Western Red Cedar — Dressed All Round (DAR)
Dressed All Round means the timber has been machined and planed smooth on every face, giving a clean, finished surface straight off the shelf rather than a rough-sawn one. In Western Red Cedar, DAR is one of the most versatile forms of the timber, used throughout a sauna build wherever a smooth, finished piece of timber is needed.
Common uses:
- Sauna Benches, Backrests & Bench Frames: A smooth, splinter-free surface that's comfortable to sit on and easy to work into a bench structure.
- Doors & Windows: DAR cedar gives the clean, finished look needed for door and window framing.
- Duckboard Flooring: A practical, good-looking option for sauna floor duckboards.
- General Interior Components: From trim to structural framing pieces, DAR cedar suits most of the interior fit-out.
Available in a range of sizes and lengths, so it can be selected to suit benches, framing, or finishing details depending on the job.
Western Red Cedar
Western Red Cedar is one of the most sought-after sauna timbers in the world, and it earns that reputation. Sourced from Canada and kiln dried for stability, it's prized for its natural aroma one that lingers through years of use along with genuine durability and striking grain character that gives every board its own personality.
Why it's a preferred option:
- The Classic Sauna Aroma: That distinctive cedar scent is part of the sauna experience itself, and it doesn't fade quickly.
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Genuinely Durable: Naturally resistant to decay and built to handle the heat and humidity cycles of daily sauna use.
- Kiln Dried for Stability: Kiln drying reduces moisture content upfront, giving the timber a more stable starting point before it goes into your build.
- Beautiful, Varied Grain: Rich grain patterning running from whites through to pinks and browns no two boards look quite the same.
- The Industry Standard: It's the most widely used sauna timber for good reason proven performance, proven look
- Sustainably Sourced: Sourced from British Columbia Canada.
Worth knowing: Western Red Cedar has naturally high colour and grain variation tones can shift noticeably from white through pink to brown even within the same board or pack, which is part of its natural character rather than a defect. It can also experience slight movement once installed in a sauna environment, which is normal for the species and doesn't affect its performance or longevity.
