauna Hus, where we’ll be sharing regular updates from the horsebox sauna build, along with photos, progress updates and the occasional mishap along the way.
If you’d like to follow the project as it develops — and see when the sauna is ready to open — you can find us here:
Instagram: @thesaunahus
Facebook: Sauna Hus
We’ll be posting plenty of behind-the-scenes photos as the build comes together, so feel free to come and say hello.
Booking System and Events
Behind the scenes we’ve also been working on the website and booking system for Sauna Hus.
The new booking software is now installed on the website, which will allow customers to book sauna sessions online quickly and easily once we open. The system sends instant confirmation emails as well as SMS messages, so guests will receive reminders and updates about their booking automatically.
We’ve also been starting to plan some special sauna events, including Nordic-style sauna evenings and small group sessions where people can experience the traditional rhythm of sauna, fresh air and cooling down by the lake.
There’s still a bit of work to do before everything goes live, but the goal is to make booking a sauna session simple and straightforward for everyone.
More details about upcoming sessions and events will be shared on the website and on our social media pages soon.
If you’re curious about traditional sauna steam, you can read more about löyly and sauna culture here
Nearly There With The Horsebox Sauna
Despite a few small setbacks, the horsebox sauna is getting closer to completion each week.
The cladding problem is solved, the interior is starting to take shape, and the structure itself is now mostly finished.
There are still a few details to complete, but it’s beginning to look like a real sauna.
Next, the floor and the bench and if all goes well, it won’t be long before the first fire is lit in the stove.
We’ll keep you posted. If this will be your first sauna experience, we’ve also written a guide on sauna etiquette and what to expect. Each week the horsebox sauna build gets a little closer to completion.
