Sauna Solutions

Designed with Purpose. Built to Last.

At Midwest Sauna & Steam, we don’t just build saunas — we craft fully customized wellness experiences from the ground up.

Founder Mike Tassone spent years researching the timeless tradition of Finnish sauna design and combining it with today’s best materials and building practices. From insulation and airflow to wood selection and lighting, Mike immersed himself in every detail — not just to build his own sauna, but to help others experience the full mental and physical benefits of a well-designed, handcrafted space.

That knowledge and passion are now at the core of every sauna we create.

Our Comprehensive Sauna Design Approach

We work closely with each client to bring their vision to life — whether you’re building a quiet home retreat or a fully immersive wellness space. Our process is collaborative, technical, and rooted in years of research.

Here’s what goes into every sauna we build:

Minimalist illustration of a wooden sauna with a bench and glass door, labeled "Sauna creation from start to finish."

🔧 1. Design & Layout Planning

Every sauna starts with a vision. We begin by understanding your goals, space, style, and desired functionality. We help envision the best layout to promote comfort, airflow, and optimal heat distribution — while considering long-term usability and aesthetics.

Sketches of various wooden sauna designs, showcasing different styles and structures with seating and exterior details, including plants and barrels.

🧱 2. Structure & Framing

Framing is more than just studs and screws — it’s about creating a foundation that can handle moisture, temperature, and time. We use proven framing techniques designed for high heat and long-term durability, tailored to the unique specs of your home.

Unfinished basement room with exposed wooden framing, visible ductwork, and a concrete floor. A floor lamp partially illuminates the space.

Partially completed room construction with wooden framing, tools on the concrete floor, and visible ducts and pipes.

🌲 3. Wood Selection

Wood is the soul of the sauna. We source premium-grade cedar, hemlock, and other sauna-appropriate woods to ensure low toxicity, proper heat absorption, and a beautiful, lasting finish. Wood selection impacts aroma, comfort, and longevity — and we’ll walk you through the best options for every surface, from walls to ceiling to benches.

Variety of premium wood samples in different colors and textures displayed vertically, with "Premium Wood" text at the bottom.

🧤 4. Insulation & Vapor Barrier

Many saunas fail because they skip proper insulation. We use heat-rated insulation and a foil-backed vapor barrier to keep heat in, moisture out, and your energy bills low — ensuring consistent performance over the years.

Interior of a room with walls and ceiling covered in reflective foil insulation, wooden framing exposed, and concrete floor.

Unfinished room with wooden framing, insulation, and metallic ceiling.

🔥 5. Sauna Heaters

Using traditional Finnish rock heaters, we help you choose the right heater. Heater size, placement, and power are critical to achieving the ideal temperature and steam experience.

Electrical control panel with circuit board, wiring, and connectors.

🌬️ 6. Ventilation

Proper ventilation is key for both safety and comfort. We ensure your sauna breathes — promoting oxygen flow, removing excess humidity, and creating that clean, refreshing post-sauna feel. This is often one of the most overlooked and underappreciated aspects of a true sauna experience!

Interior of a wooden sauna room featuring a metal basket of stones for heating and a hanging metal bowl for water.

wooden wall with a circular sliding window

Diagram of a natural draft furnace system with airflow indicated by arrows. The setup includes a vent at the top, a combustion chamber, and ducts guiding heated air. Dimensions for minimum venting distance (50 cm) are marked.

🪑 7. Benches

Benches are about more than seating — they’re about ergonomics and experience. We design multi-level bench systems using comfortable, heat-safe wood that allows for proper heat gradients and relaxation zones.

Wooden workbench in a workshop with a sander on the floor.

Interior of a wooden sauna with a heater filled with stones, and a wooden bench or shelf.

Illustrated sauna interior layout with dimensions, showing a 6'2" person seated on a two-tiered bench. Measurements in inches for height, width, and depth of the sauna and bench are included. The image includes a stove on the left, labeled "Saunatimes."

