posted 8 years ago
Yes, it would work, and yes, it would inhibit decomposition of your boards for a much longer time period than un-charred wood.
Drawbacks:
1. It's time and fuel consuming to do. If you use some sort of torch/flaming device, it'll take you a long time to evenly char the entire surface of every board.
2. You'll need to carefully char the boards so-as to not weaken the structural integrity of the wood. Too long over the fire and it will burn too deeply into the body of the board, not just char the suface. Shou Sugi Ban boards are normally used decoratively and for things like siding where structural integrity isn't critical. If the fire burns into the wood too deeply, it actually creates pathways for fungi and bacteria to enter the deeper unburned tissue of the board. Once the burn has "alligotor'ed" the wood, it's gone too far.
3. You'll need to char the end-grain of the wood, as this is where moisture most naturally wicks into a board. That may make it difficult to nail without getting tear-out or splitting.
Yes, it would inhibit rot, but it's not a perfect long-term solution. Bio-char is wood that is completely charred all the way through. Pyrolysis penetrates the deepest parts of the wood tissue and changes it to be highly resistant to further decomposition.
Shou Sugi Ban is just a surface treatment, so the interior board will eventually rot.
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