Monthly Archives: September 2010
Sizzle Your Sausage in the Sauna
Would you like a sauna sausage? That’s what I was asked when I was visiting some friends in Finland last summer. I had no idea what a sauna sausage was at the time although logic told me it was a sausage cooked in a sauna. It turned out I was absolutely right!
Sauna Sausage
I was offered two different types of sausages, one had cheese in it and the alternate didn’t. Sauna sausages are called sauna Makkara in Finnish. I opted to try both. The sauna which my friends had was approximately a 3 hour drive north of Helsinki in the Finnish countryside at their summer cottage. The home sauna is located on a lakeside with picturesque views and not a car or any other man made noise to be heard. It was incredibly peaceful; quite an apt setting for my first sauna sausage experience!
The sauna had been heating up for about an hour and the sausages were on a metal plate which was suspended above the sauna stove. They were thick long plump sausages which had cracked from the great heat from the sauna stove below. The heat from the sauna stove had made the skin of the sausages nice; it was perfect. I ventured up onto the top bench of the sauna and lay down. I glanced up at the temperature, it was about 80 Celsius. I put two ladles of water from the bucket (loyle) onto the sauna stove, feeling the heat quickly flooding the entire sauna. It felt wonderful.
After 5 minutes I took a sauna sausage out of the sauna and sat on the decking wood looking out over the lake and pine forests. The sausage tasted fantastic and without a doubt the most special sausage I’ve ever had. I put the sausage down on the plate, swallowed my last bite and jumped in the lake; refreshing!
I climbed back out, ate the rest of my sausage and entered the sauna again. It was a perfect evening if you ask me! Sausages just simply taste better in saunas!
Steam Showers pay for themselves!
Many of us do not need a reason to purchase a steam shower enclosure for our own home, as there are already many obvious explanations including health and relaxation benefits. One reason that may have already been overlooked by yourself and many others is how much financial gain you can get from installing a steam shower in your home. According to real estate experts, individuals who install steam showers or saunas can expect to gain back at least 5 times what you initially paid for it, increasing the overall value of your home.
In addition to this, having a steam shower or private home sauna immediately makes your home unique and compelling to buy. Luxury additions such as these are considered just that – Luxurious. If a potential buyer finds themselves torn between your home and another with very similar price tags, the inclusion of a sauna or steam room may be the exact thing that sways them towards you. Not only does it increase the overall value of your home, you improve the chances of selling your home quicker.
A typical freestanding steam shower enclosure combines standard showering features such as a shower head, with the added benefit of a steam generator. Users can then enjoy a 30 minute steam session followed by a cold invigorating shower to wash away all the toxins – All in the same space. There is no need to allocate the steam generator at another point in the house, as typically they are built onto the back of the unit itself. This results in a straightforward installation that’s completed at a fraction of the cost of a wet room.
Unlike a wet room, you dont’ need to worry about creating a water resistant enclosed area, inclusive of membrane and selective tiling. Furthermore, you need to ensure your door system is air tight to ensure that water and steam alike stays in the room. Creating a waterproof membrane can be quite costly, especially if not done correctly in the first place.
If you’re looking to add instant proven value to your home, consider the option of a steam shower enclosure when upgrading your bathroom. You’ll be benefitting both your body and your wallet.