Salt Room Construction: Factors to Consider

In other articles posted here on Medium, we’ve discussed various topics surrounding salt rooms and halotherapy, such as the science behind salt therapy, the uses of Himalayan salt and the ancient roots of salt rooms in general. If you’re convinced that you want to dive a bit deeper — perhaps thinking about building a salt room in your home or office — let’s talk about next steps and factors you should consider with regard to salt room construction.

Planning Process

First of all, the process of building a salt room should be approached with the same level of care and consideration as any other remodeling project you might undertake. Unless you have years of construction experience and are particularly skilled at DIY projects, you should probably at consult a contractor and a salt therapy expert before starting your project. There are budget issues to consider, as well choices of materials and design — not to mention any local permits or HOA requirements you need to meet. To put you in the right headspace, consider these remodeling tips from Better Homes & Gardens before getting started.

Selecting a Space

The space you choose for your salt room construction depends largely on your available space, budget and how many people you want to accommodate. Some people choose a closet or spare bedroom (or vacant office, if you’re building it in a work space). You might also want to build it in an outbuilding, although if you do, make sure it is properly heated/cooled and ventilated. As a rule of thumb, you should choose a space that is quiet and out of the way of heavy foot traffic. If you plan to have loose salt on the floor, make sure to create some sort of a buffer at the entrance to contain the salt and keep it from travelling to other rooms.

Selecting a Style

Salt rooms can generally be constructed in one of two ways: as a standard room resembling other rooms in the home but walled-in with salt bricks; or as a salt cave, designed to replicate a more cave-like environment. Both styles serve the same purpose — it will once again be a matter of budget and/or personal taste.

Selecting Features

As a general rule, the higher the concentration of salt and negative ions in the air, the greater health benefits you’ll receive. The tradeoff, of course, is that the more salt features you include, the more costly the construction becomes. Here are a few alternatives to consider:

· For MAXIMUM BENEFIT, you could include salt walls, loose salt on the floor, salt crusted ceilings and a halogenerator to propel fine salt particles into the air. You can also arrange for warm illumination of salt bricks to increase the release of ions.

· For SMALLER BUDGETS, you might consider building in a smaller space with more features, or simply construct a tasteful salt wall in an existing room. The salt concentrations will be less, but you’ll still derive the benefits of improved breathing and improved mood.

· For AN EXTRA BOOST ON A BUDGET, consider a room with fewer salt features, but include a halogenerator in the room to increase salt concentrations.

Additional Tips for Salt Rooms

· Keep electronics out of the room. Not only are these devices sensitive to salt, but their electromagnetic emissions (electro-smog) can be counterproductive and reduce the effects of your salt room. If you desire to enhance the calming experience of the room with a sound system for playing music, keep the system itself in a different room and either use non-erosive speakers or position the speakers behind a protective layer to keep them from exposure.

· Install non-erosive furnishings only. Salt can corrode standard furnishings like wooden chairs and tables.

· Use only high-grade Himalayan salt for maximum effect. Some vendors and manufacturers may try to sell knock-off or impure products packaged as pure Himalayan salt, so do your research, ask lots of questions, and only purchase from a supplier you trust.

· Hire a professional. To reiterate a point made earlier, even if you have some remodeling experience, salt bricks require an elevated level of care, as well as a special grout. For best results with your salt room construction, either hire a professional salt room contractor or consult with a salt therapy expert to guide you in the design and construction of your space.