What is Charred Wood Siding/Fencing?

Charred wood siding and fencing are the products of an ancient Japanese technique that makes a unique, beautiful, and durable exterior wood product. The Japanese invented this technique centuries ago, calling it “shou sugi ban,” or “yakisugi”.

The essential idea is to burn the surface of wood to a varying degree of char. The charred surface can be left completely untouched, can be heavily or lightly brushed, and can be sealed with a clear coat or a stain. This charred surface is then rot, pest, weather, UV, and fire resistant, in addition to being aesthetically unique, striking, and beautiful. Read more about the history of Charred Wood (aka Shou Sugi Ban) and characteristics of Charred Wood Siding and Fencing.

What are the advantages of charred siding compared to unfinished or painted wood siding?

Charred siding has several distinct advantages:

• Charred siding can be cheaper upfront than traditional painted siding once you factor in the costs of paint and painting labor.
• Charred siding speeds up construction times since the siding does not need to be painted after it is installed. This further reduces upfront costs, and hassle, and gets your project finished faster.
• The layer of char protects the wood from UV and weathering. This means that the wood will not fade or peel and need to be refinished in 10-15 years or less. This char finish can last upwards of 80-100 years without maintenance, and with proper maintenance can last much longer. Not only does this durability preserve the aesthetic character and structural integrity of the siding/fencing, but it also saves a significant amount of money in the long run. Re-painting a house every 10 years is a significant expense, and re-siding costs even more. Using Charred Wood siding will reduce or eliminate these long term maintenance and replacement costs.
• Charred wood is more bug/pest resistant than normal wood. Termites and other pests hate the layer of char, and it deters them from trying to eat into or make their homes in your siding or fencing.
• Charred wood is a natural, non-toxic way to preserve wood. There are already enough nasty chemicals involved in the building process, so being able to use a traditional, non-toxic finish on the largest surface of your house can really help reduce environmental emissions that affect soil, air, water, and you and your family.

Why is CharredWood.com the best source for charred siding and fencing?

There are a number of reasons why we are the best source for charred siding and fencing:

• We are an internet based, “new school” company. This means we embrace the efficiency, and therefore cost savings that comes from selling directly to the end-user. Traditionally building products are sold from manufacturers to distributors, then from distributors to local retailers like lumber yards, and then from lumber yards to homeowners and construction companies (the end users). Each middleman in this chain needs to make some money to stay in business, and they usually mark up their products somewhere between 20% and 50%. Since these percentages compound, the end result of this is that the end user can end up paying between two and four times as much as they would have if they had been able to buy directly from the manufacturer. Improvements in shipping and supply chain management, and of course the internet, have allowed us to cut out all the middle men and sell direct to the end user at cheaper-than-wholesale pricing, making us the most affordable source of charred wood siding and fencing in North America.
• We ship out samples of our product within 48 hours. No need to drive hours through traffic to find the one lumber yard or distributor that has a sample of our product. Just submit our easy online form, and a sample of our product will show up in your mailbox in just a couple days.
• We are friendly and easy to deal with. We work with you to meet your project requirements, and ship material straight to your project, when you need it.

I heard I could just buy wood and burn it myself. Why should I order it from you guys when I can make it on my own?

Well, there’s a lot of things that you can make on your own, but it doesn’t make sense to. You could knit all your own sweaters, but is that really easier or cheaper than buying a sweater from the store? We love lists, so here’s a list of reasons:

• We buy the cedar siding and fencing in bulk from the same distributors that sell to lumber yards. You would need to buy it from the lumber yard – there’s a middleman you have to pay.
• We have experience and expertise and know how to get a consistent, even char finish. You would need to learn on the fly, probably wasting material in the process.
• We have proprietary equipment that does a better job and does it faster, safer, and more efficiently.
• We have the skill and experience, and our region of the country has a low cost of living, and therefore lower wages. Salaries in many larger urban areas are double or even more than what they are here.
• We have the space needed to efficiently and safely produce charred siding and fencing. Especially if you are in an urban or suburban area, you may not have space or the facilities needed. Oh, and do you think your neighbors are going to be excited about you playing around with a bunch of fire and potentially explosive fuel sources? In fact, it might even be illegal to do in your neighborhood, and you could potentially face significant fines or legal action for trying to do it on your own.

Letting us make charred siding and ship it to you when you need it, is clearly the better way, and will save you time, hassle and money. Check out our charred siding and fencing, and feel free to contact us with questions, or with the specifics of your project for a custom quote!