Indoor Sauna...

[Rocket1k78]

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Question for the experts:

tile is the default material to be used in most aspen homes - but what about heat and water resistant material like Formica? It just needs to be glued to the wall and the seams siliconed. Much much easier to work with and looks a lot like tile.

(flooring would likely need to be tile still?)

Water resistant in a normal shower might be doable but in a steam shower you need water proof

[revelations]

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Water resistant in a normal shower might be doable but in a steam shower you need water proof

The material is definitely water proof - the seams are the only issue. Higher temp rated silicone?

Also not too sure on the coefficient of expansion.

[JRSC00LUDE]

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The material is definitely water proof - the seams are the only issue. Higher temp rated silicone?

Also not too sure on the coefficient of expansion.

Silicone fails but if the substrate is waterproof it would increase the odds. I wonder if some googling would provide some experiences, I am curious now. They make some great looking finishes. EDIT You're probably right about the expansion, warranty info. would answer that.

[revelations]

The stuff is amazing - I used it on my workbench as a working surface and after 5 years of use it still looks new (except where I have drilled through).

Also had a strip left over and used it as weather cover for a bench outside -30 to +35 and never a problem. Slippery as fuck when its wet though.

I have it screwed to wood outside, no issues with expansion contraction there so far.

[ThePenIsMightier]

DAP makes a high-temp silicone seal that's suitable for dishwashers.

[Rocket1k78]

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The stuff is amazing - I used it on my workbench as a working surface and after 5 years of use it still looks new (except where I have drilled through).

Also had a strip left over and used it as weather cover for a bench outside -30 to +35 and never a problem. Slippery as fuck when its wet though.

I have it screwed to wood outside, no issues with expansion contraction there so far.

I dont doubt its a tough product when it comes to durability but if you're spending decent coin on a steam shower i wouldnt wanna gamble with it lasting or not. Im sure if you kept up on your siliconed edges it would probably last but i bet even the supplier would not honor any warranties on it. I was over at a place getting some stain and saw one called FX or something like that and it looked like real granite

[finboy]

+1 on steam shower, I thought it was a bit kitschy when we bought our place but I use it all the time after a hike in winter. My in-laws built theirs and figured basically aligned with the advice in this thread, do everything you can to avoid leaks and watch out for seals around lights. We are redoing our master in 2022 and are going to be adding a big fan to help take care of the steam, as our steam unit was a retrofit after initial construction and previous owners were relying on the 80’s hrv which isn’t ideal.

[SJW]

I have a steam shower but the steamer unit crapped out and they don't make replacement parts. I'm pretty crafty though so I'm going to rebuild the valve and hopefully get another couple of years out of it. I fucking love the steam shower.

[SingleBarrel]

Brent.ff, go for the sauna!

Steam showers are great but you don't get the same deep heat penetration and muscle relaxation as you do from an actual sauna. If you have the space in your basement you should definately go for putting in a sauna. The convenience and easy access of having one at home is incredible!

We live in an apartment so it wasn't an option to build a unit so we went with a sauna blanket type device. It uses infrared energy to heat the body like these - home saunas. I know it's not a patch on what you've got in mind, but we use it regularly. Especially after a run for recovery.

Definietly go with the sauna. You will not regret it!