In the North American sauna market, two materials are often heavily promoted: cedar and thermally modified wood (thermowood). While these materials have their place, traditional sauna builders often prefer natural spruce and pine for several reasons.
Cedar: Aromatic but Sometimes Overpowering
Cedar is widely used in North American saunas because it is naturally resistant to moisture and rot.
However, cedar contains very strong aromatic oils. While many people enjoy the smell, it can also be quite intense in a hot enclosed space.
Some sauna users report that cedar’s aroma can feel:
• overpowering
• sharp or perfumed
• irritating to sensitive respiratory systems
In fact, certain cedar compounds are known to cause respiratory irritation in some individuals, particularly when heated.
For this reason, cedar is rarely used in traditional Finnish saunas, where the goal is a softer, more natural environment that doesn’t dominate the senses.
Instead of filling the room with a strong wood fragrance, traditional sauna materials allow the heat, steam, and löyly to be the main sensory experience.
Thermally Modified Woods: Durable but Less Natural
Thermally modified woods (often called thermowood) are produced by heating lumber to extremely high temperatures, often over 200°C (400°F), in an oxygen-controlled environment.
This process changes the wood’s cellular structure, making it:
• more rot resistant
• darker in color
• more dimensionally stable
However, the same process that improves durability also removes many of the natural resins and aromatic compounds found in untreated wood.
The result is a material that is very stable but also largely inert, lacking the natural scent and character that living wood provides.
Many sauna enthusiasts feel that thermowood interiors can feel somewhat dry, neutral, or lifeless compared to traditional softwoods.
The Traditional Nordic Approach
In Finland and across Scandinavia, saunas have historically been built from locally available softwoods, especially:
• spruce
• pine
• sometimes aspen or alder
These woods create a sauna environment that feels natural, warm, and connected to the forest landscape where the sauna tradition developed.
Rather than prioritizing extreme rot resistance, traditional sauna design focuses on:
• proper ventilation
• correct wall assemblies
• allowing the sauna to dry out between sessions
When built correctly, natural softwoods perform beautifully for decades.
Built from the Right Woods
Our saunas combine two carefully chosen materials that have been used in Nordic sauna construction for generations, and are also local to us here in Canada:
Knotty Spruce Log Walls
Spruce has long been used for sauna structures in Finland and throughout Scandinavia. It is stable, durable, and gives the room a warm, natural appearance.
Clear Pine Benches and Ceiling
Clear pine provides a smooth, comfortable surface for benches and ceilings while releasing subtle aromatic compounds when heated.
Together, these woods create a sauna environment that feels authentic, natural, and deeply connected to traditional sauna culture.
The Beauty of Natural Materials
Modern saunas made from synthetic materials or heavily modified wood products can never fully replicate the experience of a sauna built from real timber.
The gentle scent of warm pine, the texture of natural wood grain, and the subtle variation in each board are all part of what makes a traditional sauna so special.
It is not just a room that gets hot.
It is a place where heat, steam, wood, and air work together to create a deeply relaxing experience.
And sometimes, that experience includes the simple pleasure of breathing in the scent of a warm pine forest.
Why Finnish Saunas Rarely Use Cedar
In North America, cedar is often marketed as the “premium” sauna wood. Many sauna kits and barrel saunas are built almost entirely from cedar, and the smell of cedar has become closely associated with the sauna experience for many people.
However, this association is largely a North American tradition, not a Finnish one.
In Finland, the birthplace of sauna culture, cedar is rarely used.
The Simple Reason: Cedar Doesn’t Grow in Finland
Traditional Finnish saunas were historically built from the trees that were most abundant in the Nordic forests. These included:
• spruce
• pine
• aspen
• alder
These woods were readily available, easy to mill, and performed well in the sauna environment.
Western red cedar, the species commonly used in North American saunas, grows primarily on the Pacific coast of North America, thousands of kilometers away from Finland.
Because of this, cedar simply never became part of the traditional sauna building culture.
A More Subtle Sauna Environment
Another reason cedar is less common in traditional saunas is its very strong aroma.
Cedar contains powerful aromatic oils that create the familiar cedar scent. While many people enjoy this smell, it can be quite intense when heated inside a small sauna.
In contrast, the woods traditionally used in Finland - especially spruce and pine, produce a much softer and more natural scent.
Rather than dominating the experience, these woods create a background aroma that complements the heat and steam without overwhelming the senses.
For many sauna enthusiasts, this subtlety is an important part of the authentic sauna atmosphere.
Sensitivity to Cedar Oils
Another consideration is that cedar contains compounds that can irritate the respiratory system in some individuals.
Cedar oils are known to cause sensitivity for certain people, particularly when inhaled repeatedly in warm environments. This is why cedar dust is a well-known respiratory irritant in woodworking industries.
While most people tolerate cedar perfectly well, others find that a cedar sauna can feel slightly sharp or irritating to breathe in.
Spruce and pine, by comparison, tend to produce a much milder and more comfortable environment for extended sauna sessions.
Tradition Meets Practical Design
Finnish sauna design focuses less on exotic materials and more on proper construction and ventilation.
A well-built sauna allows the room to dry out between sessions, preventing long-term moisture problems even with untreated softwoods.
When combined with correct wall assemblies, good ventilation, and proper bench heights, natural spruce and pine can perform beautifully for decades.
For this reason, these woods remain the backbone of traditional sauna construction throughout Finland and Scandinavia.
A Sauna That Reflects Nordic Tradition
By using knotty spruce log walls and clear pine interiors, our saunas stay close to the materials that have defined sauna culture for generations.
These woods create a sauna that feels:
• natural
• balanced
• authentic to Nordic sauna tradition
Rather than relying on overpowering aromas or heavily modified materials, the focus remains where it belongs: the heat, the steam, and the experience of true löyly.