To responsibly dismantle an old sauna, start by safely disconnecting the heater, then remove the rocks, dismantle the wood structure from top to bottom, and bag the insulation and vapor barrier separately. Most components can be resold, recycled, or reused, with only a small amount needing to go to landfill.
You bought a new sauna, or maybe you're renovating and the old unit has to go. Either way, you're staring at a box of cedar planks, a heater, and a pile of rocks, wondering what to do. Dismantling a sauna isn't complicated, but doing it responsibly takes a little planning. Here's how to handle it without trashing your back or the planet.
Start with the heater
The heater is the most valuable and potentially hazardous part of the unit. Whether it's electric, gas, or wood-burning, treat it separately.
- Electric heaters: Unplug the unit and shut off the breaker. Most residential sauna heaters are hardwired, so you'll need a screwdriver and possibly a voltage tester to confirm the power is off. Disconnect the wires at the junction box. If you're not comfortable doing this, call an electrician. It's a 15-minute job for someone who knows what they're doing.
- Gas heaters: These require a professional. Do not attempt to disconnect a gas line yourself unless you're licensed. A gas leak is not something to gamble with.
- Wood-burning stoves: These are simpler but heavy. Remove the stovepipe and chimney sections first, then slide the stove out. Wear gloves—creosote and ash can be irritating.
Once the heater is disconnected, decide its fate. Electric sauna heaters often have resale value. Check Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or local sauna forums. A used heater in good condition can fetch $100–$300. If it's too old or damaged, take it to a scrap metal recycler. Most metals in a sauna heater—steel, copper, aluminum—are recyclable.
Remove the rocks
Sauna rocks (the stones that sit on top of the heater) are not special. They're usually olivine, peridotite, or volcanic rock. They have no resale value. But they are heavy. A typical sauna uses 20–40 pounds of rocks.
Do not throw them in the trash if you can avoid it. They're natural stone. Options:
- Use them as landscaping rocks in your yard.
- Offer them on a local "free stuff" group. Gardeners sometimes use them for drainage or decorative paths.
- Bury them in a non-sensitive area. They're inert minerals. Don't dump them in a waterway or wetland.
Dismantle the wood structure
Most home saunas are built from cedar, hemlock, or spruce. These are softwoods that rot slowly and have a distinct smell. The wood is often tongue-and-groove, meaning each board locks into the next.
Work from top to bottom. Start by removing the ceiling boards, then the walls. Use a pry bar and a hammer. Work slowly to avoid splitting the wood. If you plan to reuse or sell the lumber, label each board with painter's tape as you go. If you're just disposing of it, stack it neatly.
What to do with the wood:
- Reuse: Cedar is expensive. If the boards are in good shape, you can repurpose them for a garden bench, planter boxes, or even a cold frame. I've seen guys build outdoor shower stalls from old sauna cedar. It holds up well.
- Sell: Post the lumber on a marketplace. Someone building a small sauna or a cedar closet might pay $1–$2 per board foot. Be honest about the condition.
- Donate: Habitat for Humanity ReStores sometimes accept clean, usable lumber. Call ahead.
- Dispose: If the wood is rotted or cracked, it goes to the landfill. Cedar is not typically accepted in municipal yard waste or compost programs because it resists decomposition. Do not burn treated or painted wood. If it's unfinished cedar, you can burn it in a fire pit, but check local burn bans first.
Handle the insulation and vapor barrier
Behind the cedar, there's usually a vapor barrier (plastic sheeting or foil) and sometimes fiberglass insulation. This is where the environmental responsibility kicks in.
- Fiberglass insulation: Wear a mask and long sleeves. Fiberglass particles irritate skin and lungs. Roll it up carefully, double-bag it in heavy-duty trash bags, and take it to a landfill that accepts construction debris. Some recycling centers take fiberglass, but it's rare. Call ahead.
- Vapor barrier: This is plastic or foil. It's not recyclable in most curbside programs. Bag it and trash it.
- Foam board insulation (if present): Some saunas use rigid foam. Check with your local recycling center. Some accept it; most don't. If not, landfill.
The floor and foundation
If the sauna was built on a concrete slab, there's nothing to do. If it was on a wooden subfloor, you may need to pull up the flooring material (usually tile or vinyl). That goes in construction debris bags. Concrete or stone tiles can be taken to a construction recycling facility. Some places crush them for road base.
What about the electronics and wiring?
The wiring inside the sauna (thermostat, control panel, temperature sensor) contains copper. Strip it out and take it to a scrap yard. Copper is worth roughly $3–$4 per pound at current rates. Even a small sauna has a few ounces. The plastic housing for the control panel goes in the trash.
A quick checklist before you start
- Turn off power at the breaker. Confirm with a voltage tester.
- Disconnect the heater first. Decide: sell, scrap, or dispose.
- Remove rocks. Reuse or bury.
- Dismantle wood from top to bottom. Reuse, sell, donate, or trash.
- Bag insulation and vapor barrier separately. Wear a mask.
- Strip copper wiring. Recycle it.
- Haul everything to the appropriate facilities.
The bigger picture
A sauna is a simple machine: heat, wood, rocks, and a timer. Most of its components are recyclable or reusable. The only things that truly need to go to a landfill are the vapor barrier, foam insulation, and any rotted wood. That's a small footprint for something that gave you years of use.
If you're replacing an old sauna with a new one, consider keeping the heater if it still works. Many sauna heaters last 15–20 years. You can often swap the heater into a new enclosure without buying a new one. That saves money and keeps metal out of the waste stream.
And if you're dismantling a sauna that came with the house and you've never used it—give it a try before you tear it out. You might change your mind.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do with old sauna rocks when dismantling a sauna?
Sauna rocks have no resale value but they're natural stone, so landfill shouldn't be your first choice. You can use them as landscaping rocks, offer them free to local gardeners for drainage or decorative paths, or bury them in a non-sensitive area. Just don't dump them in a waterway or wetland.
Can I sell or recycle an old sauna heater?
Electric sauna heaters in good condition can have resale value, so it's worth listing on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or local sauna forums. If the heater is too old or damaged to sell, take it to a scrap metal recycler since the steel, copper, and aluminum it contains are all recyclable.
What can I do with the wood from a dismantled sauna?
If the boards are in good shape, you can repurpose them for a garden bench, planter boxes, or an outdoor shower stall, or sell the lumber on a marketplace. Habitat for Humanity ReStores sometimes accept clean, usable lumber, so it's worth calling ahead. Rotted or cracked wood goes to the landfill.
How do I safely remove fiberglass insulation from an old sauna?
Wear a mask and long sleeves before handling fiberglass insulation, as the particles can irritate your skin and lungs. Roll it up carefully, double-bag it in heavy-duty trash bags, and take it to a landfill that accepts construction debris. Some recycling centers do accept fiberglass, but it's rare, so call ahead first.