Are you looking for ways to expand your client base, increase your service offerings, and generate more revenue? Building a salt room is a great way to satisfy these goals if you own a spa or wellness business.
Around the world, halotherapy (aka salt therapy) has long been used to improve respiratory and skin health. It is quickly becoming the fastest-growing modality in the health and wellness industry in the USA. Stay caught up and learn how to build a salt room to experience an exponential return on investment.
How to Build a Salt Room
You’ve come to the right place if you’re ready to take the leap and expand your business with a salt therapy room. Everything you need to know when building a salt room falls into two categories:
- What do you need, and
- How much does it cost?
Let’s get these questions answered for you.
What is Needed for a Salt Room?
The essential elements required for a salt cave are the halogenerator, the pure-grade sodium chloride salt, and seating. Anything beyond these three things will improve the experience for your client and increase the chances of return visits.
The more elaborate your salt room, the higher your budget will be. Below are some ideas on design and decor elements that take your salt room to the next level.
How Much is it to Make a Salt Room?
The costs of building a salt room are variable and are determined by what you want your salt therapy room to look like and the overall footprint of the space.
Here are the overall costs associated with building a salt room:
- Salt Room Start-Up Costs
- Salt Room Construction Costs
- Salt Room Installation Costs
- Salt Room Equipment Costs
- Salt Room Maintenance Costs
We’ll expand on these costs in the tips below. Without further adieu, let’s get into the top five tips for building a salt room.
#1 Choose the Location of Your Therapy Room – How Big is a Salt Cave?
The terms salt cave and salt room are often used interchangeably and refer to a space between 150 sq. ft. and 450 sq. ft. where clients can receive salt therapy treatment. Renting a facility does not preclude you from building a salt room since it can be easily removed, regardless of the design.
The type of flooring in your facility is relevant when choosing a location. Salt rooms can be heavy depending on the size of the space and what decor you include in the installation. Therefore, concrete floors are considered the ideal salt room foundation.
If you have a commercial facility, you may have an existing room that can be converted into a salt therapy room. If you don’t have an existing space or room to convert, you must build a frame for the salt room. In these cases, building permits may be required.
In the next section, you’ll learn how hiring an expert can save you time and money when building a salt room. And later, we’ll discuss how the size of your salt room will determine the type of halogenerator you need.
#2 Establish a Realistic Budget
Start-up expenses may refer to procuring a facility for your salt room or the consultation fees of a salt room expert. The construction and installation costs are more nuanced and will be specific to your build needs.
How Much Does Salt Room Construction Cost?
Salt room construction differs from other types of construction. The initial investment when building a salt room may seem high, but compared to the potential increase in profit margin, the return on investment is impressive. Beyond the dollar amount associated with constructing a new salt room or converting an existing space into a salt room, hiring the right contractor is crucial.
We recommend hiring a contractor with salt room installation experience since they will help the process run smoothly. If your general contractor has yet to experience building a salt room, we can work with them. SALT Chamber can ensure they get the correct permits, adhere to building code requirements, and utilize the proper building materials.
How Much Does Salt Room Installation Cost?
The cost of your salt room installation will be contingent on what you choose to include for the comfort of your clients. These are in addition to the building materials used during the construction phase.
Decor and seating can improve the salt room’s relaxation, comfort, and ambiance for your clients. From zero gravity chairs to a children’s saltbox, the more comfortable your clients are, the more they’ll want to return to your salt room.
Popular decor and ambiance additions include:
- Sound machines or stereos
- Special lighting
- Himalayan salt crystals
- Water features
SALT Chamber works with its clients to incorporate your creative vision into the design stages of building a salt room. Your feedback during the process and understanding of your target clients are vital to the success of the salt room installation.
#3 Invest in a Quality Halogenerator – How Much Does a Halogenerator Cost?
As discussed in the previous section, the equipment necessary when building a salt room will depend on your preferences regarding what you want to offer your clients. The only required piece of equipment when building a salt room is the halogenerator. Without a halogenerator, your salt room cannot provide halotherapy.
A SALT Chamber halogenerator is the only halogenerator made in a medical device facility that grinds HaloSaltâ„¢ (pure-grade sodium chloride salt) into micron-sized particles before dispersing them into the air. The halogenerator also controls and regulates the dry salt aerosol and concentration levels in the salt therapy room to ensure optimal lung and skin absorption during treatment.
The cost of the halogenerator is dependent on the size of the salt room you build. SALT Chamber offers a variety of halogenerators to meet the needs of any size salt room installation. Contact us to determine whether the Multi SALT FX® or SALT FX® Pro halogenerator suits your build.
#4 Understand the Maintenance Costs of a Salt Room
Unlike other new services you can add to your spa business, the maintenance costs of a salt room are nominal. After building a salt room, the only ongoing costs are the medical-grade salt for the halogenerator and minimal labor. In most cases, the staff you already employ can manage the bookings and cleaning of the salt room between sessions.
HaloSaltâ„¢ comes in a 10-pound container and costs only $25. This one container is sufficient to support several hundred sessions. The cleaning between treatment sessions is for the health and safety of your clients and can be handled by any available staff members.
#5 Set a Reasonable Timeframe – How Long Does Building a Salt Cave Take?
A salt room build may take 4-6 weeks, just in the planning and designing phase. This is the best time to find and hire a contractor as lead time for a salt cave build may be as long as one year. This is also the optimal time to retain a salt room consultant like SALT Chamber to help you stay on schedule and ensure your plan is airtight.
The SALT Chamber design and installation team has completed over 1,400 worldwide salt room projects. Contact SALT Chamber today to download our 32-page magazine price guide and learn how we can help make building your salt room a stress-free experience.
Leo Tonkin, with a decade of deep expertise in salt therapy, initiated SALT Chamber, a leading entity in the domain of salt therapy products and decor. As the inaugural Chairman of the Salt Therapy Association and Chair of the Respiratory Wellness Initiative from the Global Wellness Institute, he has played a pivotal role in broadening the accessibility and recognition of salt therapy globally. His commitment to developing advanced technology and educating the public on the benefits of salt therapy has solidified his position as a key figure in the industry, enhancing its credibility and trustworthiness.
