![UK sauna regulations, and how to ensure you are getting the real thing when it comes to traditional Finnish saunas](https://entirely.media/NewsImages/regulations-4024-art.jpg)
"There is one major difference between traditional Finnish saunas built in Finland and traditional Finnish saunas built in the UK, and that is the regulations governing their construction"
Jake Newport - MD Finnmark Sauna
The ‘traditional Finnish sauna’ is globally recognised for its ability to provide a truly authentic and high-quality sauna experience. In Finland the sauna has been one of the most important components of everyday life for thousands of years. As ‘the sauna capital of the world’ Finland boasts over 2 million saunas for its 5.3 million residents, and almost all Finns sauna bathe at least once or twice a week. It is no surprise then that as more people in the UK are realising the pleasure and wellbeing that can be gained from frequent sauna use, they look to the traditional Finnish sauna as the place to achieve this.
Unfortunately, there is one major difference between traditional Finnish saunas built in Finland and traditional Finnish saunas built in the UK, and that is the regulations governing their construction.
In Finland, sauna regulations are extensive and comprehensive, and as such, they form the backbone of the unique experience, quality, and longevity that makes Finnish saunas so impressive. In the UK sauna regulations are almost non-existent. This means that any company can market their products as ‘traditional Finnish saunas’ without actually adhering to any of the guidelines that make Finnish saunas what they are. The result of this is the Finnish sauna culture that has spent thousands of years being refined being poorly appropriated by untrained individuals who sell low quality, unsafe, and unpleasant saunas.
Being able to tell the difference between genuine traditional Finnish saunas and their poor, low-quality appropriations can however still be rather difficult – especially if you do not know what you are looking for. The simplest and most effective way to ensure you are getting an authentic Finnish sauna is to buy from companies that use only certified Finnish materials and adhere to Finnish sauna regulations, such as Finnmark. But if you are unsure there are things you can look out for in your sauna build to ensure you are getting high-quality service.
When comparing saunas there are eight main areas in design and construction you should be aware of; areas where the difference between genuine traditional Finnish saunas and their poor, low-quality appropriations can be distinguished. These are: battening, cladding, the heater, insulation, safety considerations, timber, vapour sealing, and finally ventilation.
Full article online at Finnmark Sauna - https://finnmarksauna.com/blogs/finnmark-blog/uk-sauna-regulations-and-how-to-ensure-you-are-getting-the-real-thing-when-it-comes-to-traditional-finnish-saunas