Mobile sauna made of repurposed material makes stop at Oxbow Hotel

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - A sauna on wheels at the Oxbow Hotel in Eau Claire was part of the Wellness & Healing event Saturday.

Those at the event got to sit in the heat of the wooden box built by No Boundaries. They are a company that builds tiny homes but recently took a step into wellness.

“We had someone approach us about building saunas. Throughout that we learned that there’s kind of a need for this type of product in the Chippewa Valley,” said Graham Barnes with No Boundaries.

What makes the mobile sauna unique is the material used to make it.

“So, with this particular unit we don’t build from junk but we do build from products that are still good to use. We keep them out of the landfills,” said Barnes.

That includes the cedar boards, framing material and even the windows. They were made in Wausau intended for sky scrapers but discarded because of wrong measurements.

“As you can see here, it turns into a special product once we are able to put it all together,” said Barnes.

Saving materials that would have gone to waste can be good for the environment, but Chad Dalhoe with No Boundaries said the sauna can be good for your health as well.

“It’s pretty staggering when you think about it. When we started building them, we had no idea, the medicinal benefits to a sauna. It’s a wonderful healing method. We call it the OG homeopath-house,” said Dalhoe.

Because of its size, the heat travels faster in the sauna, with just a scoop of water instantly raising the temperature.

“A lot of people have the misconception that the steam room in the gym is the same thing, but it just isn’t,” said Dalhoe.

Stephanie Hagedorn was one of the people who attended the small expo and said the sauna was a relaxing experience adding she is impressed with how the sauna came together.

“I think it’s great. I always like to support those types of people who can re-use things and put purpose back in,” said Hagedorn.

The sauna can be rented by community members along the Chippewa Valley. More information on that can be found here.

It will soon make appearances around Eau Claire with an upcoming event at the Brewing Projekt and the Eau Claire Marathon.

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