Congratulations on finally deciding to add a steam shower in your bathroom remodeling.  Steam showers and saunas come with many health benefits, such as helping you create a wellness routine. However, if you are looking to build your own steam room yourself, you may want to create a well-thought plan and devote some extra time and money to the project. In most cases, space will define your style, but it’s always prudent to put other considerations into mind to bring your vision to reality. Here are the top considerations you can make when building a home steam shower.

Size of the Steam Room

No space is ever too small when it comes to a steam room. What you have is enough depending on what you want to achieve in the long run. Before visualizing your plan, be sure to take measurements to know what you’re working with. If the steam shower is replacing the tub, you have more than enough space at your disposal. Determine whether you and your family will be having solo steaming sessions or you will need a couple’s time.

Outdoor or Indoor?

When it comes to steam rooms, there’s no specific area to build them. That means you have a good option to build an outdoor steam room or simply make it a home addition. If the steam room is replacing the original shower, you need to set reasonable time and expectations. Your project may encounter several challenges, such as water damage behind the tiles or below the original shower pan.  This type of damage typically happens in older homes but can occur in any home, especially if the shower was poorly installed.

How Much Time to Allocate

Don’t be in a hurry when building your steam room. Experts will advise you to go slow on every aspect of the project to ensure everything goes as it should. This should take you several weeks or more than a month due to the precision work involved. Some materials also require time to set properly. For instance, the materials used to create the pan must be left to set for a week. Topcoat sealant materials should be allowed to sit for at least 72 hours, while caulk and silicone are required to set for at least 24 hours.  Tiling is not only difficult but also time-consuming –a process that requires precision and patience. You should use these breaks to rest and inspect the already completed areas.

Materials for Finishing

Before you start working on your dream steam room, plan your materials well in advance. Remember the type of materials you choose will affect steam retention and the size of generator you will need. The market offers a wide selection of materials you can use to achieve a beautiful customized finish, such as marble, ceramic tile, granite, porcelain, fiberglass, and glass tile. Most people recommend choosing more porous materials on walls and ceilings to dissipate heat more quickly. However, you don’t have to limit yourself only to porous materials because you can easily compensate for them by having a larger steam generator to keep the heat at the required levels.