Sauna Bench Boards

Sauna Bench Boards for Sale in Ireland

The bench is the one place in a sauna where your skin stays in constant contact with the timber, so it is where the choice of wood matters most. European alder is the traditional Nordic bench timber for two reasons. It is effectively resin free, so it won’t weep sticky pitch or spit hot droplets onto bare skin as the room heats, the failing that rules out ordinary pine and spruce. And its fine, even grain and A grade selection mean a genuinely low risk of splinters.

Alder also carries heat poorly, so the seat stays gentle rather than scorching, and its warm honey tone deepens with every session.

Which bench board width do you need?

Every board is 27 mm thick, so the only choice is the width, and that depends on the part of the bench. The 70×27 mm board is a narrow slat for backrests and smaller benches. The 89×27 mm board is a mid width seat that balances comfort against the number of boards to fix. The 120×27 mm board makes the most comfortable seat, covering a bench frame faster with fewer pieces to cut and fewer gaps to sit on.

Measure the total run of seat and backrest, and the calculator on each product page turns it into a board count. Choose the length on the product page; a board that spans the whole bench means no joints on the seat. Order bench boards with your cladding so the alder comes from the same batch.

Building a sauna bench

A sauna bench is more approachable than it looks:

• Run the boards along the bench frame and leave an even gap of around 5 mm between each one, so air moves freely and water drains rather than pooling on the seat.
• Fix from underneath with stainless steel screws wherever you can, so no metal touches skin.
• If you have to fix from above, counterbore the screws and plug the holes.

Sauna benches vs wall cladding

Bench boards are thicker and wider than wall boards, because they carry weight. For the walls and ceiling, see sauna cladding, and for the whole alder range in one place, alder sauna wood. Finish the room with the glass door and trims in our sauna accessories.

Looking after a sauna bench

Never use varnish or wall wax on a bench, because sealed surfaces grow uncomfortably hot. Wipe the boards with a damp cloth and mild soap after use, and ventilate the room fully so the timber dries between sessions. Keep ammonia and solvent cleaners away from the wood.

See the full sauna timber range.