I watched a lot of videos online as I was waiting for my sauna to be manufactured. I remember I had around 5 weeks of time to study the design and all the instructions also from other manufacturers who specialize on barrel sauna production. It is true that usually at least two people are working on the assembly, but I could imagine that doing it alone would not be impossible! Also, the palette arrived just in the week when my family was out of town for a vacation, so I had to make a decision to either wait for my family, or to try to build it by myself. And of course I couldn’t just let the sauna be out there, so I decided to try to build it on my own! My dad laughed at me and did not believe I would be able to finish it until they arrived. The idea for making a short assembly film came immediately as I wanted to show my family later on how I did it!

I’m a big fan of sauna baths in general and when we moved from the city to the countryside in the summer of this year, I was wondering that it would be quite nice to have a small private sauna in our backyard, to relax and enjoy with the family and friends. Also, even though we are situated in central Europe, we still get very cold winters, so it’s practical, healthy and comfortable to be independent and just go to sauna whenever we feel like it. Barrel sauna was kind of a dream because I was always fascinated by the beautiful shape and practicality. It’s like having a little exotic wooden house that catches your eye at first sight. I really liked the idea of a wood burning stove, the cracking, the smell! Yet distant from all digital technologies, all work, hurry and the endless noise of our hectic culture.

I was checking the local sauna distributors in my country, but nothing seemed like a good option. It was either nonsense expensive or the companies would offer just assembled saunas where the only possible way to transport it would be with a huge crane truck, which would be impossible as our backyard does not have any access to the road. I almost gave up on the idea when one day I searched for sauna manufacturers outside of my country, but with the shipping availability across the EU. And the first thing I clicked on was Baltresto! The price was very appealing and I really liked the website, the individual products with optional extras, including stoves, doors, windows, benches, lightning etc. The quality looked very good too, but I was a bit sceptical about the shipping price, coming all the way from Estonia it must be at least a thousand euros, I was thinking to myself. Luckily I was wrong and the shipping price was not even half of it! And it would still be the best possibility compared to our local stores!

It’s really great that almost all parts are packed individually, so they are not heavy and you can handle it by yourself. There were only two moments when it was a challenge for a single person to figure out. The first moment was with the round wooden panels, the front one and the back one. Once put together they were very heavy and the only way I could move them was by rolling them, which I know was not ideal. But with a little bit of struggle and strength, you will get there! The other moment was the chimney. That is actually the only part I was not even able to film because I struggled a lot to put it through the black protective rubber insert. But again, nothing that would stop you, just makes it a bit more difficult.

I recommend having good quality work tools and enough surrounding space to build. It is also important to have a leveled surface made of concrete or other solid material. It’s good to think twice about each step and not hurry anywhere. Of course a battery-powered screwdriver, tape measure, spirit level and a rubber hammer are an absolute must. Putting on the wooden staves, roof shingles or the indoor benches is not too much of a big deal and it’s pretty easy to do!

It’s simply wonderful! My whole family was very happy with the final result and we really enjoyed the decorative updates like choosing a nice lantern for our candles and just making it a peaceful and relaxing place where we can all meet and just enjoy the present moment together. Sometimes I feel like we live in a world where everybody is so busy and rarely has any free time to truly turn off. We go and watch a film or spend our time on the phones, but that just doesn’t really feel like resting, our minds are constantly racing and worrying about tomorrow!! But when you sit in the sauna, you just breathe and nothing else. For someone like me, who works in the creative industry, this is exactly what I needed! 

After two months of usage, I can confirm that the quality is really good indeed. The wooden staves have expanded a little and we had to adjust the doors because of the hot air and its effect on the wood, but that is a standard procedure for all saunas, especially during the first few weeks of usage. Other than that it’s working perfectly and I have high hopes that it will last for years!! It’s the best investment we made this year and we couldn’t be happier with anyone else than Baltresto! Thank you so much for producing affordable but high-quality saunas for anyone in Europe! :)

We hope to see more of his creative endeavors in the future and wish him all the best.