ADVANTAGES OF CHARRED TIMBER CLADDING IN NZ
Discover our range of shou sugi ban charred timber finishes
Suyaki - Full Char
Gendai - Smooth Brushed
PikaPika - 2x Brushed
At The Blackwood Project, we seamlessly blend ancient Japanese craftsmanship with modern technology to offer an extensive selection of charred timber finishes. By reimagining the traditional method of Japanese charred timber cladding, we've curated a range of profiles and styles that cater to a variety of architectural designs.
Our commitment to quality and innovation shines through in every finish we offer, ensuring that each one delivers a unique look and style to elevate your project. Whether you're drawn to classic designs or seeking a contemporary twist, our charred timber finishes are sure to inspire.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF CHARRING TIMBER?
Developed in Japan centuries past, Shou Sugi Ban (yakisugi) enhances wood’s resistance to fire, insects, and rot, extending its life span. This traditional method, born from necessity over aesthetics, involves charring the surface of timber at 1060°C.
The resulting charred timber cladding is low-maintenance, UV-protected, and visually striking. The char repels water and protects against rain, decay, and UV damage, gradually eroding to reveal the beauty and depth of the timber grain beneath.
VISUALLY STRIKING JAPANESE TIMBER FINISHES
Our careful charring turns timber a sleek black while drawing out its natural texture. The dark colour of the wood offers timeless appeal—yet the distinctiveness of the technique and woodgrain provide one-of-a-kind visuals.
We apply Shou Sugi Ban techniques on various types of wood, including charred Accoya, western red cedar, TMT pine, and TempleWood. Choose from three stand-out finishes for your project, each offering beauty and strength:
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Sumiyaki: Shou Sugi Ban at its most raw, the minimal Sumiyaki finish showcases the black timber charred surface for a tactile, moody appearance.
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Kindai: A smooth Shou Sugi Ban finish that accentuates the timber’s woodgrain texture through deep charring and vigorous brushing.
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Hikari: Created through intense double brushing, Hikari combines the resistant nature of traditional Shou Sugi Ban with the wood’s natural colour and grain.
MAINTENANCE-FREE TIMBER CLADDINg
Shou Sugi Ban significantly reduces maintenance needs. The charring process hardens the timber, enhancing its durability against the elements.
In Japan, Shou Sugi Ban cladding traditionally lasts over 80 years without oiling. Today, we oil coat the charred timber on all four sides before it leaves the factory, locking in the char to extend life and prevent black residue.
After installing the timber, you’ll need to apply a second coat of oil for protection. We recommend reapplying an oil stain every few years to ensure depth of colour and durability over time.
STRONGER, STABLE TIMBER
The Japanese developed the Shou Sugi Ban technique as a way of creating strong, durable homes.
The process involves charring the surface of the wood to case-harden outer cell layers. This technique makes the wood stronger and more stable—much like the Abodo Wood thermal modification process.
Stability is critically important for reducing cupping and shrinking caused by weather changes. We produce our Shou Sugi Ban charred wood cladding with strong, stable timbers, enhancing their natural characteristics.
Improved Natural Resistance
Charred wood is less attractive to pests, extending the lifespan of your buildings.
The cell structure of timber is 65 to 90% hemicellulose, which is a tasty sugar to bugs and fungi. The charring process burns off this food source, leaving strong, but untasty, lignin behind.
No food source means the timber is of no interest to fungi or bugs. Additionally, the charred timber is now case-hardened, making it more difficult for unwanted pests to penetrate.
The charred surface is also naturally resistant against weathering, in addition to being fire retardant.
ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS
At The Blackwood Project, we support a clean future by enhancing timber stability, durability, and lifespan using fire, not synthetic chemicals.
Our team selects naturally durable species and uses a low-carbon flash firing process, avoiding the high energy consumption of kilns used for thermal modification. The burnt wood locks away carbon, with each tonne of timber sequestering 1.7 tonnes of CO2.
Yakisugi offers a healthier, natural alternative to composite boards, making it suitable for the environmentally conscious. Contribute positively to the planet while creating a house with character.
Suyaki.
Traditional full charred finishes. Dark, moody textured timber.
Suyaki, the traditional finish for Shou Sugi Ban, showcases the original char of timber cladding. The 100% UV-proof char repels water, and slows photodegradation requiring minimal maintenance.
Dive into the timeless allure of Suyaki, where the timber is fully charred to achieve a deep, rich finish. This classic option exudes sophistication and durability, making it a perfect choice for both traditional and modern designs.
