Why Cedar is a Top Choice For Wood Used in Sauna Building
Choosing the right type of wood when building a sauna is a critical part of the sauna buying process. Choose the right type of wood and you’ll thank yourself later. Opt for something cheaper and you might look back and wonder. Cedar wood, specifically Western Red Cedar, is one of the most popular wood types used when constructing a sauna. Despite the fact that many want to use cedar, when buying a sauna online, it’s not often that the unit you’ll get is made of Cedar. Why is that?
Well, Cedar happens to be one of the most expensive types of wood a person can buy. Not always, but when compared to Canadian Hemlock or Nordic White Spruce, two other popular types of sauna wood, it pales in price. In fact, 97% of saunas worldwide are built of something other than Cedar.
Still, it’s one of the most common questions we get from folks looking to install a sauna in their home.
Our custom saunas are built of both Clear Western Red Cedar and Knotty Eastern White Cedar. For a high end, designer look in your sauna, there is nothing that can outshine totally clear Cedar.
Why are saunas made of cedar?
The answer to that is simple, since it was first discovered, the wood from cedar trees has proven to be one of the best wood for saunas because of it’s natural ability to withstand moisture. Cedar is also one of the top choices of wood types used in Sauna because of the aroma it gives off and it’s soft, red appearance.
On top of it’s superior ability to withstand heat and moisture, cedar is often considered to smell the best. Well, fresh cut pine may give it a run for it’s money. Any of the Custom Indoor or Outdoor Saunas we build can be built using Cedar, or, we offer Cedar Tongue and Groove for DIY Sauna builders. For a quote on Sauna building materials, feel free to give us a call or contact us online!
Making The Case For Cedar Wood In Sauna Construction
Aside from the fact that it’s wood is naturally built to withstand moisture, lasting longer than any other type of wood inside a high heat / humidity room like a sauna, cedar wood smells great. While many folks like to use oils for smell in a sauna, I, like many others enjoy the natural smell of cedar wood.
Personally, I’ve heard quite a few horror stories of folks who’ve built saunas on their own, using a wood other than cedar. What ends up happening is the wood cracks with the constant expansion and contraction inside the actual sauna room.
Should I use cedar wood throughout my entire sauna?
Having owned saunas with Cedar wood and comparable types of modern building materials, we highly recommend using cedar wood both inside your sauna room as well as in the changing room area of your sauna. Due to the way Cedar wood absorbs moisture without cracking and it’s natural, pleasant aroma, it’s one of the top choices many builders use to build saunas.
One of the downsides to using cedar in your sauna room is that it is expensive. Especially clear wood (meaning there are no knots). A common way to utilize cedar inside the sauna while saving money is to build the changing room area of knotty cedar and the inside of the sauna room itself using clear cedar.
How Does Cedar Wood Prevent Molding in a Sauna?
With modern, traditional Finnish steam saunas, extreme amounts of heat and humidity are created with each sauna use. Cedar is one of the best woods you can use to prevent the the risk of cracking, warping, and moisture leakage that can be harmful to other areas of your house.
Whether you’re using an electric sauna heater or a wood burning Sauna stove, Cedar wood has proven to withstand the incredible amounts of humidity produced by saunas that get constant use and large amounts of steam. The most prolific sauna users pour several gallons of water over their sauna stove (yes, you can put water on an electric sauna stove).
How To Save Money But Still Use Cedar In Your Sauna
While Cedar offers an aroma unlike any other, making it a desirable building material for building Saunas, it comes at a cost. Cedar is one of the most expensive types of wood used to build anything, including a Sauna. If you’re set on using Cedar for your Sauna and want to reduce the cost, there are a couple ways you can save money if you’re building a DIY sauna using cedar wood.
- Build your benches using something other than cedar
- Consider using multiple wood types for walls and ceiling
Build your benches using something other than cedar
It’s a fact in sauna. Benches will need to be replaced given your sauna is used frequently. Knowing ahead of time that you’ll have to replace your sauna benches, why not build them using something other than cedar? Hemlock, Abachi, Aspen, Alder are all cheaper wood types you could use for building your sauna benches.
