🌲 Choosing the Right Wood for Your Custom Sauna
A Guide to Cedar, STK, and Thermo-Aspen
When it comes to building a sauna that looks beautiful, smells incredible, and lasts for decades, the wood you choose matters — a lot.
At Midwest Sauna & Steam, we only work with proven, sauna-rated materials that meet our standards for durability, heat performance, and design flexibility. We currently offer three exceptional wood options for our indoor sauna builds:
Clear Western Red Cedar
STK Cedar (Select Tight Knot)
Thermo-Aspen
Each option brings something unique to the table — and in this post, we’ll walk you through the pros and cons of each so you can decide what fits your space, style, and budget best.
1️⃣ Clear Western Red Cedar
Premium • Aromatic • Timeless
Clear cedar is the gold standard in sauna wood. It’s what most people picture when they think of a luxury sauna: smooth, knot-free boards with a warm, reddish tone and that unmistakable cedar scent.
✅ Pros:
Aesthetics: Beautiful grain and rich color with zero knots
Aroma: Natural, relaxing cedar scent that enhances the sauna experience
Durability: Naturally resistant to moisture, rot, and insects
Touch: Stays cool and comfortable to the skin, even at high temps
⚠️ Considerations:
Cost: Highest price point due to premium grade and limited availability
Availability: May require special order depending on market supply
💡 Best for:
Clients who want a refined, high-end sauna look and feel and are investing in a lifelong space.
2️⃣ STK Cedar (Select Tight Knot)
Rustic • Affordable • Authentic
STK Cedar includes tight, stable knots that give the wood a more natural, organic look. It has all the performance benefits of cedar but with a slightly more rustic vibe — and a friendlier price point.
✅ Pros:
Value: More affordable than clear cedar
Aroma: Same natural scent and moisture resistance
Character: The visible knots give it a cozy, cabin-style feel
Availability: More accessible for quicker project timelines
⚠️ Considerations:
Knots: While stable, knots may expand or darken slightly over time
Appearance: Less uniform in tone and texture than clear grade
💡 Best for:
Homeowners who want the performance of cedar with a warm, rustic aesthetic at a more accessible cost.
3️⃣ Thermo-Aspen
Modern • Eco-Friendly • Dimensionally Stable
Thermo-aspen is an increasingly popular sauna material, especially in modern design. The wood is thermally modified, meaning it’s heat-treated in a controlled environment to improve durability and remove natural sugars — making it incredibly dimensionally stable and resistant to moisture.
✅ Pros:
Sustainability: Non-toxic and environmentally friendly process
Durability: Excellent resistance to moisture, mold, and cracking
Feel: Very smooth to the touch with no resin or odor
Look: Sleek, modern brown tone with uniform texture
⚠️ Considerations:
No aroma: Unlike cedar, it has no natural scent
Color fade: May gradually lighten over time with heavy use
Cost: Similar to or slightly more than STK Cedar depending on supplier
💡 Best for:
Design-forward homeowners looking for a sleek, modern aesthetic or anyone seeking a non-aromatic, low-resin option.
🪵 Our Recommendation
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer — and that’s exactly why we walk each client through the pros, cons, and price points before building. Whether you value refinement, rustic charm, or modern minimalism, we’ll make sure your sauna is built from wood that performs as beautifully as it looks.
📍 Serving Columbus, Cleveland & all of Ohio
📧 midwestsaunasteam@gmail.com
🔗 www.midwestsaunasteam.com
