In my last post, I discussed the pros and cons of building my own at-home sauna using heat lamps. In this post, I’ll tell you exactly how I did that for a little over $200. You can benefit from my experience, as I’ve learned some tips from using this setup as a heat source for FasciaBlasting and other fascia self-care for two years.

How To Build a DIY FasciaBlasting Sauna

1. The Base

You’ll need something sturdy to clamp the lights onto. For a while, I clamped mine onto existing hardware in my bathroom- the towel racks. But if you do that, you’re limited in terms of placement, which will affect where exactly the heat can be directed.

You’re going to need to use your own creativity to find something that will work for you. This could be a wire rack or shelf of some sort?

I walked up and down the aisles of Home Depot until I found something that would work for me. I ended up buying a steel fence gate. It was annoyingly expensive for what it was ($60 at the time, now $70), which is just a white gate but it’s got some weight to it.

I felt like it was something solid that I could clamp these lights on too. I didn’t want something that might fall down or tip over or be unsteady in any way. So this worked out really well for me.

2. Brooder Clamp Light

The next thing you’re going to need is a Brooder Clamp Light. These are the very utilitarian clamp lights- an aluminum round reflector that you put a bulb inside of. And then you have a clamp attached to it so you can adjust the direction of the light.

• Make sure the one one you buy is rated for up to 300 watts. The way you are going to know that you absolutely got the right one is that the base but you screw the bulb into is going to be ceramic. You don’t want the plastic base because you’re going to be running so much power and heat through these.

• Not all Brooder Clamp Lights are the same. Some of the clamps are flimsy. You’re going to want something sturdy because these are very hot lights you want them to stay where you clamp them. These are my very favorite:

It’s the quality of the clamps that make all the difference. The one on the right is what you want. You can find it at this link and also in store. Home Depot has the wrong picture in the listing but the one at this link is the one you want.

One thing to note about the Brooder Clamp lights is that if you move them around a lot, the mechanism by which it moves can get balled. The tread can wear off on it and it’ll stop working. If you just get them in a good spot and you don’t move them around a lot you’ll be fine.

3. Heat Lamp Bulbs

The bulbs are very important and not all bulbs are created equal. I have an absolute favorite and that’s Philips 250 Watt Incandescent R40 Red Heat Lamp light bulbs and they cost $11.96.

You can’t get them at Home Depot in the store anymore. You have to order them online through Home Depot or through Amazon.

I love this light because it is hotter than others that I’ve used something super cool about these bulbs is that they last for years. None of mine have gone out in 2 years of use.

Also, just a side note that I bought this Therabulb light and don’t recommend it. It’s not as hot the Phillips lamps that I love.

Inspiration

I got the idea to build my own DIY sauna by looking at this overpriced one online called “Sauna Space.” I’ve never used it, but I find the high price shocking and can’t imagine how it would be any better than what I’m doing with the one I build.

Another Option

There’s also this goofy thing. It has five bulbs on a stand and they’re movable. They’re mobile you can move them around and position them in different ways. It’s 130 dollars, holds five 150 watt bulbs. That’s a lower wattage than I’m using, but I could see this option working for someone.

PS I said on the podcast that it costs $300, but I found a less expensive one that I’ve linked above.

Some of my Favorite Fascia Self-Care Tools: