Thickness is what separates a proper sauna bench from a shelf with legs. At 1.5″, a 2×4 bench board has a real edge, real weight, and it looks right when you sit next to it.
Hemlock 2×4 VG S4SEE is 1.5″ thick (1.5 in) and 3.5″ wide (3.5 in), clear vertical grain, knot-free, surfaced four sides with two eased edges. Milled in Canada. Available in 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 ft lengths, which skews short: plan your layout carefully and use the 1 ft increments to supplement specific spans rather than relying on the longer runs alone.
Why Hemlock
Hemlock is solid bench wood. It’s kiln dried, even-textured, low-resin, and dimensionally stable for an untreated species. It doesn’t splinter, it doesn’t bleed sap onto bare skin, and its thermal properties mean it doesn’t cook like dark or dense wood. The light straw color is a proper aesthetic choice for a modern, pale-toned sauna room. We didn’t stock hemlock for a long time because the grade options from suppliers we trusted were thin. We carry this now because it’s actually worth carrying.
The practical limit: hemlock at 2×4 will move more through the heat-and-cool cycle than thermally modified wood. Thermo-aspen at this dimension holds its joints tighter over years of use, and it’s our recommendation when long-term stability is the priority. Hemlock is the right call for the builder who wants a thick, pale, clear-grade bench board in a North American species, and isn’t paying clear cedar prices to get it.
Specifications
- Species: Hemlock
- Grade: VG (Vertical Grain, clear A+, knot-free)
- Profile: S4SEE (surfaced four sides, two eased edges)
- Thickness: 1.5″
- Width: 3.5″
- Available lengths: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ft
- MAP: $10.29 per linear foot
- Made in: Canada
Where it goes
Benches, backrests, and skirting. Hemlock is strong enough for door jambs and headers too, so if you’re framing in hemlock throughout the room, this dimension works for structural trim as well. Pair with the hemlock 1/2×4 V2E wall cladding for a matched all-hemlock look, or with thermo-aspen cladding for a contrasting two-tone finish.
Shipping and samples
Sold by the linear foot. Flat $795 shipping to the continental US, or free with a heater order. Free samples: text your name and address to (844) 565-1113.
Call Ben² at (844) 565-1113 if you’d like to talk through the board count before you order.
Prebuilt
Sauna Brushes
Vents