🚪 8. Doors

We install sauna-grade doors built for heat retention and minimal warping. Glass, wood-framed, or hybrid — all chosen to fit your aesthetic while maintaining the thermal seal of your sauna.

A partially constructed door with wooden framing and a dark glass panel. The surrounding walls show exposed insulation and unfinished wood. Nearby are construction tools and materials, including a level and a hammer on the floor.

Collage showcasing various sauna designs and styles in a grid layout, featuring wooden and glass elements.

💡 9. Lighting

The right lighting transforms your space. We offer moisture-resistant, dimmable sauna lighting that creates ambiance without disrupting the heat experience — from soft glows to color-changing chromotherapy options.

Wooden sauna interior with green lighting, featuring a bench and a metal basket with stones in the corner.

Wooden sauna interior with LED strip lighting

🧱 10. Flooring

We select durable, water-resistant flooring materials that balance comfort, drainage, and style — all rated for high-temperature environments and safe for bare feet.

Interior of a wooden sauna with tiled flooring, using tile spacers for installation. A metal heater with stones is visible on the left wall.

Collage of four images showing different wooden interiors, featuring sauna rooms and wooden flooring.

Why It Matters

A well-built sauna isn’t just about heat — it’s about longevity, safety, comfort, and health.

Each of these elements plays a vital role in how your sauna performs, feels, and lasts over time. When done right, your sauna becomes a reliable part of your wellness routine — helping reduce stress, improve sleep, boost circulation, and detoxify the body.

At Midwest Sauna & Steam, we build saunas that look beautiful, work flawlessly, and stand the test of time.

Request Free Design Consultation!

A wooden sauna door with a glass panel in an unfinished basement, showing electrical wires and construction materials around.

Wooden sauna interior with stone heater, benches, and a bucket.

Interior of a wooden sauna with a heater, stones, and a bench.

Interior of a wooden sauna with two-tiered benches, a metal heater with rocks, and a small shelf holding a copper bucket and ladle.

Wooden sauna interior with benches, heater with rocks, a ladle, and a copper bucket.

Interior of a wooden sauna with benches, a metal heater with stones, and a thermometer on the wall.

Interior of a wooden sauna with benches and a heater with stones.

Sauna heater with stones in a wooden room with tiled floor.

Wooden sauna interior with a slatted wooden chair against light-colored wooden walls.

Wood-paneled sauna interior with stove and rocks, copper bucket on shelf, and wooden ladle.

Wooden sauna interior with heater and stones, thermometer, and copper bucket.

Wooden sauna interior with heater and bench

Interior of a wooden sauna with a bench, a heater with stones, and a copper water bucket.

Interior of a wooden sauna with a bench, a bucket, a ladle, and a stove filled with stones.

Interior of a wooden sauna with benches and a heater with rocks, on a tile floor.

Wooden sauna interior with heater and stones, bench, bucket and ladle, and hanging thermometer.

Interior of a wooden sauna with a bench and backrest

Interior of a wooden sauna with a heater filled with stones, a wooden bench, and a copper bucket on a shelf.

Interior of a wooden sauna with benches and a metal heater containing stones.

Wooden door with glass panel in construction area

Wooden sauna door with glass panel partially open in a basement.

Interior of a sauna with wooden walls, tiled floor, and a heater with stones.

Wooden walls and tiled floor in a room corner

Interior of a wooden sauna with a tiled floor and heating stones in a metal holder.

Interior of a wooden sauna with tile floor and a metal heater containing rocks.

Interior of a sauna with wooden walls and tiled floor, featuring a metal heater with rocks.

Partially constructed sauna with glass door and wooden frame, mineral wool insulation in wall, and bucket on concrete floor.

Interior of a wooden sauna with a bench and rocks in a heater.

Interior of a wooden sauna with wooden benches and a metal heater with stones.

Wooden sauna interior with bench and heater

Interior of a wooden sauna with natural wood paneling and bench seating.

Close-up of wooden paneling with visible grooves and knots, showing a natural wood grain texture.

Interior view of wooden sauna walls with horizontal planks and corner detail.

Interior corner of wooden wall paneling with natural wood grain and knots visible.

