Almost Heaven Saunas Blue Ridge Operating instructions

Blue Ridge Sauna
Installation &
Owner’s Manual
Revised December, 2012

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CHECK YOUR BOXES
Be sure to immediately check your boxes against your shipping list and bill of lading. Examine for any damage and and
notify Almost Heaven Saunas if there needs to be a repair or replacement of damaged or missing materials.
ELECTRICAL REQUIREMENTS
All electrical wiring must be performed by A QUALIFIED LICENSED ELECTRICIAN. Because of the heat involved in the
sauna, it is required that you use copper wire with 90ºC insulation. Do not use aluminum wire to make the connection.
Consult with an electrician so you can determine the requirements for your particular situation. All wiring must conform
to all national, state and local codes and regulations and according to the instructions provided with the heater.
LOCATING THE SAUNA
Your Blue Ridge Sauna is designed for indoor use. Be sure your sauna is installed on a floor that is firm and flat. In-
stalling on carpet is not advised due to both the water that will be used in the sauna as well as the difficulty in assembly
on a soft surface. A concrete, tiled or vinyl surface are recommended as ideal surfaces for installation.
ASSEMBLY
You should use two people for the assembly of the Blue Ridge Sauna. The wall and roof sections are large and need
two people to lift and hold in place during assembly.
BASIC TOOLS
You should have the following tools:
 Cordless drill for driving screws
 Stepladder or stool
 Rubber Mallet
 Claw hammer
 Screwdrivers (Phillips and Flathead)
 Framing Square
 Utility knife
 Level
Read this entire manual through to the end before proceeding with the assembly.

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1. Locate the 4 WALL SUPPORT RAILS
The 4 rails are all identical and will be used to cre-
ate the wall support. The rails will support the
weight of the sauna but will not be attached to the
floor or assembled sauna walls.
NOTE: Be sure your surface is flat before you
begin assembly.
Wall Support Rails
2. Connect the WALL SUPPORT RAILS
Connect the corners using a 2” screw through each
of the 4 pre-drilled holes on the inside of the rail
groove.
NOTE: Be sure that the rails are square and level
and that the screw head does not protrude into the
groove.
Connect Wall Support Rails
3. Position completed WALL SUPPORT
Place the completed wall support into position.
You will need at least 2’ around each side of the
sauna to comfortably complete the assembly.
NOTE: Once finished it is possible but not easy to
slide the sauna closer to a wall due to the weight
of the finished sauna room.
Completed Wall Support
4. Position WALL SECTION A
Position Wall Section A on the left rear side of the
sauna according to the guide on ILLUSTRATION
1 on following page.
NOTE: Wall A should only go as far back in the
groove as shown so that the back wall section B
can overlap the edge of wall A.
Position Wall Section A

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5. Position WALL SECTION B
Position Wall Section B on the left rear of the sau-
na according to ILLUSTRATION 1.
NOTE: Wall Section B will overlap Wall A.
Position Wall Section B
6. Attach Wall Section B to Wall Section A
Using 2” screws, connect Wall Section B to Wall
Section A using the pre-drilled holes.
NOTE: Be sure the wall edges and top edges
align evenly.
Attach Wall Sections A and B
ILLUSTRATION 1
The 8 wall sections, A– H, will be
positioned in the grooves of the
completed wall support section as
shown.
A
BC
D
E
F
G
H
Completed
Wall
Support

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Position Wall Section C
8. Position WALL SECTION D
Position Wall Section D on the right rear side of
the sauna according to the guide on ILLUSTRA-
TION 1. Using 2” screws and pre-drilled holes,
fasten Wall Section C to Wall Section D.
NOTE: As with step 6, be sure the wall edges and
top edges align evenly.
Position Wall Section D
9. Position WALL SECTION E
Position Wall Section E on the front right side of
the sauna according to the guide on ILLUSTRA-
TION 1.
NOTE: Wall Section E will attach to Wall Section
D by way of the tongue and groove profile but will
not be fastened with screws.
Position Wall Section E
10. Position WALL SECTION F
Position Wall Section F on the right front of the
sauna according to the guide on ILLUSTRATION
1. Using 2” screws and pre-drilled holes, fasten
Wall Section F to Wall Section E.
NOTE: As with step 6, be sure the wall edges and
top edges align evenly.
Position Wall Section F
7. Position WALL SECTION C
Position Wall Section C on the right rear side of
the sauna according to the guide on ILLUSTRA-
TION 1.
NOTE: Wall Section C will attach to Wall Sec-
tion B by way of the tongue and groove profile but
will not be fastened with screws.

