Sauna wood - cedar and its qualities

The mass of the wood is an important factor that should be taken into account when building a sauna. The large weight leads to the complexity of the design and additional difficulties in assembling the sauna. Additional materials and equipment may require additional weight support, which may increase the final cost of the sauna. 

It is important to mention the shrinkage of wood. This characteristic will allow us to understand how the finishing material of the sauna will behave during the aging process, how the wood will deform under the influence of constant temperature over a long period of time.

Strength is a very important factor. No one wants wooden sauna structures to weaken or even break over time due to excessive weight.

The price of sawn timber is also often an important feature, as the choice of finishing materials should also be based on financial possibilities, perhaps finding a compromise solution between other properties of the wood.

Sauna boards should be made of durable and environmentally friendly materials that do not emit unpleasant scents or harmful substances. That is why the most suitable material is wood. Many of its species are suitable for making sauna boards, but now we will talk specifically about cedar wood.

Due to the fact that cedar, which is a coniferous tree, produces resin, cedar sauna wood must be made in a preliminary way, i.e. with complete removal of all resinous materials. However, the smell of natural wood remains, which is considered the most important advantage of cedar among sauna lovers. Therefore, cedar sauna wood will also provide an additional therapeutic aromatherapy session, as it releases healthy, beneficial substances and a wonderful aroma.

Cedar is ideal for decoration in rooms with relatively high humidity and temperature, so sauna wood is no exception. Cedar is highly resistant to decay, has amazing durability and unique wood structure. You can be sure - cedar wood paneling will look great in your sauna.

Cedar will help you quickly get rid of fatigue and restore mental strength, because when it is heated, useful essential oils are released. Relaxing next to such wood will fill your body with energy for a long time, and you will also be able to strengthen your immune system. Cedar boards are strong, stable, and also fire resistant, which is important when visiting saunas. Cedar is quite expensive, but the price can vary depending on the type of wood. Choose cedar and you won't regret it, because it will perfectly withstand the temperature and humidity fluctuations typical of a Russian sauna.

Cedar, its advantages and disadvantages

Features of cedar:

• Cedar has a reddish-brown heartwood, often with striated and random bands of dark red and brown. The young tree is pale yellowish-white in color and not always clearly separated from the base. Due to the fact that cedar has a wide variety of colors, interior decoration looks lively and unique. In addition, cedar can be combined with other types of trees.

• Cedar can grow up to 50-60 m high and 2-4 m wide.

• Cedar stands out for its excellent disinfecting properties. Interestingly, cedar forests are quite sterile. For example, about 200-300 different bacterial colonies can be found in a cubic meter of cedar air. In the meantime, even 500-700 in the operating room.

• Cedar wood drying is patented. It is dried in special ovens, thanks to which the moisture in the wood is reduced so that the cedar does not warp, shrink or otherwise deform. However, after drying, valuable and fragrant oils and substances remain in the cedar wood.

• Cedar is used for luxurious exterior and interior decoration, construction of expensive boats, boxes, cabinets and musical instruments.

Sauna wood - cedar, its advantages:

• The average weight of dry cedar wood is 370 kg/m3. Meanwhile, in linden - 415 kg/m3. This means that cedar is suitable for more complex decoration, because the wood is relatively light, so there will be no difficulties when assembling a bathhouse or sauna.

• Cedar is extremely resistant to wear, the wood is durable, does not warp and also repels insects well.

• Cedar is easy to work by hand, although its softness can cause scratches. 

• Gives off a strong, natural and pleasantly soothing scent.

• Does not release resins at high temperatures.

• Perfectly reflects heat rays, which is simply necessary in saunas.

• Cedar is a non-toxic sauna wood, but in very rare cases it can cause allergic reactions to the eyes and respiratory system.

• Due to the low density of cedar wood, it has excellent insulating properties. Cedar dampens the transmission of sound, so it can be used to reduce noise or insulate certain rooms.

Sauna wood cedar, what would be the disadvantages:

• The hardness of cedar (according to the "Jank" scale) is only 158 kg. And this is not much, compared to linden wood, which has a hardness of 185 kg. But overall, cedar is a strong and tough sauna wood.

• Metal hardware can fade or stain wood. Especially in humidity.

• The price is quite high.

So, cedar wood is really very attractive and suitable for saunas. However, of course, like other types of wood, they have their own pluses and minuses.