Saunas provide a great way to relax and may offer additional health benefits. Many of our customers choose to add saunas to their home or cabin and often have questions about what type of wood is best to use. Western Red Cedar is the most popular choice when it comes to sauna material. It is naturally moisture resistant, which means it will hold up well over time, stays cool to the touch and emits a pleasant aroma. Many sauna manufacturers use clear cedar, which does not contain knots. The primary reason for this is that the knots in the wood are harder than the surrounding grain. This harder wood is more susceptible to heating up and could burn or cause discomfort when it contacts your skin. However, actual instances of this occurring are pretty rare and many consumers choose to build their sauna out of knotty grade cedar. Should you decide to go this route, you will want to ensure that all knots are tight and sound. Knots unsound in nature may become so loose they fall out, exposing the vapor barrier behind. The primary benefit to using a knotty grade cedar in the sauna is that it is significantly less expensive than clear cedar. Homeowners can save thousands of dollars by finishing their walls and ceilings in knotty grade cedar. Consumers that are still concerned about the knots heating up use clear cedar to build their benches.
Cedar T&G Sauna
Eastern White Cedar is also an option. However, White Cedar does not contain the same naturally occurring resins as Red Cedar, making it more susceptible to rot and decay.
Redwood is also a popular sauna material. Redwood has many of the same properties as cedar, and even considered more moisture resistant than cedar. However, the higher concentration of tannins and pheynols, the resins that make up the moisture resistance, actually cause the wood to blacken when exposed to body oils and sweat.
Aspen is the most popular alternative to Western Red Cedar. Aspen is also moisture resistant and stays cool to the touch. It emits no aroma and is hypoallergenic. Hotels and other commercial saunas are often constructed of Aspen in consideration of those that may have Cedar allergies.
When deciding which specie to use in your sauna you’ll want to consider the following:
- Budget. Can you afford to splurge and go with a clear grade lumber, or does compromising and installing knotty grade walls and ceiling with clear grade benches better suit your budget?
- Beauty. Do you prefer the longevity Redwood has to offer or are you more disposed to the looks of Cedar or Aspen? Will it bother you if the Redwood darkens to a blackish color?
- Senses. Are you sensitive to smells or do you have an allergy to cedar? If so, you’ll want to look for an alternative specie.