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Install filler strip to Wall Section F
12. Position WALL SECTION G
Position Wall Section G on the left front side of
the sauna according to the guide on ILLUSTRA-
TION 1.
NOTE: Wall Section G will not attach to Wall
Section A.
Position Wall Section G
13. Position WALL SECTION H
Position Wall Section H on the front left side of
the sauna according to the guide on ILLUSTRA-
TION 1. Using 2” screws and pre-drilled holes,
fasten Wall Section H to Wall Section G.
NOTE: Wall Section H will not attach to the filler
strip previously attached to Wall Section F.
Position Wall Section H
14. Attach WALL CONNECTOR
Find the pre-drilled wall connector. Place the
wall connector on the top of the front wall edge,
bridging walls H, the filler strip, and wall F.
Screw it into place with 2” screws.
Attach wall connector
11. Install FILLER STRIP
Screw the filler strip to Wall Section F to fill the
gap between Wall Sections F and H. Optional
trim pieces will later be installed over this joint.
NOTE: Due to the inherent variations in lumber
dimensions, this gap may not be completely filled
by the filler piece. This will be addressed later.
H

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Completed Roof Support
16. Attach ROOF SUPPORT over walls
Position the completed Roof Support over the wall
sections. Once in place on all 4 sides, use 2”
screws to attach Roof Support to wall sections.
NOTE: Tap the Roof Support firmly in place
with a rubber mallet so wall sections are fully in-
serted into the groove before screwing into place.
Attach Roof Support over walls
17. Position ROOF SECTIONS
Place two Roof Sections on top of Roof Support,
nesting the tongue of one section into the groove
of the other. Measure around perimeter before fas-
tening to be sure distance from edge is equal.
NOTE: Finished side of Roof Sections are to face
the interior of the sauna.
Position Roof Sections
18. Fasten ROOF SECTIONS
Using 2-1/2” screws, fasten Roof Sections to Roof
Support using pre-drilled holes.
NOTE: Be sure to keep even distance from edge
of Roof Section edges and Roof Support edges
around perimeter of sauna as measured in step 17.
Fasten Roof Sections to Roof Support
15. Build ROOF SUPPORT
Assemble 4 roof support rails in the same way you
assembled the wall support rails in step 2.
NOTE: Be sure that the rails are square and level
and that the screw head does not protrude into the
groove.

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Attach Roof Trim pieces
20. Attach EDGE TRIM - Optional*
You can cover the corners of the sauna with Edge
Trim. There are 4 pieces: 4-narrow and 4-wide.
Attach with 1-1/2” screws or finish nails, using
one narrow and one wide piece for each corner.
Attach the narrow piece first and then overlap with
the wide piece.
Attach Edge Trim: OPTIONAL
19. Attach ROOF TRIM
Find the package of 4 Roof Trim pieces and attach
to the raw edge of the Roof Sections with 1-1/2”
screws or finish nails.
NOTE: The trim pieces are not pre-drilled. You
may install using screws or finish nails, whichever
style you prefer.
Attach Wall Trim
21. Attach WALL TRIM - Optional*
There are 6 pieces of wall trim. These can be used
to cover the interior and exterior wall joints be-
tween Wall Sections D and E, Wall Sections H
and F, and Wall Sections A and G. Attach with 1-
1/2” screws or finish nails.
* The use of the Edge Trim and Wall Trim is optional and will not adversely affect the structure
or performance of the sauna if not used. Some people prefer the exposed countersunk screw
heads on the edge corners and would rather not have the additional trim. This is completely
discretionary and should be based on your aesthetic tastes. The Wall Trim may be desired if
there is a slight gap between the walls, which can be caused by expansion and contraction of
the lumber. Again, it is your choice and will not affect the performance of the sauna. If you
choose not to use the trim we suggest you keep it stored in case you decide you want to use it at
a later date. Also, we have provided 1-1/2” screws or finish nails. You can use whichever best
suits your tastes!

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22. Attach TOP BENCH SUPPORTS
Using 2” screws, attach the Top Bench Supports
into Wall Sections A and D using the pre-drilled
holes in both the Bench Supports and Wall Sec-
tions.
Attach Top Bench Supports
23. Attach TOP BENCH
Using 2” screws, attach the Top Bench to the To
Bench Supports using the pre-drilled holes in the
Top Bench.
NOTE: The Top Bench is slightly wider than the
Bottom Bench.
Attach Top Bench
Attach Bottom Bench Supports
25. Attach BOTTOM BENCH
Using 2” screws, attach the Bottom Bench to the
Bottom Bench Supports using the pre-drilled holes
in the Bottom Bench.
NOTE: The Bottom Bench will overlap two wall
sections on each side of the sauna.
Attach Bottom Bench
24. Attach BOTTOM BENCH SUPPORTS
Using 2” screws, attach the Bottom Bench Sup-
ports into Wall Sections using the pre-drilled holes
in both the Bench Supports and Wall Sections.

