10/30/2025
Hello!
I wanted to share a little about this journey we've had. This has been the most challenging thing I have ever taken on in my life, other than parenting, which actually pales in comparison to building a business from literally under the ground up!
I want to give a big shout out to our members, thank you so much for your support, kind words, and encouragement. I have heard many stories about how float tanks have helped, and how excited you are for us to open, it absolutely means the world to me!
I have reached out personally to all of our members. If we have not yet connected please give me a call. 541-205-3179.
I started this journey in 2022. We had a building that we were supposed to lease, working through that took about five months when we found out we were not welcome in that building with all of what we intended to offer (nothing nefarious lol), I won't share the details, but it was devastating after having plans drawn and working with contractors on our unique build. We found another building to lease, and after having plans drawn up, drains scoped, and meetings with contractors, this didn't work out either. We looked at numerous places to lease, even considering remodeling our own house to accommodate this business. We finally started looking for commercial buildings to purchase, and finally found our current location in December of 2023. We made an offer, and closed on the building in February of 2024. It had been vacant for about two years. The 'small' part of the building was built in the 1940's. Unkempt trees from the neighboring property had damaged part of the building over the years causing leaks, and leaves had created a dam on the roof, and part of the roof had rotted. We did not see that until we had gutted that part of the building. Fast forward 6 or 8 months later, we had gutted the entire building down to the studs, electricity, old HVAC, insulation, wires, everything was gone, and we started work from the underground up. We had plans drawn, and between me changing my mind to make the perfect float center, and the measurements being off just a tick, it started a little rough. We had the concrete removed where we needed the new drains, the old drainage system was completely taken out and replaced. There was another issue with our plans regarding the new bathroom, we had an engineer come out and get that fixed. We hired an amazing contractor/engineer, who, after doing some prep work and looking at the plans, realized the float tanks would not go in the building, down the hallway, and in to the rooms as the plans were drawn. After all that we'd been through (and I am just highlighting things, there's a lot more) at this point I was literally ready to call this project off, sell everything, gather my cats and my husband, and move to Costa Rica. I figured the Universe was telling me this was a stupid idea. However, I had float tanks that needed a home, and they were going to help people, and this project was bigger than just me. So I put my big girl pants on and worked with my contractor to figure out where walls can go to accommodate getting the float tanks in the room. We did not have new plans drawn, which if you have ever had anything done like this, plans are SUPER important.
Then came the robbery. Some as****es decided they needed our commercial infrared sauna to trade for drugs more than we needed it for our community so they stole it, my husbands tools, lighting we had for the float center, and other things. I even have a fingerprint but apparently fingerprints are only useful in the movies. That didn't stop the build, but it did break my heart. Someone had commented that this kind of behavior is why Klamath doesn't get nice things, and I agree. It's a shame because this community, my little hometown, is amazing and deserves better. A little bit later with amazing community support we got our sauna back!
Fast forward again, at a critical point in our finishing, due to unforeseen circumstances our contractor was unable to finish our build. My husband and I and some amazing friends who came to our rescue did all that they could with the time they had. I put in what seemed like a million hours installing insulation. Two layers of insulation in the walls because we have double walls for soundproofing, and also the roof. Some of what my husband and I did had to be torn out, because, well, we are not contractors. We recently found a contractor who is finishing our build, which we are so, so thankful for! However, some things had to be redone, so that puts us a little behind when we have to fix things, but we want it to be right.
I have not included every detail that has set us back. I am (kind of) now playing general contractor, and if you've ever built anything, you know the struggle of this-has-to-be-done-before-that. And as much as I want to control everything, it is impossible!
We are forging ahead, and the build is almost complete. We have contractors to put in floors, which needs to be done before the tanks are installed, doors need put in before the floor, and texture, paint, wall covering done before the doors, all while making sure the building is soundproof, waterproof, and salt proof.
Thank you so much to the community, and especially to our members, for being patient. Through the mud comes the beautiful lotus, and through all the mud we've gone through, this also will be beautiful.
Kathy
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