Thermowood Barrel Sauna

LC 225 – compact thermowood barrel sauna with a separate anteroom for up to four people

The Bloomcabin LC 225 combines a space-saving barrel shape with a separate anteroom and a sauna cabin for up to four people. With external dimensions of approx. 227 × 194 × 204 cm, it can suit smaller gardens and patios too. Internal height is around 175 cm. This model suits buyers who prefer a sheltered transition area over the longest possible heated cabin in a limited space.

Find further sizes and designs in the Bloomcabin sauna range.

The LC 225 at a glance

As well as the external dimensions, consider whether the seating, internal height, anteroom and intended electric heating suit your normal use.

How much everyday space does the LC 225 offer?

The LC 225 is designed for up to four people. With every seat occupied, the group sits closer together; for two people, the cabin provides considerably more personal space.

The model is therefore not oversized for couples. They benefit from a more comfortable seating arrangement while retaining a compact external footprint.

If you regularly sauna with a larger group, or prefer longer benches and greater freedom of movement, compare the LC 260 or a taller LCF version.

FSC®-certified thermowood for a garden barrel sauna

The LC 225 is made from FSC®-certified, heat-treated wood. Thermal treatment reduces moisture uptake and helps the timber remain more dimensionally stable.

Its warm timber tone and visible grain complement the traditional barrel form. This makes the sauna especially suitable beside timber decks, natural stone, garden planting and holiday-home properties.

Thermowood remains a natural material. Sun, rain and changing temperatures can alter its colour and cause slight movement in the timber. Regular visual inspections and material-appropriate care remain necessary.

An electric sauna heater for easy-to-plan sauna sessions

The LC 225 is intended for a suitable electric sauna heater. This makes it easier to fit sauna use into everyday life without preparing or storing firewood.

Required heater output depends on the actual cabin volume, glazing and the manufacturer’s instructions. An undersized heater lengthens warm-up time; an unnecessarily large heater does not automatically provide greater comfort.

Arrange for a licensed electrical worker to assess the electrical supply, protection and connection. Give them complete documentation for the selected sauna, heater and controller.

Level, load-bearing ground with reliable drainage

Even a compact barrel sauna needs a permanently level, load-bearing base. Depending on the site, this may be a concrete slab, professionally installed paving, suitable point foundations or a structurally assessed deck. The base must reliably carry the weight, minimise movement caused by frost, and support every intended bearing point evenly.

Mark out the sauna’s external outline at the proposed location and add the space needed in front of the door plus access for assembly, inspection and later care. Even minor height differences between bearing points can put the barrel structure under stress. The door may then bind or components may not align cleanly. Carefully check the finished base for level before assembly.

Rainwater or meltwater must not collect permanently beneath or beside the sauna. Drainage should take rainfall away from the structure without flooding neighbouring paths. Air must also be able to circulate beneath the construction. For an existing deck, check load capacity, fall, drainage and structural condition; a surface that looks solid is not automatically suitable as a sauna foundation.

LC 225 or HC 225 – anteroom or maximum heated interior?

The LC 225 uses part of its external length as an anteroom. This improves comfort and organisation, but reduces the length of the actual sauna room.

The HC 225 does without this transition area and makes more of its available length into a heated cabin.

For regular year-round use, the LC 225’s sheltered entrance is a key advantage. If maximum bench space within similar external dimensions is the priority, it is worth comparing the HC 225.

How to use the LC 225 during cool, wet weather

In cooler months, use the unheated anteroom only for quick changing and keeping dry textiles ready. As it can remain cool, take wet bathrobes and towels indoors after sauna use and dry them completely there.

Include the route between house and sauna in your winter planning. It should be well lit and safe to walk on when wet or frosty. Ensure the outer door can always open fully and that rainwater does not stand directly in front of the entrance.

After a longer break in use, carry out a visual check before the first heat-up. Inspect the door, accessible joints and ventilation areas for signs of moisture. Remove leaves and other debris around the base as well.

Dry the sauna room and inspect timber and connections regularly

After every sauna session, ventilate and dry the cabin fully. Damp towels and bathrobes should not be left on the benches or stored permanently in the anteroom.

Regularly inspect barrel bands, screw connections, door, seals and roof protection. Timber responds to changes in humidity and temperature, so occasional adjustment may be required.

Use material-compatible cleaning products and a lightly damp cloth. Pressure washers and harsh household chemicals are unsuitable for untreated sauna timber.

Who is the LC 225 particularly suited to?

This model is especially suited to households that usually use their sauna as a couple but occasionally invite other people. Small families can also enjoy a shared sauna solution without planning a large sauna house in the garden.

For holiday-home sites, the combination of classic barrel form, provision for electric heating and a sheltered entrance can also be appealing.

If you are particularly tall or generally want more headroom, compare the LCF 225, with around 210 cm of internal height.

Choosing a practical everyday location

The garden position affects how conveniently you can use the LC 225 regularly. A short walk from the house is pleasant, but local setback requirements and necessary access must also be considered. Walk the route as you would later use it barefoot or in sandals. Steps, loose gravel, hard-to-see edges and slippery surfaces can be inconvenient after a sauna session.

Also consider where you will cool down between sauna sessions and rest afterwards. You do not need a large wellness area, but you do need an easily reached space with seating that does not obstruct the route. Plan intended water connections, drainage and services professionally before positioning the sauna and creating paths.

Consider views from neighbouring properties and public paths. Screening should create privacy without restricting airflow around the timber or access for inspections. Leave enough space around plants so branches and persistently damp leaves do not rest against the outer wall.

