Yakisugi translates to “burned cedar” and is a traditional cladding material used in Japan. In the west this is also known as “Shou Sugi Ban”, this is thought to originate from a recent mistake using the Chinese rather than the Japanese pronunciation. Charring timber creates a natural protective layer against rot, fungi, weathering, and fire. A shallow charring can be achieved using a gas cylinder and torch. However, Abbey Timber showed us the flue method, which quickly generates the higher temperatures required to get the 3-4mm depth of charred wood needed for durability.

We positioned three dried larch cladding boards in a triangular arrangement secured together with chains. Once held upright this created a natural flue. We lit a fire from newspaper and wood shavings at the bottom, then stood back, the heat was intense. The fire quickly funneled up the flue, burning the inside of the larch boards.

Once flames emerged from the top of the chimney, we counted slowly to thirty then lowered the boards and put out the flames with watering cans.

The majority of the boards were charred to a beautiful finish. These particular boards had waney edges and any missed by the fire were tidied up by hand. Brushing and oils can be used to achieve different finishes, however these boards were directly installed with the original charred surface.

If you’d like some cladding or sawn timber from Abbey Timber’s sawmill, you can get in touch with them here. And you can search our listings for cladding here.