Charred at 1060°C and immediately spritzed to temper it, we apply the first oil coat at the factory for comprehensive coverage on all sides. This locks in char particles, preventing black residue and extending the char's life.
While it naturally erodes over decades, reapplying oil every 5-7 years ensures prolonged durability. Embrace the evolving finish, revealing the beautiful grain beneath, ultimately transitioning to a Gendai finish.
Before making yakisugi cladding part of our timber business, we needed to see the process and the product in its traditional setting. Our interest was sparked after supplying a large project in Auckland, that featured on Grand Designs, where the home-owner charred his own timber.
We flew to Japan to see how shou sugi ban was made by the masters, and hoped to learn why it works so well. We were impressed, and it was reassuring to see so many old examples of yakisugi 30 and 40 years old still looking great today, some examples were over 120 years old.
As timber professionals we could see excellent benefits to the end user from the yakisugi process that made the timber stronger, more stable and maintenance free.
With what we learnt in Japan, we started to experiment with yakisugi using different effective burning techniques. After 1000s of hours and tenfold as many meters of timber we made good progress. Now we are very excited to say we have been offering Yakisugi Japanese charred cladding since 2018.
Alto
Accoya
TMT Pine
TempleWood
Alto
Accoya
TMT Pine
TempleWood
Alto
Accoya
TMT Pine
TempleWood
Suyaki.
Traditional full charred finishes. Dark, moody textured timber.
Alto
Accoya
TMT Pine
Temple Wood
Suyaki, the traditional finish for Shou Sugi Ban, showcases the original char of timber cladding. The 100% UV-proof char repels water, and slows photodegradation requiring minimal maintenance.
Dive into the timeless allure of Suyaki, where the timber is fully charred to achieve a deep, rich finish. This classic option exudes sophistication and durability, making it a perfect choice for both traditional and modern designs.
Charred at 1060°C and immediately spritzed to temper it, we apply the first oil coat at the factory for comprehensive coverage on all sides. This locks in char particles, preventing black residue and extending the char's life.
While it naturally erodes over decades, reapplying oil every 5-7 years ensures prolonged durability. Embrace the evolving finish, revealing the beautiful grain beneath, ultimately transitioning to a Gendai finish.
Gendai.
Charred and smooth brushed. Enhanced grain , intriguing embossed patterns.
Gendai, our highly popular charred timber finish, features a smooth texture that accentuates the wood grain's inner beauty, yet carried a subtle embossed pattern from where the char once was.
Charred and Brushed: Experience the understated elegance of Gendai, a finish that combines the rustic charm of charred timber with a refined brushed texture. The result is a surface that offers depth and character while maintaining a sleek and contemporary appearance.
Achieved through deep charring followed by vigorous brushing with a high-speed quad head brushing unit, Gendai comes with a factory-coated oil stain in clear or black, enhancing the lifespan of the Yakisugi timber and showcasing its beautiful grain.
As the UV protective layer of char has been removed, to maintain colour reapply stain every 3-5 years to preserve its ebony black appearance. Or you can allow the colour to fade and slowly change over time.
Accoya
Western Red Cedar
TMT Pine
Temple Wood
Pika Pika.
Charred 2x Brushed. Highly textural, light colours
Alto
Accoya
TMT Pine
Temple Wood
Charred and Double Brushed: Elevate your space with Pika Pika, a finish that pushes the boundaries of traditional charred timber. Through a double brushing process, the grain clarity is enhanced, and a modern twist is introduced, adding a touch of sophistication to any setting.
Pika Pika offers a distinctive textural finish and striking contrast achieved through a single intense burn and double brushing process.
This specialized charred and brushed timber cladding finish is receptive to colored stains, excelling in absorbing oil stains and accentuating the wood's inherent beauty.
The second brush, a specialized head, intensifies timber textures, cleans residual char, and restores the natural color of the wood, with some timbers the winter grain retains its distinctive black ridges adding contrast to texture.
Why choose us?
Expertise:
With years of experience in the industry, we are experts in the art of Japanese charred timber finishes. Our team is dedicated to delivering exceptional results that exceed your expectations.
Innovation:
We pride ourselves on our innovative approach to traditional techniques. By combining the ancient art of charred wood with modern technology, we create finishes that are both timeless and cutting-edge.
Quality:
Quality is at the forefront of everything we do. From the selection of timber to the finishing touches, we uphold the highest standards to ensure that each product meets our rigorous quality control measures.