Details that make coordination easier before assembly

A compact planning sheet helps coordinate the location, delivery, foundation and electrical work before assembly.

Clarify configuration, delivery and local requirements before purchase

Before purchase, check the selected configuration and its included items. Depending on the configuration, the electric heater, controller and sauna stones may be included or available separately.

Also clarify where delivery can be unloaded and how components will reach the foundation. Gates, stairs and tight turns must provide enough room for longer or bulky parts.

Check with your council whether building or resource consent is needed for the site and intended use, and confirm applicable setback and electrical requirements. See Useful information.

Assess running costs and care requirements realistically

Alongside the installation area, future running and maintenance costs are part of the purchase decision. For an electrically heated sauna, energy use depends on session length, frequency, outdoor temperature and personal sauna habits. A blanket consumption figure would therefore have little value. Instead, consider how often and with what typical occupancy you expect to use the LC 225.

The surroundings also create ongoing work. Paths need to stay clean and safe in winter, drains must be checked and plants cut back when needed. Plan regular visual inspections and suitable care steps for the timber construction according to its condition. An easily accessible site prevents barrel bands, base areas and timber surfaces from becoming difficult to reach later.

Plan the typical sequence of a sauna day too: where will clean textiles be kept, how will you reach the cooling-off area, and who will ensure that the cabin and anteroom can dry after the final session? Good organisation is more useful long term than extra equipment for which this compact model has no sensible space.

Prepare, sauna and then dry everything properly

Before switching on, the area around the electric heater must be completely clear. Towels, bathrobes, cleaning items and other objects belong neither on the heater nor close to it. Also check that ventilation areas are unobstructed and the door opens easily. Follow the respective manufacturer’s instructions for the heater, controller and sauna stones; do not alter electrical components yourself.

During sauna use, keep the compact interior tidy. Put only needed textiles on the benches and keep the way to the door clear. Keep children under the direct supervision of a responsible adult. Adjust duration, temperature and breaks to your own wellbeing, and leave the cabin if you feel unwell.

After the final sauna session, remove loose items and damp textiles from both areas. Let the cabin cool down in a controlled way and ventilate until benches and surfaces are dry. Use the operating instructions to make sure the electric heater is switched off.

Consider external dimensions, doorway and maintenance access together

On a small property, do not equate the required installation area with the sauna’s external dimensions alone. You need room to move in front of the entrance door. The sides, roof and base must also remain accessible for visual checks and care. Check whether garden furniture, borders, downpipes or plants will restrict future access.

Then check how the entrance door faces the path from the house. A position that works on a plan may be awkward in daily life if access requires walking around the entire sauna. Consider privacy when entering and leaving, and choose a location where rainwater can drain away from the entrance.

Assembly temporarily needs more clear working space than the sauna will occupy permanently. Keep the area around the foundation free of branches, projecting walls, garden furniture and stored items. Coordinate foundation work, path or deck construction and sauna assembly so the build area remains readily accessible until completion.

Complete electrical planning before foundation and garden work

The heater output, controller and connection type required for the LC 225 depend on the selected configuration and each manufacturer’s specifications. Have a licensed electrical worker clarify these points before service routes are closed, decks are finished or paving is laid. Retrofitting cables can cause avoidable excavation and surface work.

Planning includes the supply route, professionally installed protection and the right position for the intended controls. Outdoor electrical installations must be suitable for their particular use and installed by a licensed electrical worker. Extension leads or improvised connections do not replace a permanently planned power supply. Give the electrical worker the sauna, heater and controller documentation.

Also clarify how the installation will remain accessible after assembly. Concealed cables must not be endangered by later drilling, fixings or garden work. Record the cable route before it is no longer visible. At handover, you should know how the system is normally switched on and off and whom to contact if there is a fault.

Furnish the compact anteroom sparingly

The anteroom is not a full changing room. Hooks for bathrobes, a small shelf and enough clear movement space are generally sufficient.

Large cabinets or many stored items take away the compact entrance area’s main function: creating a straightforward transition between the garden and sauna cabin.

Choose furnishings that leave floors, walls and corners easily accessible for cleaning and visual checks. Loose or moisture-sensitive items should not be stored in the anteroom permanently.

Prepare assembly and first commissioning carefully

Read the assembly documentation in full before unpacking and distributing components. Plan a dry temporary storage area and protect timber parts from dirt and standing water. Check the delivery against your order documentation. Clarify the identity of any components that cannot be clearly recognised before working on or permanently fitting them.

During assembly, continuously check that the structure stands straight and that every connection follows the instructions. Do not overtighten fixings. In a barrel sauna, later door function depends on the precise interaction of many components. Small deviations during early assembly stages can accumulate by completion.

A final inspection is required before first use. Check the clear door path, correct installation of internal components, open ventilation areas and the visible condition of the external structure. The electric heater may only be used once professionally connected and once you understand how it operates. Keep assembly, care and heater documents for later inspections.

Keep ventilation clear and manage moisture carefully

The intended ventilation supports both the sauna climate and drying afterwards. Vent openings must therefore not be covered by textiles, decoration, later-added shelves or stored items. Do not change airflow solely for visual reasons, as ventilation, heater and room use need to work together.

During the first few uses, note where residual moisture remains after cooling. Wipe away visible water and provide sufficient air exchange rather than closing the cabin completely immediately after use. If particular areas repeatedly stay unusually damp for a long time, check the ventilation and the source of moisture.

Include the door area and the transition between anteroom and cabin in visual checks. Moisture marks, dirt or changes can be noticed early on these accessible surfaces and dealt with directly.

FAQ – Bloomcabin LC 225