In recent years, I have become interested in traditional/sustainable architecture in general and Shou Sugi Ban or Yakisugi in particular. It occurred to me what lasts longer: pressure-treated or charred wood (e.g., pine, cedar, larch)?
Take, for example, the frame of a balcony or why not the frame of a patio/deck. Something that is really exposed to moisture and needs to last a long time. What do you think would last the longest? Advantages / disadvantages?
Take, for example, the frame of a balcony or why not the frame of a patio/deck. Something that is really exposed to moisture and needs to last a long time. What do you think would last the longest? Advantages / disadvantages?
M
Marcussjogren
Member
· Västra Götaland
· 3 081 posts
Marcussjogren
Member
- Västra Götaland
- 3,081 posts
It will entirely depend on how it is used and how you build with it.
If you build a deck on posts so that the entire framework is 30cm above ground, I am fully convinced that the lifespan will be equivalent, but even if the wood is burnt, it should be oiled.
However, if you place the framework directly in the soil, the pressure-treated will probably last three times as long.
Then there's a lot about craftsmanship that becomes crucial for the burnt wood, i.e., pressure-treated wood is much more forgiving to build with since it doesn't require drainage, oiling, and similar care to last long.
If you build a deck on posts so that the entire framework is 30cm above ground, I am fully convinced that the lifespan will be equivalent, but even if the wood is burnt, it should be oiled.
However, if you place the framework directly in the soil, the pressure-treated will probably last three times as long.
Then there's a lot about craftsmanship that becomes crucial for the burnt wood, i.e., pressure-treated wood is much more forgiving to build with since it doesn't require drainage, oiling, and similar care to last long.
M
Marcussjogren
Member
· Västra Götaland
· 3 081 posts
Marcussjogren
Member
- Västra Götaland
- 3,081 posts
Sho Sugi Ban is really nothing unique either; in Sweden, we have been burning posts that are meant to be in the ground for hundreds of years, and it holds up very well against its environmental impact. However, for the burning to be effective, it requires that you really burn the outer 5-10mm thoroughly so that it is charred. Just burning and brushing it for appearance's sake, I believe, only has a marginal impact on longevity.
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