YAKISUGI: Japanese Technique Makes Pine Wood Waterproof with Fire. … After charring, the wood is typically cleaned with a wire brush to remove soot and loose particles. The YAKISUGI process shrinks the cells of the wood, making it less permeable to all the factors that can damage it over time.

In this particular design, the bottom is basswood, which still works, but cedar takes it better.” Don’t fret if your table isn’t cedar or basswood; you can also use shou sugi ban on pine, hemlock, maple, or oak.

For those of you who have never heard of charred wood siding or fencing, you may think that it is odd to cover your home’s exterior in burned wood. Despite how strange the use of charred wood siding sounds, many people prefer the aesthetic appeal of charred wood siding. Decorative charred wood was first used by the Japanese, and this type of wood is actually quite durable. When wood is burned, the cellulose that termites crave is destroyed in the top layers of the wood.

Heat from the fire fuses the wood grain tighter together, creating a very hard, strong surface. This helps strengthen objects, such as wooden bows and arrow tips.

The process is an entirely natural way of preserving wood which involves charring the wood’s surface, cooling it with water, then sealing it with natural oil. The YAKISUGI technique was originally designed to make the wood fire-resistant with the added bonus of a beautiful, textured charcoal finish. Ironically, slightly destroying the wood makes it stronger, as the charring process treats the wood by carbonising it. As a result, the finished material is resistant to weather, rot, fire and insects.