Yakisugi

Yakisugi (焼杉) is a traditional Japanese method of wood preservation. Yaki  means to heat with fire, and sugi  is  cypress.  It is also referred to in the West as burnt timber cladding and available under a number of brands including Shou Sugi Ban (焼杉板) which uses the same kanji characters but a different pronunciation. The ban character means "plank".

By slightly charring the surface of the wood without combusting the whole piece, the wood becomes water-proof through the carbonisation and is thus more durable. It also protects against insects, as well as making it fire retardant.

Contemporary architect  Terunobu Fujimori  works with yakisugi.

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What is Yakisugi

Category:Coal
Category:Housing in Japan
Category:Woodworking