Many dream of environmentally friendly housing made of wood on the lake. But the durability of wood is a concern. Over time, it undergoes aging and decay. Despite this, natural wood is very popular and widely used in interior design.
Wooden elements are treated with anti-mold compounds, fire-fighting oils. However, these substances are not always environmentally friendly. Not many people know that there is a great alternative - wood processing by fire. This method appeared several centuries ago.
In this article, we will consider all the pros and cons of processing wood with fire, and talk about the features of this technology.
History of technology
The first mention of wood burning appeared at the beginning of the eighteenth century. At this time, the inhabitants of Japan massively burned cypresses. Seeing the burnt trunks of these trees, people became interested in their properties. In many ways, this contributed to the discovery of technology. After examining the wood after it was fired, the Japanese realized that this method of processing prevented the problem of rotting, insect damage, and burning. After that, they began to apply the method everywhere. They gave the name of this technology - Yakisugi, which means "cedar languishing". This is due to the fact that in Japan, cedar is most often used in construction. It is used in the manufacture of fences, wall and facade decoration. The method of processing wood by burning allows you to extend its life for decades.
It is noteworthy that a similar processing technique existed in Russia. It became a kind of prototype of modern firing. The material in this case was simply placed in the fire. At the same time, it was only partially burned. Basically, the lower part of the pillars was subjected to fire treatment, which were then used for construction. In addition, boards for the roof and floor were fired. In Russia, this method was called "smoking".
Structural changes in wood during firing
The structure of the wood is such that when building up layers under the bark, a kind of pores appear in it. As a result, fibrous cells die. Due to the high porosity and the displacement of fibers, the wood acquires the main and most valuable feature - excellent hygroscopicity. Thanks to this quality, it is able to give and absorb water, depending on the difference in the humidity of the environment and its own.
The second no less significant feature is the uneven structure. This is due to the formation of cellulose polymers, resins and sugars during the life of the tree. Such substances are the main organic components of the plant. They also cause the main disadvantages of wood - flammability and the formation of a favorable environment for fungi and pests.
In order to reduce the tree's susceptibility to external influences, several protection methods are used. First of all, this is autoclave heating and creosote cooking of wood. During the procedure, the material is exposed to high temperatures, due to which hemicellulose formations are destroyed. They are the main cause of ignition of wood. It is almost impossible to carry out such an operation at home. But there are a number of other more accessible methods of partially blocking pores and removing polymers. One of them is burning wood with fire.
Many people do not understand why wood should be subjected to such treatment. Experts also know that firing contributes to the narrowing of the fiber channels of the tree. In addition, they are clogged with resins and combustion products. Thanks to this, the service life of wood is extended by decades.
Burnt wood properties
Japanese fire treatment of wood gives the material a special shade and emphasizes its natural irregularities. This method is different from others. After Japanese languor, wood can be impregnated with various oils once every 4 years, which allows you to extend its strength. In addition, paint can be applied to the surface. However, after processing wood with fire, few people want to change the color of the material.
Varieties of firing
The appearance and decorative value of fire-treated wood can vary. It depends on the purpose of the material, the technology of its processing and the depth of firing. To date, there are three types of firing, differing from each other in depth.
Full firing
This type of wood processing by fire is carried out by placing the material in vacuum furnaces. The temperature in them can reach 400 degrees Celsius. Wood that has undergone full firing is rarely used. This is due to the fact that, even with the initial high strength, after processing, the wood loses its mass and greatly decreases in size. In addition, its operational properties are lost. But such wood is still used in the manufacture of furniture.
deep firing
This process is carried out in open ovens. In this case, the depth of burnout of the upper layer should not exceed two centimeters. This method is used for processing wood that was in use. The surface, subjected to this firing method, acquires a refined appearance. The wood acquires a hue that can vary from graphite to deep black. Thanks to this feature, it is possible to imitate valuable breeds.
It is impossible to obtain such a tree color using other methods. Therefore, the material processed using deep firing is especially appreciated by designers.
Surface firing
This method is the most popular. Its essence lies in the uniform burning of wood with a gas burner. In this case, only the upper layer is processed, the thickness of which does not exceed 5 millimeters. The popularity of this method is due to several factors. First of all, this is the availability of burners necessary for burning wood and the simplicity of the procedure itself. It is noteworthy that the material processed in this way acquires increased strength and an unusual texture. Surface fired wood is used both for interior decoration and for outdoor work.
Pros and cons of technology
Fire treatment of wood has several significant advantages. First of all, this technology eliminates the use of chemicals that can potentially harm human health. Equally important is the simplicity of the technology. You can burn wood at home without any special skills. Wood treated with this technology is resistant to fire, which increases the degree of fire safety of the premises where it is used. This is due to the fact that burned wood does not ignite again. Fire-treated wood is an environmentally friendly material, protected from the effects of fungal organisms and bacteria. During the firing process, the cellulose particles of wood are destroyed, which are a favorable environment for pests. The key feature is to increase the strength of the material through firing.
However, such wood has one drawback - labor costs. The firing process involves not only fire treatment, but also its preliminary cleaning, and further processing with oils and varnish.
What types of wood are best suited for fire treatment
It is believed that any wood is suitable for firing. However, for those who want a unique visual effect, experts recommend using only certain breeds. It is noteworthy that initially only cedar was used in traditional Japanese technology. Later, they began to process beech and hornbeam with fire. Burning, such wood acquired a gray color, which shimmered beautifully in the light. This effect can be achieved by burning the top layer of wood.
To date, such species as maple, alder, poplar are especially popular in roasting. If you need to get a surface with a fine texture, then in such cases larch and walnut are used.
In the construction of baths, mainly only birch is used. This type of wood under the influence of fire becomes porous and acquires a low heat capacity. Due to this, under the influence of temperatures, it cannot burn the skin.
An interesting fact is that the same wood can appear differently. It directly depends on the firing method. But in any case, it is important to properly prepare the material for processing.
The wood to be fired must have a low moisture content. The maximum allowable is 13%. In addition, the material should not have traces of paint coatings. It must be completely cleansed. In this case, this is important, because the resinous substances absorbed into the wood will appear unevenly on its surface during firing. This will significantly spoil its appearance.
Do I need additional protection for wood after firing?
Burnt wood has a number of advantages over conventional wood, but it still needs additional protection. After initial cleaning, its surface is treated with oil. Then the product is covered with a layer of a special protective varnish. If the burnt wood will be used for outdoor work, it is best to cover it with synthetic wax. It, in turn, must be dissolved in turpentine. This will increase the protective properties of the wax several times.
Proper fire treatment can extend the life of wood and make it more environmentally friendly. It is noteworthy that today firing is also used in horticulture. Fire treatment of shrubs and trees in early spring allows you to get rid of a number of diseases and pests. But the firing technology in this case is completely different.
- Application
- wood requirements
- Processing technology
- We use the burner
- Japanese way
It is known that fire is the most dangerous enemy of wood and is able to quickly destroy it. Based on this, it is strange to hear about the use of an open flame to process this material. However, with proper controlled firing of the surface with the help of fire, it is possible to improve the performance of the tree, protect it from the effects of external aggressive factors and significantly transform it externally, giving it a unique look.
The treatment of wood with fire emphasizes the natural structure of the material, enhancing the contrast of the pattern, creating further immunity to decay, damage by ultraviolet radiation, and harmful insects. In addition, such material acquires refractory properties. The loose surface layer, burning, closes the tubules and pores of wood, creating protection for deep-lying fibers from mold, bacteria, moisture, sunlight and wind. In a similar way, various impregnations and antiseptics protect the material from destruction. However, these products are expensive, contain chemical additives, and can be toxic. Flame treatment is environmentally friendly, economical, does not require high professional skills.
