Page 20 - Your Home Your Way

20 THE BRANDON SUN • YOUR HOME YOUR WAY • THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 2021

Yakisugi is considered an environmentally friendly material because the treatment and maintenance of the wood doesn’t require the use of chemicals or
other harmful products.
Yakisugi: the charred-wood trend

Shou sugi ban is a tradi- In addition to its unique
tional Japanese technique of appearance, yakisugi is re-
burning wood planks — usu- nowned for its durability. The
ally cedar or larch — to pre- process of scorching planks
serve the wood and protect in a controlled environment
it against UV rays, moisture, eliminates moisture and
insects and other sources of hardens the wood. In fact, it’s
damage. The result of this estimated that this material,
weatherproofing process is a when correctly made, has a
striking, charcoal-black wood usable lifespan of at least 80
plank known as yakisugi. years. What’s more, burnt
While yakisugi was tradi- wood is resistant to fire.
tionally used as a material for In terms of care, these
siding, this blackened wood is treated wood planks have the
becoming increasingly popu- benefit of requiring virtual-
lar for other applications. The ly no maintenance. Howev-
product can now be found in- er, applying a natural oil to
doors on walls and floors and the surface every 15 years or
outdoors to construct fences so can help protect yakisugi
and decks. from the elements.