· European aspen ·
European aspen is a pale, close-grained hardwood with a smooth face and almost no knots. Its low thermal conductivity is the reason it lines so many sauna interiors, and it is the reason it is used for the seat: the surface stays comfortable against skin even when the room is hot. It machines cleanly, takes treatment evenly, and holds its shape well once thermally modified.
The one surface in the room you actually sit on. It has to stay kind at ninety degrees.
Why it lasts
The same SHP board in its natural state or heat treated, so the bench can read pale and airy or warm and grounded.
The section
SHP is a plain planed section rather than a lining profile. Twenty eight millimetres deep and ninety wide, with a three millimetre radius run along the corners so there is no sharp arris where the leg meets the seat. All four faces are finished, so the board can be laid either way up.
Heat treated
Thermal modification bakes the timber rather than coating it. Nothing is added. The colour moves through to a warm brown right the way into the section, and the board becomes more settled about moisture, which matters in a room that swings between hot and cold.
The bundle
The mill straps four boards to a bundle and we sell them that way. Nothing gets opened, sorted or handled twice, so the timber arrives as clean as it left the line.
The finishes
One panel, one pattern; the character comes from the wood. Every finish is solid, hand-finished timber, cut and laid by hand in Estonia.
Pale, cool toned and close to knot free. European aspen in its natural state.
The same aspen, heat treated until the colour deepens to a warm brown and the timber sits more stable.
Plan your order
Enter your wall and we'll work out the coverage, panels and packs, with waste allowance already added. A guide only; measure twice before you commit.
You'll need
4 hand-laid panels per pack, covering ≈ 0.9 m² total
Enter your wall width and height and we'll work out the packs, panels and coverage.
Indicative total $1,370, from Pricing from $137 AUD per pack. Final price varies by finish.
Common questions
A real human is one click away, but most of what we get asked is right here.
Talk to a specialistIn full bundles of 4 boards. We do not split bundles, so the timber stays strapped and protected until it reaches you. One unit in the cart is one bundle.
4 boards at 2.4 m gives 9.6 lineal metres, which is about 0.86 m² of board face before any gap between slats.
Work it out on the 90 mm face plus whatever gap you want between slats. Unlike lining, nothing is lost into a joint here, so the full 90 mm counts. Send us your bench dimensions before you order and we will check the count with you.
This board is offered in 1.8 m, 2.1 m, 2.4 m, 2.7 m and 3.0 m. Each length is its own listing, and the length selector at the top of this page moves between them.
Aspen is pale and cool toned. Thermo-aspen is the same timber after heat treatment, which deepens the colour to a warm brown and makes it more dimensionally stable. The section, the edges and the bundle are identical. Only the tone and the price change.
Aspen has low thermal conductivity, so it stays comfortable against the skin at temperature. That matters more on a seat than anywhere else in the room. It is close to knot free, it machines cleanly and it takes a surface treatment evenly.
It ships unfinished. Sauna benching is normally left bare. If you do want to treat it, use a product made for sauna interiors.
No. We do not state a fire rating or class for this timber. Check what your project needs with your builder or certifier.
Made to order in Estonia and shipped to Australia. Talk to us before you order so we can confirm timing for your project.
Start planning your wall
Tell us about the wall and the look you're after. We'll match the finish, work out coverage and trade pricing, and get it to site.
Just your name and email, and your download begins. Your details stay with Sauna Ritual.
