One square mile of older homes and close neighbors
Excelsior was founded in 1853 and still has much of its Victorian-era housing. The city calls itself a one-square-mile community, and Shorewood and Greenwood border it on the land side. In a town this compact, a backyard is whatever is left after the house and the garage, and the neighbors are near.
For lots like this we usually start with the Kota. At 6x8 it seats 4 to 6 and asks for very little ground. If the yard has more room, the 8x12 Tuli is the step up. Placement gets as much attention as size: where the door faces, and what the people next door will see from their side of the fence.
Excelsior Bay, Gideon Bay and Galpin Lake
The Commons looks out over both Excelsior Bay and Gideon Bay. St. Albans Bay lies on the Greenwood side of town, and the north part of Galpin Lake is inside the city at its south edge.
Much of the best-known shoreline here is public, since the Commons is a 13-acre city park. For the private lake lots in town, a sauna near the water is a shoreland question for the city before it is a design question for us.
Fitting in with a historic town
Excelsior cares how things look. The commercial district along Water Street is on the National Register of Historic Places, and the city has a Heritage Preservation Commission and a residential review process built around being a good neighbor.
Our standard exterior is black board-and-batten with a clear cedar entry. A Custom build can change the cladding or add a covered porch so the sauna sits comfortably beside an older house. Bring the city into the conversation early. We can supply the dimensions and details they ask for.
Which sauna fits a Excelsior lot
The Kota (6x8, 4 to 6 bathers) is the model most Excelsior lots can take. If the yard has room, the Tuli (8x12, 6 to 8 bathers) is the common pick. The Superior (8x16, 8 or more bathers) is a lot of building for an in-town yard here, and a Custom build is the route when the sauna needs to suit an older home or an odd-shaped space.
More on how we build them: custom outdoor saunas. What they cost: pricing.
Delivery and site prep in Excelsior
Excelsior's lots leave little room to maneuver, so we look at access during the site visit and plan the set around it: the gap between houses, fences, trees and overhead lines. The sauna needs a level, solid base ready before it arrives. An electric heater needs a circuit from your panel, and we coordinate that with your electrician.
Talk to Excelsior's Planning and Zoning Department first. If your home is a designated heritage site, ask whether the Heritage Preservation Commission reviews exterior changes. For lake lots, ask about shoreland rules and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, which covers the whole city.
We can also handle the site work: the gravel pad or piers, the electrical trench and hookup, and building on site where a finished sauna will not fit through. The full rundown is on our site work, delivery and installation page.
Around Excelsior
- Water Street
- The Commons
- Excelsior Bay
- Gideon Bay
- St. Albans Bay
- Galpin Lake
Questions from Excelsior
Saunas in Excelsior, answered
Will a sauna fit in a small Excelsior backyard?
In many cases, yes. The Kota is 6x8, seats 4 to 6, and was made for tight yards. It comes down to the open space behind the house and what Excelsior allows for an accessory building on your lot. We measure and check access at the site visit before you commit.
Have you built a sauna in Excelsior?
Not one we have published yet. The closest projects are in Chanhassen and Minnetonka, with Tuli saunas in Mound and Minnetrista on the west side of the lake. Our shop in St. Bonifacius is about 15 minutes away on Highway 7, so a site visit in Excelsior is an easy trip for us.
Should a sauna on an in-town Excelsior lot be wood-fired or electric?
Most people with close neighbors choose electric. An IKI electric heater needs a circuit run by an electrician, and after that there is no smoke and no woodpile. We also build wood-fired saunas with IKI stoves, but a chimney a short distance from the house next door deserves some thought. Ask the city whether any rules apply before deciding.
Can a sauna be designed to suit an older Excelsior house?
Yes. Our standard look is a black board-and-batten exterior with a clear cedar entry, and a Custom build can change the cladding or add a covered porch so the sauna sits well beside an older home. If your property has heritage status, check with the city first. We can supply the details they ask for.