Japanese Buring Wood For Siding

Basically it s a way to speed up the weathering process and make a wood plank naturally weatherproof.

Japanese buring wood for siding.

Traditionally this practice is used with japanese cedar in order to weatherproof it. It is often called japanese cedar and is utilized primarily for construction lumber due to high rigidity and quick drying. Shou sugi ban is an ancient japanese carbonized wood finish created by burning the surface of wood to preserve it. Shou sugi ban is an ancient japanese technique for waterproofing and preserving wood.

The wood is burned until the surface is charred and then coated with natural oil. The final product is also known as yakisugi yaki means to cook burn and sugi is the japanese name for cedar but shou sugi ban seems to have won as the most commonly used term in english and it is sometimes simply known as a carbonized wood finish. Cryptomeria japonica is sugi in japanese and is a monotypic genus in the cypress family indigenous to japan. It involves charring the cedar wood surface until it turns black.

Shortly after beginning the craft we realized we were reviving the japanese tradition of shou sugi ban this process is used to preserve the wood by charring it. The process is specifically meant for cedar but works on many species of wood such as cypress ash oak maple and of course pine like i used. Delta millworks began burning wood in 2007 and we were instantly enthralled by the beautiful textures and grain patterns achieved by taking torches to timbers and boards. Love of the grain workshop here is a simple diy video of the few steps it takes to create a stunning one of a kind piece of charred wood.

Shou sugi ban is a japanese technique that dates back to the 18th century for preserving wood. Originating in 18th century japan shou sugi ban is a particularly striking method of preserving wood by charring it with fire. While shou sugi ban originated for the purpose of weatherproofing wood it has recently become popular as a rustic textural design element inside the home. Don t quote me on this but my research indicates that shou sugi ban means burnt cedar board and it s a centuries old japanese technique for preserving wood with fire.