How Much Tongue and Groove Does a Sauna Need?

How the calculator works

• Walls: 2 × (length + width) × height, minus any openings you enter.
• Ceiling: length × width, if checked.
• Coverage: each 1x6 board covers about 5 in. of width once installed, based on our listing (a 6-piece bundle covers about 20 sq ft in 8 ft, 25 sq ft in 10 ft and 30 sq ft in 12 ft). That's about 0.42 sq ft per linear foot, or 2.4 linear feet per square foot.
• Waste: 10% is a common starting point for cuts and the occasional board you set aside. Add more if your room has angles, lots of openings or a pattern that leaves short cutoffs.
• Bundles: the board count is rounded up to full 6-piece bundles in the length you choose.

Example: a 6 x 7 ft sauna, 7 ft tall

Walls are 2 × (6 + 7) × 7 = 182 sq ft and the ceiling is 42 sq ft, for 224 sq ft. Adding 10% waste gives about 246 sq ft, or about 592 linear feet of 1x6. In 8 ft boards that's 13 bundles (624 linear feet), about $1,217 at $1.95 per linear foot.

Things the estimate doesn't include

• Benches, backrests, trim, door framing and the floor. For benches, see our Sugi 2x4 and 5/4x6.
• Framing, insulation, vapor barrier, fasteners and the heater.
• Tax and delivery. Delivery available, call for a quote.

Want to know more about the wood itself? See Japanese Sugi cedar sauna wood or our Sugi vs. western red cedar guide, or see photos of the tongue and groove.