Wood-paneled walls and ceiling in a room with a light fixture

Wooden wall with recessed light and tiled floor

Interior of a sauna with wooden walls, stone heater, and tile floor.

Interior of a wooden sauna with a stone heater and tiled floor.

Interior view of a cedar wood-paneled room corner with construction tools, including a nail gun and a level.

Interior of a wooden sauna with bench seating, a smartphone, and tools on the floor.

Stone heater with rocks in a wooden sauna room

A sauna with a glass door and blue LED lighting inside, partially constructed with exposed insulation and wooden framing around it.

Partially constructed sauna with wooden interior and glass door, green LED lighting inside.

A glass door being installed in a wooden frame, with construction tools and materials around, including a level and a hammer.

Wood-paneled room with floor tiles mid-installation using red and yellow spacers, and a metal basket filled with stones on the wall, possibly a sauna heater.

Small wooden sauna room under construction, featuring a wooden bench, stone tile floor with spacers, wooden paneled walls, and a rock heater basket.

Indoor sauna under construction with wooden walls, a tile floor partially installed, a heater with sauna stones, and a bench. A ruler and broom are visible on the floor.

Wooden sauna interior with bench and heater filled with stones.

Interior of a wooden sauna with LED strip lighting

Wood-paneled corner of a sauna with strip lighting

Interior of a wooden sauna with benches and a stone heater.

Interior of a wooden sauna with bench seating and ambient lighting.

Wooden sauna interior with bench seating and recessed lighting

Blue-lit modern sauna with wooden walls and rocks in corner.

Blue-lit sauna interior with wooden walls and seating, featuring a basket of stones.

Interior of a wooden sauna with green lighting, a bench, and a basket of sauna stones.

Wooden sauna interior with stacked stones in heater, bench on the right.

Unfinished interior of a wooden sauna with a heater filled with stones on the left side. The floor is concrete with black lines and measurements written on it. Wooden paneling covers the walls and ceiling.

Interior view of a wooden sauna room with a bench and a stone heater.

Wooden workbench on sawhorses in a workshop, with unfinished walls and a towel hanging nearby.

Wooden table under construction in a workshop with visible tools and unfinished walls.

Workshop with unfinished wooden tabletop on sawhorses, construction materials, and tools.

Wood-paneled room with a sauna heater and stone floor, possibly a sauna.

Interior of a wood-paneled sauna with an electric heater on the wall and concrete floor.

Electrical panel with two light switches, labeled "Left Fan Switch," mounted on a wooden frame against a concrete wall with visible wiring.

Electric panel with circuit board, cables, and terminal blocks mounted on a wall.

Interior of a wooden attic with sloped ceiling, featuring unfinished wood paneling and partially insulated walls.

Interior of a small room under construction with wooden walls and ceiling, partially completed insulation visible.

Wood-paneled attic with partially foiled and insulated walls in construction.

Interior of an unfinished room with wood framing, foil insulation, a step ladder, and a laser level projecting green lines.

Partially constructed small wooden room with metal insulation and laser level on a ladder

Interior view of a room under construction with exposed wooden framing and reflective insulation on the walls.

Wooden framing structure with foil insulation inside a room under construction, featuring electrical wiring and a light on the left wall.

Interior of a room under construction with reflective insulation on walls and ceiling.

Room under construction with reflective insulation material on walls and ceiling, wooden framework visible, and exposed concrete floor.

Room with walls covered in reflective foil, wooden frame, and a spotlight on the floor.

Unfinished room with wooden framing, exposed insulation, and ductwork.

Partially constructed room with wooden framing and exposed pipes, electrical wiring, and tools scattered on the floor.

Unfinished utility room with exposed framing, ductwork, and pipes

Unfinished basement with wood framing, exposed pipes, ductwork, and a floor lamp.

Wooden sauna with glass door and metal handle in a basement setting.

Wooden door with glass panel in a workshop setting, exposed beams, and visible tools inside.

Wooden sauna interior with a bench, bucket, ladle, and heated stones.