How to Stain and Protect Your Outdoor Cedar Sauna
A clear walkthrough of protecting your sauna's cedar exterior: when to stain, how to apply it right, and what to do if the wood's already gone gray.
Every LeisureCraft sauna is built from cedar for a reason: it handles heat, steam, and Canadian weather better than almost any other wood. But the exterior still faces sun, rain, and frost year-round, and over time that shows. The good news is that keeping it looking the way it did on day one takes one product, two coats, and about twenty minutes of actual work.
This is the deep dive on that one job: staining and protecting the outside of your sauna. For everything else, cleaning the inside, ventilation, heater care, and seasonal checklists, see our Year-Round Outdoor Sauna Maintenance Guide.
- Left untreated, exterior cedar weathers to a handsome silver gray. That's a look, not a flaw.
- To keep the warm cedar tone, use a penetrating oil like Livos Alis rather than a sealer or stain that forms a film.
- Apply on a dry day above 10°C (50°F): two coats, about 18 hours apart.
- Because the oil soaks into the wood instead of sitting on top, routine recoats don't need sanding. Just a clean surface and one fresh coat.
- Recoat high-exposure walls yearly. Sheltered areas can go 3 to 5 years between coats.
Why Outdoor Cedar Needs a Little Help
Cedar's natural oils already make it resistant to rot and insects, but UV rays still break down the surface fibres over time. Left alone, that's purely cosmetic. A finish just gives you the option to keep the warm tone instead.
An indoor sauna never sees direct sun or standing rain. An outdoor one does, every day, through every season. That's the whole difference between the two care routines, and it's why this article focuses on the exterior specifically. None of it affects the sauna's structure or your warranty. It only affects colour.
Weather It or Stain It
You have two good options for exterior cedar: let it weather naturally to a silvery gray, or use a penetrating oil to hold the warm tone and add UV protection. Neither is more "correct." It's a look, not a maintenance requirement.
Plenty of owners let the exterior go gray on purpose. It's low-effort and it's a genuine aesthetic a lot of people like. If you'd rather keep that fresh-cut colour, we recommend and stock Livos Alis, a penetrating oil that seals, protects, and tints in one coat. It comes in four shades: Light Teak, Bongossi, Sesame, and Black, and a 2.5 litre can covers two coats on the outside of any LeisureCraft sauna.
If you're going with Alis, give a new sauna about six months outdoors first. That lets the cedar's natural resins settle before it takes an oil finish.
How to Apply Livos Alis
Clean the surface, then apply two coats of Livos Alis about 18 hours apart on a dry day above 10°C, wiping off any excess as you go. Leave the door open while it dries, usually overnight is enough before your next session.
The process, start to finish:
- Clean the wood. A soft brush with mild soap and water is enough. Never a pressure washer, it drives water into the grain and can loosen the fibres.
- Let it dry fully, and pick a dry day above 10°C (50°F). Cold or damp conditions keep the oil from penetrating properly.
- Apply the first coat with a brush, roller, or spray gun, working with the grain. Let it penetrate for 15 to 20 minutes, then wipe off anything that hasn't soaked in.
- Wait about 18 hours, then apply a second coat the same way.
- Leave the door open while the final coat cures, usually overnight is enough before you're back in the sauna.
Store any leftover oil indoors so it doesn't freeze over winter.
How Often to Recoat
High-exposure walls need a fresh coat about once a year, ideally in spring. Sheltered areas like roof overhangs can go 3 to 5 years. Because Alis penetrates rather than forming a film, it never peels, so routine recoats are just a clean surface and one coat. No sanding.
| Area | How Often | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First coat (new sauna) | About 6 months after install | Lets the cedar's natural resins settle first |
| Quick check | Monthly | Look for early checking or discoloration, no product needed |
| High-exposure walls | About once a year, spring or summer | Clean surface, one fresh coat, no sanding |
| Sheltered areas | Every 3 to 5 years | Overhangs and protected sides weather slowly |
| Rough or checked spots | As needed | Light sand first, see below |
Restoring Cedar That's Already Gray
Graying is UV breakdown of the surface fibres only. It's cosmetic, not structural, and it's fully reversible with a light sand and a fresh coat of Alis.
If the exterior has weathered past the point you'd like, or if a specific area has gone rough or is starting to check, a light pass with fine sandpaper (around 120 grit) opens the surface back up so it can take the oil properly. This is the one situation where sanding belongs in the routine. It isn't needed for a normal, on-schedule recoat, only for wood that's genuinely weathered or rough. Clean the dust off, then apply Alis as above. The sooner you treat a faded area, the better the result.
A Word on the Interior
Interior cedar is a different job entirely: never a stain or sealer, since it would trap moisture and could give off fumes when the room heats up. Bare wood is fine, or use a clear, food-safe penetrating oil made for sauna interiors.
Any product used inside has to handle direct body heat and steam without giving off fumes once the room warms up, and it needs to be food-safe once cured since you're sitting right next to it. That rules out most general-purpose wood oils. We recommend and stock Meldos Natural Sauna Oil for anyone who wants to treat the inside. It's clear, plant-based, and formulated for the cedar, pine, and other softwoods used in sauna interiors, and it won't change how the wood looks. For the full inside-the-sauna routine, cleaning, ventilation, and everything else, see our Year-Round Outdoor Sauna Maintenance Guide.
Need finishing products or advice?
Livos oils, cleaning products, and every other care item are available through your local LeisureCraft dealer.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. For the exterior, stick to a genuine penetrating oil made for outdoor wood, not a sealer, varnish, or film-forming stain. Many general-purpose deck oils aren't formulated for the heat and moisture cycles a sauna goes through. Livos Alis is what we recommend and stock, though any quality penetrating exterior oil will behave the same way.
Yes, in most cases. Graying is just UV breakdown of the surface fibres, a cosmetic change rather than a structural one. A light sand with fine sandpaper, around 120 grit, followed by two coats of Livos Alis, brings back a warm, rich tone. The sooner you treat a faded area, the better the result.
In most Canadian climates, that's about once a year for high-exposure walls and every 3 to 5 years for more sheltered cladding. Because the oil penetrates the wood instead of forming a surface film, it doesn't peel, so a recoat is simply a clean surface and one fresh coat, never a strip-and-start-over job.
Not right away. For the exterior, wait about six months after installation so the cedar's natural resins can settle before it takes an oil finish. The interior can be treated with Meldos before your first session if you'd like, or left bare, that part comes down to preference.
Keep Your Sauna's Cedar Looking Its Best
Livos Alis and Meldos are available through your local LeisureCraft dealer, along with the rest of our care lineup.