NATURAL-STONE---STEAM-ROOMS---STEAM-GENERATORS---STEAM-SPA-STEAM-GENERATOR-THERAPY

Natural stone - buyer beware

Natural stone is the worst to add to your walls in your steam room. I feel bad for people that have natural stone ceilings. You are already doubling the cubic feet to adjust the room dimensions. This is not so much a problem if you are just under a 6kw at 120cubic feet and you have to double it and need a 7.5kw generator. Most people that have natural stone typically have much larger steam rooms. If you combine natural stone that will soak up 50% of the steam and you have a 9 foot ceiling (40% of the steam will be in a steam trap under the ceiling) and you get a generator that is 15 psi and has 1/2 inch pipes and your generator is not within a few feet of the steam room, you are setting yourself up for failure.

Most companies will tell you to go up as much as 5 killowatt sizes if you have natural stone and a high ceiling and a large steam room. You don't just go by adjusted cubic feet when you have things like this not in your favor. Those that get sold too large of a steam unit (see my oversizing complaints page) will get ENOUGH STEAM but the quality of the steam will be fair if not poor. Most people that have natural stone steam rooms who do not have a fan to bring down the steam trap have steam that I give a D- or even an F as far as the steam experience.

If you have a natural stone steam room (and a glass door that adds another 10% along with the 50%), I urge people to start with steam that has the highest dryness fraction coming out of the steam generator. If the steam is too wet with too much condensate, this is what is going to take most of the heat out of the steam in the room and you are going to have steam drip from the ceiling way worse than any ceramic or porcelane steam room.

About 1 in 25 people have a natural stone steam room. These are the most porous and take the longest to heat up. It is very tricky to size a natural stone steam room especially if the ceiling height is very high. I never recommend a steam generator with 1/2 pipes and low psi if it is a pressurized steam unit. With stone acting like a sponge, having a wetter steam with more condensate from the start makes the situation even worse.

The biggest problem with natural stone is if you have it on the ceiling. Not only does this require doubling the cubic footage to adjust for the room size, natural stone sucks up the heat and has the worst steam trap of all rooms, especially those with 9 or 10 foot ceilings. I don't know why but most people that have natural stones have a 9 foot or higher ceiling. Also, if someone has natural stone, I never recommend a 15 psi model. This has way too much condensate to enjoy a steam session with natural stone.

Remember, when someone has natural stone, using a single tank steam generator is not what I recommend. Dry steam is super important so the steam doesn't wick to the natural stone. Natural stone absorbs almost twice as much steam as ceramic does. It acts like a super sponge.

Warning: Please consider having a fan to bring down the steam if you have an 8 foot or over steam room ceiling. I urge people not to go up a size due to the higher ceiling after the adjusted cubic feet have been measured.

If you are going to have natural stone, let me know on my sizing questionnaire. Natural stone steam rooms are the trickiest ones to work with. I will give you the options and will pick out the size and brand based on the answers you give me. Take my sizing quiz here.