We frequently get asked questions that are "inspired" by claims or statements on other sauna websites. Without naming names, we have decided to address some of these points:
What qualifies as clear for many sauna vendors does not meet the Saunafin standard. Most permit up to 10% knots in their clear cedar. Some use a higher grade, but reduce to ½” thickness price of quality While we won’t claim perfection, we are pretty darn close. You will seldom, if ever, find a knot in our clear cedar. And at the same time, our sauna material kit cedar is a full 11/16” thickness and finished on both sides, giving the highest quality and flexibility to select the finest finish, assuring a beautiful appearance.
See pictures: Clear cedar vs. Clear cedar
Western Red cedar grows in a rainforest climate. Species that have adapted to deal with excessive moisture environments, last longer in dry climates. And a sauna is as dry as it gets.
White Cedar also contains much less of the natural acidic tannins that help to preserve western red cedar and make it rot resistant even when it gets wet. Eastern cedar, while still durable, will not last quite as long as western red cedar.
Most of the Western red cedar we sell is Clear cedar. Eastern White is offered with some of our Outdoor pre-fab saunas.
Knotty Western Red Cedar shares all the rot-resistant qualities as clear cedar. It is very commonly used for decks, fences, sheds and gazebos. It can be used for saunas. There is concern that the knots can fall out leaving unsightly holes and that the knots concentrate heat so can be uncomfortable to sit against. The knotty we sue in our material kits highest knotty grade STK (Select Tight Knot). Knotty can be cost effective alternative to clear. And Knotty offers a more rustic appearance that some prefer in an outdoor sauna.
At SaunaFin, our cedar is milled using state of-the-art CNC equipment to a "furniture grade" finish and sanded on both sides.
Clear cedar generally comes in thickness from 5/16" up to 5/8". Many in the sauna business use ½" cedar. 5/16" should not be used. The tongue is generally too small to be nailed, so it is often face nailed - a sauna "no-no". At Saunafin, our standard cedar is a full 11/16"-finished on two sides.
Heaters are either supplied with built-in controls or outside, wall-mounted controls. For outside controls, some are in their own pre-finished box. Others come with a faceplate and are designed to fit in to a 3-gang box. Our Sauna Craft controls come this way. However, they are a tight fit in a standard 3-gang box. That is why an MBD-3 is specified. It is a masonry box and is a little bigger inside. Some who sell this type of control do NOT include the MBD-3. They will tell you that your electrician can easily supply this but an MBD-3 is not a standard part. Even many electrical wholesalers do not stock them.
Be alert when someone claims there product “meets the latest UL, CE and CSA electric standards”. Products are either approved or not. If approved they will have a file number and can be verified on the website of the applicable agency. CE is not a certification. The major certification bodies in North America are UL, ETL, and CSA. Be especially careful when looking at EBay, Amazon, Wayfair and heaters manuafacter in Asia or Eastern Europe. There are several heaters being offered that are manufactured overseas and do not meet North American manufacturing standards. Nor are they approved and most do not have the safety high temperature cut-off required by code.
Every sauna heater can have some water splashed over the rocks. And there are a few special models that actually have a steam generator incorporated as part of the sauna heater. The Tylo Combi was the first such heater and has stood the test of time for over 20 years.
