Saunas near you

A traditional dry sauna heats the air to between 80 °C and 100 °C at low humidity, according to a 2026 review by the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health (NCCEH). Infrared saunas run cooler, at roughly 48 °C to 60 °C, because their panels warm the body rather than the room.

A heater has to match the room's volume and its insulation, glass and door, so the builder or manufacturer sizes it rather than the buyer guessing.

An electric sauna heater is a heavy, long-running load, so it needs its own circuit and a location and controls set by code. In Ontario, the Office of the Fire Marshal and the Electrical Safety Authority have jointly warned about fire hazards with electric saunas, reporting three deaths from sauna fires over ten years and naming tampered or disconnected safety components, such as heat sensors, high-limit switches, timers and thermostats, as frequent factors.

Their notice summarizes the Ontario Electrical Safety Code rules. Combustible materials next to a heater must not be heated above 90 °C, and each heated room needs a temperature control. The heater must be marked as suitable for sauna use, installed to its nameplate, fastened so its minimum clearances can't shrink, kept out from under shower heads, and controlled by a timed cut-off with a maximum setting of 1 hour and no override. Electrical products must also be approved and carry a recognized certification mark.

In Ontario, hire a Licensed Electrical Contractor, who files a notification of work with the Electrical Safety Authority before starting; in Quebec, hire an electrical contractor licensed through the CMEQ. Never let anyone bypass a sensor or timer, and replace failed parts only with approved components meant for that heater.

Even a dry sauna pushes warm, humid air toward its walls, and ladled steam or a shower next door adds more. The NCCEH review warns that a poorly installed sauna can let warm air penetrate the wood and condense, leading over time to mould and structural damage. It points to a vapour barrier in the walls and ceiling, vents for air flow, and the manufacturer's instructions on when to open the vents and the door so the room dries.

An outdoor sauna is an accessory building, so the rules for cabanas and pool houses apply. Toronto's permit guidance doesn't name saunas, but it requires a building permit for an accessory structure larger than 10 m², such as a pool house or cabana, and for any accessory structure attached to an existing building or with plumbing, whatever its size. Its small-shed exemption covers only buildings used for storage, so it doesn't fit a sauna. The same guidance requires a permit to install a wood-burning stove, and zoning applies even where no permit is needed.

In Montreal, outbuildings such as garden pavilions and spa shelters fall under borough rules: a permit may be needed depending on the type or dimensions, each borough sets the maximum height and the distances from the house, lot lines and street, and outbuildings stay out of the front yard except in specific cases.

A wood stove matters to your insurer as well. Insurers often want an inspection by a technician trained through WETT, the Wood Energy Technology Transfer program, which checks the appliance, its chimney and the clearances around it, so call your broker before the stove goes in.

Sauna heat raises heart rate and body temperature. The NCCEH review, produced with funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada, summarizes guidance that healthy people consider limiting a session to 10 to 15 minutes. It lists people who should consider 5 to 10 minutes: those with cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, seizure disorders, diabetes or significant obesity; those who have taken alcohol, drugs or medications that cause drowsiness or affect temperature control; people over 65; and those in the first trimester of pregnancy. Anyone with a health condition should check with their doctor first.