DIY Rock Mat - Create A Spa-Like Retreat At Home With Redwood Outdoors

Supplies Used To Create This DIY Rock Mat

Smooth Porous Rocks (see notes below)

Rubber Mat (I used an 18x30 but you could do any size)

Clear Waterproof Silicone 

Drill

1/2" Drill Bit

Caulk Gun

*** Important tips for the rocks: The rocks need to be smooth and porous. Do not use polished rocks. The size of your mat and the size of the rocks will determine how many rocks you need. I ended up opening two bags of the rocks I bought. I didn't use them all because they weren't all flat. I had to open both bags to get the best rocks for the mat. I did have a few rocks that we picked up from our favorite vacation spot that I added as well. 

If I were to make this again, I would only use rocks that we found. Not only would it save money, but having all of the rocks come from our favorite place would make it even that much more special. 

Steps to create this spa mat

1. Clean the rocks: You want to make sure the rocks are clean. Give them a good wash and set them out to dry before adhering them to the mat. 

2. Prepare the mat: While the rocks are drying, it is time to prepare the mat. I was looking for a mat that had some holes in it but I couldn't find one. 

You also need a mat that has a flat side because the rocks adhere better to a flat surface. We flipped over this mat and used a 1/2' drill bit to add some drainage holes to it.

3. Arrange the rocks: Once the holes are in and the rocks are dry, it is time to arrange the rocks on the mat. This was fun for me. It was like putting a puzzle together. You can use big rocks and little rocks to get the mat covered. 

4. Adhere the rocks: Once you have all the rocks arranged how you like them, leave them there. You will adhere them to the mat right where they are so you don't lose where each one went.

5. Squeeze and push: Squeeze a small amount of caulk on the back of each rock and push it down in its place on the mat. Don't put too much caulk on the rocks because you don't want a lot of excess clear caulk shown around each rock.

6. Let it rest & enjoy your spa-like mat: Once all the rocks are set, let it sit overnight. The caulk says it sets in a shorter time than that but I wanted to be certain and left mine overnight. Lay the mat outside your cold plunge or your sauna.

There is something about standing on the smooth rocks that makes you feel like you are in a spa or somewhere outdoors and tranquil. 

With just a few simple materials and some creative effort, you can bring the spa to your home. 

Redwood Outdoors offers three different-sized indoor saunas. These compact saunas come in 2-person, 3-person, and 4-person options. These small sauna options mean space is never an obstacle to your at-home spa dreams. You can find them all HERE. Every Redwood Outdoors Indoor Sauna kit comes complete with a Harvia electric heater, wooden heater guard, water bucket & ladle, sauna rocks, and interior seating benches. 

The best part - the saunas are designed with the DIY customer in mind! Putting together the Redwood Outdoors sauna kits is easy! All the pieces are pre-cut and grooved, so no sawing or cutting is required. Anyone with novice woodworking skills could build one in approximately 4 hours. 

The saunas will heat up to 195° F in under an hour and can be enjoyed either wet or dry. The indoor saunas are made of Thermowood which is an environmentally-friendly material produced by using only natural methods. 

The indoor sauna is something we would love to add to our home someday. Until then, we will be getting our feet accustomed to the rock mat until we are able to set it in front of our sauna. 

COUPON CODE: The team at Redwood Outdoors is offering YOU a $250 coupon code on all saunas and cold plunge + chillers! Use the code "mycreativedays" at the checkout. You can head HERE to check them all out.