CHAPTER 4:
Quality of Assembly
Can poor assembly really change how saunas works?
Of course!
Like anything, there are good manufactures and bad ones. The bad ones will do anything to save a buck. Yes, you might not notice it at first, but over time you will!
And in this chapter, I’m going to expose what cheap manufacturers do and what to look for.
WHAT TO AVOID
Here’s where cheap sauna manufacturers expose their vulnerability to quality control.
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Saunas that use exterior buckles and clips compensate for poor workmanship, misaligned hardware, and sloppy tolerance limits. Walls that are poorly cut do not face up properly can still be forcefully clamped together since the tang or loop on the buckles is 1 ½” in length.
Walls that are too wide or too narrow, that have been forced together will warp and bow over time. Buckles and clips are unsightly on the exterior or interior and make a sauna look cheap.
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Magnets aren’t strong enough to hold the sauna walls securely in place if you should bang up against the wall. Magnets also don’t provide a tight, consistent fit from top to bottom between adjacent walls. Cold air leaks often result. Misalignment of hardware further weakens the structural integrity.
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While slightly better than buckles or magnets, slide clasp brackets mounted on the sides and edges of walls are often misaligned, causing one wall to be higher than another. Now the roof won’t fit properly. Improperly cut walls sometimes prevent the slide clasp brackets from being connected at all. A common problem with ‘assembly line’ home sauna products.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Bolt/Anchor Assembly System: A good bolt/anchor system requires tight tolerance wall construction and precise, pre-drilled hole alignment. With countersunk steel anchors to fasten the furniture bolt ends, side panels are easily and securely attached to the front and back panels. Bolt and anchor assembly avoids stripping out the wood and facilitates easy reassembly, in case you have to move your sauna.
The Bolt/ Anchor System creates a tight, secure fit and a solid, durable assembly. No air leaks. This furniture assembly method permits the natural expansion and contraction of sauna walls during hot and cold temperature swings. Without undue pressure on the walls, there is little risk of warping, splitting, or cupping.
Note: All Rocky Mountain Saunas have been assembled at the manufacturing facility and subjected to an extensive operational and quality control inspection. After passing inspection, saunas are then disassembled and each wall panel, base platform, and roof cap is individually wrapped and packaged in heavy-duty cardboard shipping cartons. Custom designed cardboard corner blocks and thick Styrofoam sheets placed between wall panel layers offer maximum protection during shipping
