Get the authentic Finnish sauna experience with sauna wood that performs beautifully in extreme climates while saving you thousands over premium options.
You’ve been researching saunas for months. You know you want authentic Finnish quality, but every quote for clear cedar or hemlock makes you wince. Meanwhile, those budget pine options online look… well, cheap. And you’re right to be concerned – inferior wood means constant maintenance, warping boards, and a sauna that looks tired after just a few years.
Here in Minnesota, we know that choosing the right wood isn’t just about looks – it’s about performance through -30°F winters and humid summers. Your sauna wood needs to handle extreme temperature swings, resist moisture, and still look beautiful after thousands of heating cycles.
Nordic Spruce changes the equation entirely. This time-tested Finnish favorite delivers 90% of cedar’s performance at 60% of the cost, giving you an authentic sauna that fits your budget without compromising on quality.
The Finns (birthplace of sauna) have used Nordic Spruce in their saunas for generations. Here’s why.
Nordic Spruce grows slowly in Finland’s harsh climate, creating incredibly tight growth rings that resist warping and splitting. Your sauna stays beautiful through decades of daily use, even with our extreme temperature swings from summer to winter.
Unlike pine that bleeds sticky resin when heated, Nordic Spruce contains minimal resin and maintains a clean, dry surface at sauna temperatures. You’ll never deal with sticky benches or that overwhelming pine smell that gives some people headaches.
Nordic Spruce’s pale, consistent color makes smaller saunas feel spacious and welcoming. The light wood reflects your lighting beautifully, creating that peaceful, spa-like atmosphere without the premium price tag of white aspen.
A simple wipe-down after use is all Nordic Spruce needs. The wood develops a lovely silver patina over time if left untreated, or maintains its blonde color with occasional natural oiling – your choice.
Finns have used spruce in saunas for centuries – it’s literally in their DNA. When you choose Nordic Spruce, you’re getting the same wood that millions of Finns trust for their daily sauna ritual.
At roughly $2-$3 per linear foot compared to cedar’s $8-$12 Nordic Spruce lets you invest in better heaters, upgraded controls, or custom features. Many customers use the savings to add a changing room or upgrade to a larger size.
View our gallery of Nordic Spruce saunas and imagine what we could do for you. View our full sauna gallery here.
In fact, it is estimated that more than 90% of the world’s saunas are built using Nordic Spruce. In the commitment to staying true to their Nordic roots, all Finnleo Nordic Spruce is sourced from Finland itself.
More specifically, the Nordic Spruce used in our saunas is sourced only from North of 60° latitude. The unique growing conditions near the Arctic Circle here in Finland produce a wood that is of the highest quality, making it one of the best choices for use in a sauna.
Black and dark sauna themes have become more popular in the last decade. They are a play on the original smoke Savusauna from Finland. While there are premium options such as Finnleo’s Black Taika, a great way to save money and still put the dark contrast in your sauna is to use Nordic Spruce with a black sauna wax (that is specifically designed for the sauna).
Nordic Spruce’s tight grain absorbs sauna wax evenly, creating a rich, consistent finish that rivals thermally modified wood at half the cost (maybe even more depending on the wood type). The pale wood provides the perfect canvas for any color transformation, something darker woods can’t achieve.
Sauna-specific waxes like Supi Saunavaha are formulated to handle 200°F heat without off-gassing, using natural pigments that are completely safe once cured. Apply two-three thin coats after installation but before first use, waiting 48 hours between coats for best results.
We build saunas the way they should be built—with Finnish expertise and Minnesota craftsmanship. Our team doesn’t just sell saunas; we use them daily, understand their construction inside and out, and have helped over 250 families create their perfect sauna experience—whether through a fully custom done-for-you sauna, DIY sauna kit or a modular system.
Every sauna we build reflects decades of combined experience in woodworking, construction, and traditional sauna design. Our builders handle projects from compact home saunas to luxury custom installations, ensuring precise construction and authentic performance every time.
Before you invest, visit our showroom to experience authentic sauna heat. Feel the difference quality materials and proper construction make. Talk with specialists who understand löyly, ventilation, and the details that separate a great sauna from an expensive disappointment.
Our 50+ five-star reviews on Google come from customers who’ve experienced the difference professional guidance makes—from initial design through your first sauna session.
From first-time buyers navigating their options to Finnish families honoring tradition, our customers tell it best. Read what verified reviewers say about working with us. Read 50+ 5 star customer reviews on Google here.
Ready to get a sauna with premium Nordic Spruce sauna wood?
Get a DIY sauna kit, modular sauna or custom fully built-for-you sauna with Nordic Spruce.
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Nordic Spruce lasts 20-30 years in a home sauna – compared to cedar’s 30-40 years. The difference? About $3,000-5,000 upfront. Most families find the slight reduction in lifespan worth the significant savings, especially since interior sauna wood rarely fails from age alone.
Not when properly installed. Nordic Spruce grown in Finland experiences similar climate extremes, making it naturally stable. All sauna wood will expand and contract just due to the nature of the sauna getting hot and then cooling down, but Nordic Spruce does a good job of maintaining its original structure.
Nordic Spruce has a mild, pleasant wood scent when heated – much subtler than cedar’s strong aroma. Many customers actually prefer this, especially those sensitive to strong smells. The scent fades after a few months, leaving just the clean smell of hot rocks and löyly.
Absolutely. Many customers use Nordic Spruce for walls and use to hemlock, aspen or abachi for benches where skin contact occurs most. This hybrid approach saves money while putting premium materials exactly where they matter most.
Daily maintenance takes 30 seconds – just leave the door open after use to air dry. Once monthly, wipe benches with a damp cloth. That’s it. No special cleaners, no regular sealing, no complicated care routines. The wood’s natural properties do the work for you.
First, we discuss your space and needs (phone 612-505-9700 or showroom visit). We then create a detailed quote with exact materials needed. Once approved, depending on your project we’ll either get you uncut Nordic Spruce from our stock (available almost immediately), put in your order for a modular Nordic Spruce sauna (4-10 week lead time depending on time of year), or put your custom Nordic Spruce sauna on our schedule if you are getting a custom sauna (6-10 week lead time depending on time of year).
Give us a call at 612.505.9700 or use our contact form to get your questions answered.
Experience the difference quality makes at our Cokato sauna showroom, where you can see, touch, and even try our saunas before deciding.
Explore custom indoor, custom outdoor, and modular models to compare construction, feel the authentic heat, and experience different wood types—whether it’s the aromatic Western Red Cedar, clear Canadian Hemlock, traditional Nordic Spruce, or more.
Our sauna specialists are here to answer questions, explain the differences between modular and custom builds, and help you visualize how a sauna fits into your space and lifestyle. Many customers tell us their showroom visit completely changed their understanding of what they wanted—there’s no substitute for seeing and sitting in a sauna before you buy.
Visit us at 500 Cokato St W, Cokato, Minnesota. Our standard business hours are 8AM-5PM CST. View our Google Business Profile for updated and holiday hours, or call 612.505.9700 to schedule an appointment.
Submit the form to get a quote, ask questions, or receive expert guidance from one of our sauna specialists.
