Sauna

[nelsonic]

We decided to install a Sauna in Braga because the Health benefits seemed compelling. (see below)

Todo/Tasks

• Prepare final design/layout of Sauna Enclosure with sunken "machine room".
• Design location of Heat Exchanger Pumps (under the back staircase)
• Ensure that Wheelchair lift and passage is not blocked by the structures.
• Send to Sr. Pinheiro for feasibility check with his engineers.

Background Reading/Watching

"Frequent visits to a sauna were also associated with lower death rates from cardiovascular disease and stroke."
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/sauna-use-linked-longer-life-fewer-fatal-heart-problems-201502257755
"in the male population, moderate to high frequency of sauna bathing was associated with lowered risks of dementia and Alzheimer's disease." https://academic.oup.com/ageing/article-abstract/46/2/245/2654230
Watch:

• Tim Ferris Evening Routine Sauna: https://youtu.be/eLYqhezACpc?t=299
• Hyperthermic Conditioning for Hypertrophy, Endurance, and Neurogenesis
  
  https://youtu.be/aHOlM-wlNjM
• more: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sauna+health

Read:

• https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-12265/6-benefits-of-infrared-sauna-therapy.html
• https://tim.blog/2014/04/10/saunas-hyperthermic-conditioning-2/
• https://blog.bulletproof.com/infrared-sauna-benefits-detox
• http://www.finnleo.com/pages/health-and-wellness

Brochure:

Quote:

Price: €3,355

[nelsonic]

@iteles what are your thoughts on this step design for accessing the decking area behind the pool:

If you have time to pair on this (shorter feedback cycles) please visit my (standing) desk, thanks!

[nelsonic]

Re-making it with a wider step ...
(geometric) "construction lines" (2D):

reduced to just essential (with dimensions) ... preparing for "push":

Levels "pushed" (3D):

@iteles what are your thoughts on this design?

[nelsonic]

Sauna Super Structure design:

[nelsonic]

With the subterranean "machine room" for all the pumps & filters:

@iteles is this "enough" to send to Sr. Pinheiro?

[nelsonic]

Zoomed out and rotated slightly for context:

[iteles]

@nelsonic Plenty enough! Thanks for letting me 'pair' with you.
Do you want to send it or shall I?

[nelsonic]

@iteles should I "fill in" more detail like the walk way between the pool and the house?
(or do you think that part is "clear" to them?)

[iteles]

@nelsonic I definitely think that's clear. They know they need to fill it in and level it, the cladding isn't an issue right now.

[nelsonic]

@iteles I'm happy for you to send the email so you can "control" the coms:

I could add a bunch more detail if you think it will result in more certainty for the execution.
But I suspect that right now, Sr. Pinheiro is just going to "pass on" the idea/sketch to his engineer.

[nelsonic]

Proposed stairs:
http://www.leroymerlin.pt/Site/Produtos/Madeiras/Escadas/Escadas-de-interior/17728760.aspx

But a basic ladder fixed in place will do the trick even for "long term".
I can prepare the copy for the email if it would help.

[iteles]

@nelsonic I'm thinking of sending the stairs close-up (#16 (comment)) and the last two full view of the whole thing drawings.
Is there anything else I should send?

[iteles]

@nelsonic I propose the following simple wording, followed by the 2 pictures of the full view of the works to be done + the close-up of the steps leading up to the spa:

Boa tarde Sr. Pinheiro

Conforme combinado, juntamos os nossos desenhos para a casa das maquinas para poder orçamentar.
Noto que há uma pequena diferença do que tinhamos falado em que encostamos a sauna novamente á parede para haver mais espaço de passagem. O chuveiro com lava-pés ficará então na parede lateral da sauna como tinha sugerido.

Como sabe, a nossa preferência será ter as bombas de calor também neste quarto subterrâneo - ficou de confirmar com o seu técnico se isto é possivel.

Confirmamos ontem tambem que tanto o esgoto principal como o esgoto por gravidade iriam sair na frente da casas e não se misturarem com as aguas da casa principal. Combinamos também que estes canos/tubos teriam de passar rentinhos ao muro exterior porque ainda vai ser construida a caixa de reaproveitamento das aguas no jardim da frente

[nelsonic]

Machine room with the stairs:

Shower with feet-washer:

[stefek99]

Related (opposite) to sauna - ice baths?

(create a separate issue as you see appropriate)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaMjhwFE1Zw

[nelsonic]

@stefek99 great point, Wim Hof https://www.wimhofmethod.com is really cool. ❄️ 😉
We feel that having a cold shower next to the sauna will provide decent cryotherapy 😰
We aren't currently planning for an ice-bath at the (first) house simply because space is not infinite ...
but it's definitely something to consider for the next iteration. 💭 💡

• http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20161209-do-athletes-need-to-take-ice-baths
• https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/heres-what-happened-when-i-took-ice-water-baths-every-day-for-2-weeks.html
• https://fitmo.com/personal-trainer-blog/6-benefits-ice-bath

[stefek99]

Look how small:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6YtmPo9pxg

[nelsonic]

Yeah, a Tony Robbins style plunge pool has always been on my “list”. But considering he is a giant, the dimensions of this pool plus surrounding border, looks to be 2.2m x 2.2m which is more than double the area it needs to be. We will definitely have one at some point in the future.

[iteles]

@nelsonic We have agreed with our builders that this hole will be dug manually.
We need to sit down to triple check the measurements so it can be done next week.

[nelsonic]

@iteles happy to sit down and review whenever you have time. ⏳ 👍

[iteles]

@nelsonic I've just had a call from the workmen who are closing up the machine room today, asking for us to confirm the size of the 'trap door' so they can leave the right amount of space for it.

In the plans above we have 1000mm x 1000mm for a custom hatch door.

I emailed 2 companies last month asking for quotes and neither got back to me, mostly because it is apparently pretty hard to find people who'll sell this for exterior rather than interior (loft ladders are pretty easy to find). Custom seems like the pay to go 👍

In terms of dimensions, all of the information I have found in terms of comparable products points to a rectangular shape allowing a little more space for the incorporated ladder in the length:

This roof hatch:

Comes in a few different sizes of which the 700mm x 1400mm makes the most sense:

However, I don't see a reason to not have fixed stairs made which would be less prone to need maintenance and ensure that the trap door isn't quite as heavy. It also means we could do pretty much whatever we wanted with the trap door size:

The only advantage of making it a little smaller (1000mm x 900mm) would be that it would be a little lighter to lift up, but given we don't need to make people's lives easy to get in there (sporadic maintenance), then either 1000mm x 900mm or 1000mm x 1000mm would work well.

Are you happy to go ahead with the existing proposed hatch size?

[nelsonic]

Inês, the trap door shoulda be opened as a separate (but linked) issue to ensure that the person (me) reading it does not need to scroll for miles to get to the point.

No, we should not make the trap door smaller than 1000mm x 1000mm
And in fact we should check with “Pinheiro” what the dimensions of then machines are that need to fit through the opening in order to be installed. That’s is our primary “constraint”, not the weight of the trap door which we can easily add a hydraulic opener to if it is “too heavy” ... but again it won’t be, because it will be around 15kg (in 10mm galvanised steel sheet) and will have a type 1 fulcrum, so even a child can’t lift it.

[iteles]

Trap door discussion moved to #43

[iteles]

Closing in favour of #106