Didn't want to de-rail the other tub thread with my question. Anyone ever convert a sunken tub into a sauna? I have one in my master bath (it has a separate shower stall) that NEVER gets used. It's in its' own alcove off the back wall of the bathroom. I just measured and once the tub's filled in the footprint would be about 5x8 feet with a 7-foot ceiling. I think that'd make a nice two-person sauna. The house has four other bathrooms. Two have tub/shower combos, one is shower only, and the common area has a half-bath. Any down side to doing away with the walk-in tub and installing a small sauna?

It already has the water source, of course. And I have an un-used 220v branch that used to run a batting cage that could easily be re-routed through the attic and dropped down into the wall to run the heating element. Am I over-simplifying this? I will be selling the house eventually, probably in about 10-12 years. Would a sauna vs. tub be a positive or negative? This is an "executive" style house on 10 acres, rural if that matters.

I work in many, many nice houses and I can't think of any that have ever had a sauna in the bathroom. I've seen a few steam rooms and a bunch of garden tubs with the jacuzzi jets; but never a true sauna. Like a hot tub, right?

No, it's not like a hot tub. Sauna usually has benches to sit on, heat source (electric or woood fired) with rocks that get heated and you throw water on the rocks creating the steam - sorta' like a steam room - that's a sauna. I think a sauna would be a positive - for selling your house - all these health freaks today a sauna would be a plus for someone like that. Plus, you don't see sauna's down here so much - up North, especially way up North, sauna's are everywhere.

I know exactly what you are thinking of doing and I personally think that if you would get some use out of it - then go ahead and do it. There are times (maybe 3 or 4 a year) that I would love to sit in a sauna and sweat . . . . and breathe steam . . . . . and sweat . . . . and breathe steam - it's very rejuvenating, especially during the winter.

I think the time for sunken tubs has passed . . . .

It's also refreshing to see someone who knows the difference between its, it's and its'.

I have heard from realtors that not having a tub in the master bath is a big negative. However that is always subjective. The same realtors say that master bedroom upstairs is a huge negative too, but some people prefer that.

If you are going to stay in your house for 10 years, then you need to focus on what makes the house right for you. I wouldn't worry about selling the house until you are 1-2 years from listing.

Thank you sir for the clarification. Obviously I don't use them and I've heard them called several different names over the years, guess I should have googled it before I responded.

So do they tend to cause mold issues or are they vented to keep the moisture at bay?

I got the idea after a hunt a while back. Got home after 4 days in the cold/damp and was just chilled to the bone. Wasn't enough hot shower in the world to thaw me out. I stepped out of the shower and saw the un-used tub and my dim little mental light came on, "Man, a sauna to just sit in sure would be nice right now!" Would also be nice on some Sunday nights to "sweat out the weekend!" I think I'm gonna' do it. Thanks all. It'll be spring before I get to it, but I'll try to post progress pics.

edited to add: To grout-scouts point, I have some research to do. Mold would be a HUGE issue in a wooden box with water and heat. I've already been pondering that. May have to go to a more "cleanable" surface than traditional cedar.