I’m in Finland with Zach learning more about the design, construction, approach and culture of the Finnish sauna. I wanted to start sharing some of what we’ve been learning, and since a lot of folks seem to ask me about what firewood to use in the sauna, I’ll start here 🧡🪵.
Finland’s forests are dominated by softwoods (pine and spruce) - two species of wood I have been taught not to burn in a wood stove. Hardwood does grow here, primarily birch, but it’s not nearly as abundant as the soft conifers above. This made me curious to see what they were burning and how they fired their saunas.
All of what I’m sharing is anecdotal. Other techniques will differ based on where you are geographically, what wood you have access to, your specific sauna and your own experiences/preferences. What I have seen here (🇫🇮) lines up nicely with what I have been finding works well for me back home. The slight difference is that I don’t have access to birch and instead use ash, maple and oak.
Here’s what I got:
- It seems that burning a combination of seasoned softwood and hardwood, split into 3” (8cm) pieces, gives you the most even heat and the best löyly
- Using a higher ratio of softwood when getting the sauna to temp and then gradually using more hardwood to maintain an even heat seems to work really well. If I find my rocks aren’t hot enough, I throw in a few more pieces of softwood
- A large chunk of hardwood is rarely used unless the sauna room is too hot or if you just want to maintain the current temperature. I will sometimes throw in a 4”-5” (10-13cm) piece
Other notes:
- Softwood burns hotter and faster. The higher the ratio, the more frequent you will have to load the stove. Your stove and chimney will also be hotter - monitor these temps
- The experience seems to be better the longer the fire has been going. It warms up the walls and benches creating a more consistent heat
- Hardwood throws a more calming light at night 🕯️
- Cherry is the best smelling woodsmoke IMO
- I use the Harvia Linear 16 & 22 and the Harvia Pro 20. Sip Sauna wood heaters are the Linear 16
⭐️ Read your heater and stove pipe manuals and use them properly. Be safe.
🧡
-Mike