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26. Attach Washer to VENT COVER
Put a 2” screw through the hole of the vent cover
and then place the washer over the screw as
shown.
Attach Washer to Vent Cover
27. Attach VENT COVER
Screw the Vent Cover over the vents on Wall Sec-
tion B using the pre-drilled hole.
NOTE: Tighten only enough so vent cover will
turn freely over vents.
Attach Vent Cover
Attach Door Handles
28. Attach DOOR HANDLES
The door handle assembly will consist of the fol-
lowing components: 2-Door handles, 1- Male ma-
chine screw, 1-Female machine screw, 2-Square
Wooden Spacers, and 2-Round Wooden Spacers.
Locate the single hole in the glass door. Push one
machine screw through one of the pre-drilled han-
dles, through a round wooden spacer, through the
glass, and into the other machine screw, which has
already been pushed through the other door handle
and another round wooden spacer. Tighten the
screws to a point where the handle is secure on the
door, but still rotates freely. With a level, position
each of the handles so that they are horizontal and
then screw the end of the handles into the hinge
board that is attached to the glass door with the
wood screws. Now tighten the long machine
screws. TAKE CARE THAT YOU DO NOT
OVER TIGHTEN AND BREAK THE GLASS.

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29. Assembly HEATER FENCE
The Heater Fence consists of four precut,
vertically notched posts and six horizontal
rails that must be assembled before it is
installed to the wall adjacent to the heater.
The vertical fence posts have slots cut into
them for the rails. The two vertical fence
posts that go against the wall have slots on
just one face, as well as counter-bored screw
holes for attaching them to the sauna wall.
The two fence posts that sit away from the
wall will have slots cut into two of their faces.
Note the beveled ends on the fence rails that
go into the corner posts. The ends of the rails
that go into the fence posts that attach to the wall are square. Assemble the fence before attaching it
to the wall by placing the rails into the slots in the posts and using the supplied 1” nails as shown.
You may want to put a small amount of wood glue into the slots. Be sure to nail at an angle so that
the points will not go through the post. Countersink all nails. Once the fence is assembled, attach it
to the wall behind the heater using the supplied wood screws.
Heater Fence Assembly
30. HEATER INSTALLATION
Mount the heater as shown in the manufacturer's
instructions. The heater should be mounted on Wall Sec-
tion E, over the vents and 6” from the floor of the sauna.
All the necessary hardware is supplied with the heater.
Drill a hole below and behind the heater to run the wire
and/or conduit according to local electrical codes. The
heater will be hard-wired according the specific wiring re-
quirements for your heater.
Do not attempt to wire the heater yourself. Contact a licensed electrician in accordance with your
local electrical codes. Heater brand may vary depending on where the sauna was purchased. In-
stall sauna stones in accordance with heater manufacturer instructions.
Typical wiring requirements for up to 30 feet distance from the breaker box are as follows:
4.5kw-6.0kw heaters require 10-2 w/ground, copper only wire, and 30amp non-GFCI breaker.
8.0kw and 9.0kw heaters require 8-2 w/ground, copper wire only, and 40amp non-GFCI breaker.
Heater Installation

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Attach Light Fixture
31. Attach LIGHT FIXTURE
Have a licensed electrician mount and wire the
light fixture (on a separate circuit) into the
electrical box mounted in the sauna’s back wall.
Do not install your light switch inside the sauna.
Rather, install the switch inline outside of the sau-
na. If a switch is desired inside the sauna, then it
is recommended that you order the special light
upgrade from Almost Heaven Saunas that has an
integral switch. A standard incandescent bulb will
be sufficient, but the heat of the sauna will shorten
the life of a normal bulb. An appliance bulb, such
as those used in a kitchen oven, will last longer
than a standard bulb. Most people prefer subtle,
low wattage lighting in the sauna. Do not exceed
the wattage recommended by the light’s
manufacturer. Do not use compact florescent
blubs (also known as CFL bulbs), as the heat of
the sauna exceeds the temperatures recommended
by florescent bulb manufacturers.
32. Duckboard FLOOR SECTIONS
There are 4 floor sections that can be placed in the
sauna. These will lay directly on the concrete, tile
or vinyl floor that your sauna rests on.
The floor sections will sit loose for ease of remov-
al. Position them so that any gap between the
floor section and wall will be hidden on the back
wall and below the benches.
Heater Installation
Floor Sections