Consider using multiple wood types for walls and ceiling
It’s common for saunas to be built using two or even three different wood types, especially for those building a sauna themselves. Two wood types often used together are Nordic White Spruce and Cedar. Generally, the walls of a sauna are all built using the same wood type, and if another type of wood is to be used, it will be used on the ceiling for appearance’ sake.
Why Use Tongue & Groove Boards In Your Sauna?
The interior of a sauna is nearly always built using tongue and groove construction. Tongue and groove wood is the preferred method of Sauna construction for it’s ability to hold it’s form, while allowing water to fall down the walls without seeping into the wall itself, leading to rot and other undesirable results.
If you’re a Sauna DIYer, one of the most important decisions you should make in the build process is choosing some type of sauna wood that is tongue and groove construction. Give us a call for a quote on the wood you’ll need to build your own Sauna, we’d be happy to answer any questions you have along the way!
Alternatives to Cedar for Sauna Building
While Cedar is an extremely popular wood type for building Saunas, it comes at a cost. Cedar is also one of the most expensive types of wood there is and for that reason, many people consider alternatives. It often comes at a surprise to folks, that Cedar is not actually the most common type of wood used for Sauna building.
For the Sauna Kits we sell, Spruce and Hemlock are actually the most commonly used types of wood we use. Throughout the years of building Saunas, we’ve found that Spruce and Hemlock wood are just as good – if not better than Cedar. Take a look at some of our indoor Sauna options as well as Outdoor Saunas we offer, or contact us to source wood for your Sauna build.
The most common alternatives to Cedar for Saunas are:
- Spruce
- Hemlock
- Alder
- Aspen
We offer a wide variety of different wood types intended for the sauna. Don’t hesitate to contact us to learn more about working with us when you are building or buying your sauna. We have years of sauna building experience and would love to help you on your sauna journey!
Where to Buy Cedar Wood for Saunas
If you’re at all familiar with the world of wood working, you’re already aware of the fact that no two woods are the same, nor is the quality of the wood. There are many different types of wood that can be used for building your own Sauna, and Cedar should be selected specifically for Saunas. We source only the highest quality cedar tongue and groove Sauna wood for building our own Saunas, as well as for the wood we supply to Sauna builders.
Not only do we build our own custom Saunas using our own wood, we are a supplier to many Minnesota Custom Sauna Builders. If you’re simply looking to source Sauna Wood for your upcoming build, feel free to give us a call at 612.505.9700 or contact us online for a quote on Cedar wood for your Sauna.
Cedar Tongue and Groove For Sauna Suppliers
If you’re a DIY Sauna Builder that simply needs to source Sauna Supply Company of Minnesota is one of the best places to source Cedar tongue and groove for your Sauna. We keep a steady supply of Sauna Cedar in stock that can be cut to any length. While the majority of our customers request Cedar tongue and groove, we do have the ability to provide Cedar for your sauna build that is not tongue and groove.
Our Cedar Tongue and Groove wood for Sauna building is carefully selected specifically for the purpose of Sauna. The Cedar Sauna wood we supply is initially sourced for our own builds, which means that it must meet the strictest in quality
Cedar Saunas for Sale
All of the Sauna wood we sell is first selected for our own use in the construction of the Saunas we sell. While many people initially approach the concept of a Sauna thinking they’ll save a bunch of money by building it themselves, many of our customers end up asking us to do it or by purchasing one of our kits.
Our Euro Sauna line is offered in Cedar, as well as any Custom Cut Indoor or Custom Cut Outdoor Sauna. Because the world of Sauna is literally limitless as far as customization is concerned, we ask that for quotes you give us a call or fill out a form first. To best serve you, it’s critical that we first understand what your situation is. If you’re not ready to take the leap by giving us a call, feel free to take a look at our Sauna buying guide linked below. It covers the most frequently asked questions we get about buying or building a Sauna along with a lengthy list of considerations to keep in mind when thinking about buying a Sauna for your home or business.
