cedar tub enclosures – durable?

Hi everyone,

I’m planning to renovate my bathroom – currently I have no tub, only a shower – and am thinking about using tongue and groove cedar for the walls, including the walls in the tub enclosure / shower area – like a sauna, basically.

I’m wondering how the cedar would hold up over time if left unfinished, like in a regular sauna? I’m not sure if the planks would warp or get moldy with 2 showers being taken per day. Saunas are high-humidity areas but I don’t think the walls are being hit with water all the time the way shower walls would be. I’ve searched the site and found lots of references to cedar benches and the like, but didn’t find any for cedar shower stalls or tub enclosures.

I’m also wondering if there is another type of wood I should consider – I’ve heard of white aspen being used in saunas, which would be nice because of the lighter color since the bathroom is tiny (i’m going to be knocking down a wall to add a tub). Does anyone have any experience with wooden walls for tub enclosures or stories to share?

Thank you in advance!

By thixotropic |