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33. DOOR HINGE ADJUSTMENT
The tension on the sauna door hinges needs to be
set in order for the door to close on its own. Look
for the small hinge box that is included with your
sauna kit. The hinges have been installed on the
sauna, but the box contains both the hex wrench
and set pins needed to adjust your door tension.
After the sauna is assembled, and with the door
closed, take the hex wrench and insert it in the top
of the hinge. Once the wrench is fitted into the
hex opening, turn the hex wrench clockwise
(toward the wood wall and away from the glass) to
tighten the hinge tension. You will feel the ten-
sion as you tighten. While leaving the hex wrench
inserted and the tension held in place, insert the set
pin into the hinge as shown. Repeat the process
with the other hinge as each hinge must be tight-
ened to the same degrees of tension.
The door should close gently on its own without
slamming shut. If it does not, then repeat the pro-
cess to each hinge to increase the tension further.
Save the hex wrench for future adjustment.
Adjust tension with hex wrench
Insert pin and relax tension to hold

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TREATING THE SAUNA
Western Canadian Red Cedar is naturally resistant to the elements and will retain its natural col-
or when not in direct sunlight. If you wish to stain your sauna, your local paint store can rec-
ommend a stain for Red Cedar. A stain with a UV inhibitor will retain the full natural color of
the cedar and is recommended if the sauna will be exposed to sunlight, say, when located by a
window or slider door. Be sure to follow the directions from the stain manufacturer for applica-
tion instructions. Never treat the inside of the sauna, and never use varnish or paint on the exte-
rior of the sauna.
OPERATION
After the sauna has been installed, sweep down the inside to remove any sawdust and wood
shavings, and then vacuum completely. Using a damp cloth and warm water, wipe down the
entire sauna including the benches to remove any remaining dirt, dust and debris. Rinse off the
sauna rocks and install them in or on the heater in accordance with the heater manufacturer’s
instructions. Improper placement of heater rocks can result in lower than desired heat tempera-
tures. The first time you turn the heater on, set it to the maximum setting and operate it for
about 30 minutes with the door propped open. Then close the door and allow your sauna to
come up to the desired temperature.
Since you most likely will use your sauna as both a "wet sauna" and a "dry sauna", you should
install the sauna rocks that have been included with the heater, following the manufacturers
instructions. These stones are necessary if water will be sprinkled on the heater to create the
"wet sauna", and they will produce more consistent heating in the dry mode (without the use of
water). It is common for a stone to occasionally crack during initial heating. If excess amounts
of water are used during sauna, prop door open to let the humidity escape. Not much water is
necessary to achieve a “wet sauna”.
The amount of ventilation in the sauna can be adjusted by means of the vent located toward the
top of the sauna. It is important to have adequate fresh air flowing through the sauna, and this
flow can be adjusted with the movable vent cover.

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ACCESSORIES
 Mount the thermometer on the opposite wall as the heater and 6" from the top of the ceiling.
 A wooden bucket and ladle are provided for you to sprinkle water over the hot sauna rocks.
 Optional accessory kit available.
Almost Heaven Saunas, LLC
Mailing Address Shipping Address
P.O. Box 190 HC66, Box 465-A
Macatawa, MI 49434 Highway 219 North
Renick, WV 24966
Sales 888-355-3050
Service 304-497.3991
Email [email protected]

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TAKING A SAUNA BATH
The sauna as we know it comes from Finland. Taking a sauna bath induces excessive perspiration, which
cleanses the skin. It stimulates circulation and reduces muscular tension. It can also be an excellent relaxational
or social activity.
Not to be confused with a steam bath, a sauna is a dry heat bath. The relative humidity rarely exceeds 30% even
in a wet sauna. This is because the sauna is made of porous wood and absorbs moisture. This makes higher
temperatures more tolerable.
Shown below are the steps that are involved in taking a traditional bath. You may or may not want to adhere to
this regimen.
TRADITIONAL STEPS IN TAKING A SAUNA BATH
STEP #1 - Set your heater so that the sauna room achieves the desired temperature, usually between 150º F and
170º F. As a novice, you should begin at the lower end of this range and work your way up to the higher
temperatures over several sauna baths.
STEP #2 - Remove all clothing (except maybe your swimsuit), eyeglasses, contact lenses, jewelry, etc. Take a
quick shower with warm water and soap, or a quick dip in your hot tub.
STEP #3 - Enter the sauna initially for about 5 to 15 minutes. Bring a towel into the sauna onto which you can
sit or lay. Leave the sauna room once you have begun to perspire freely.
STEP #4 - Now you may take a cold plunge in your swimming pool, shower or snow bank. After that, relax and
cool down for another 10 to 20 minutes.
STEP #5 - Re-enter the sauna. On this return visit you may wish to sprinkle small amounts of water onto the
rocks creating bursts of steam. If the water spills through the heater and onto the floor, you are using too much,
although this will not hurt the heater or the sauna.
STEP #6 - After your final visit to the sauna, relax for at least 20 minutes. Shower with soap and warm water.
Finish your shower with cooler water to close the pores of your skin. Dress only after you have cooled down
completely.
NOTE: Whatever your sauna regimen, it is important that you keep your self hydrated by drinking plenty
of water!