Burnt wood in the interior looks aesthetically pleasing. Home brushing is done in a similar way - artificial aging of products and furniture: chests of drawers, tables, chairs, panels, picture frames, caskets. You can burn material for installing floor joists, window casings, frames, doors, stairs, gazebos, technical buildings, benches, well log cabins, fences. If it is necessary to process complex massive structures, it is advisable to burn the wood before assembling the structures in order to successfully carry out subsequent cleaning of hard-to-reach places. Taking on large buildings is also not worth it because you can not keep track of the direction and strength of the flame, causing an uncontrolled fire. It is better for inexperienced craftsmen to start with small boards or products.
wood requirements
Deciduous trees - maple, birch, beech, cherry, alder and others - should not be treated with fire. It is desirable to burn only conifers: cedar, larch, spruce, pine. Their soft structure results in an excellent beautiful material without stains. For decorative products, a canvas of any quality is suitable: with knots, complex twists, eyes - the more effective the final result will be. Burning soft fibers form depressions, hard ones become more prominent, after cleaning this will provide a textured contract surface. It is allowed to process in this way not only an array, but also chipboard boards sheathed with coniferous veneer. If burnt wood is required for large-scale construction work, it is better to choose a better one, without structural defects.
Fresh material does not need to be pre-cooked before firing: the flame will remove all roughness, replacing grinding. You will have to take care of the appearance after the wood has been treated with fire. The only thing worth doing is to clean off the resin drips from the lumber or pre-resin them. In the event of a fire, all work will be spoiled. If the surface of the furniture or other product was previously covered with putty, paint or varnish, their residues are sanded to prevent unexpected ignition and protect the material from indelible stains. Wood impregnated with stain is fired according to the general rules. The surfaces covered with drying oil are not subject to processing. It is better to sand the old darkened wooden surface, getting to the fresh fibers, in order to get an aesthetic and beautiful material at the finish.
The firing material should not contain much moisture. This is especially true for fresh boards. 15% is the allowed upper limit of water content.
Processing technology
In industry, large massifs of wood are fired in special vacuum furnaces. The thickness of the combustible layers in this case can reach 20 mm. At home, it is impossible to achieve such results, and there is no special need for them. You can provide the material with protective properties and give a decorative appearance using simple household tools.
Before starting work, you need to take care of the safety of the surrounding space and the objects in it. Roasting should be done outdoors in calm weather. Small boards can be processed on the balcony, large items must be taken out into the street. At the same time, be sure to remove paper, plywood, cardboard products, rags, textiles, flammable chemicals from nearby surfaces. It is advisable to work on a refractory stone surface, metal sheet.
Suitable for firing as a source of flame:
- powerful blowtorch;
- building hair dryer;
- gas-burner;
- gas cylinder with a special nozzle;
- dremel.
It is useful to recall that it is important to be able to use the listed equipment.
In addition to fire and wood, you will need a tool to clean the burnt layers. If you plan to process small bars and planks, a stiff metal brush is well suited. Large-scale structures - large furniture, floors, stairs, buildings - are more convenient to clean with a professional grinder, grinder saw, drill with a special nozzle.
To sweep the remnants of burning, a flute is required - a brush with soft bristles.
All work is carried out by protecting eyes, hands and clothing from possible sparks and burning. Nearby put a bucket or other utensils with water to extinguish unforeseen fires.
We use the burner
Burning with a gas burner is the most common. The flame should be even, calm, oblong and have a blue tint. The highest temperature required for pyrolysis is its upper part. A strong yellow fire is not suitable for firing. For successful flame treatment, the flame is evenly carried out several times over the surface. The movements should resemble painting the material with a brush. It's always best to start at the top. The burnt board needs to burn through to a depth of about 4 mm. To train an inexperienced master, you can try to burn unnecessary trimmings, achieving a high-quality result.
When the surface is evenly charred, the loose burnt layer is cleaned with a prepared tool. With a brush or grinder, they act exclusively along the fibers so as not to damage the structure. At the same time, they use a flute, getting to the deeply hidden particles of burning, picking them out. This process is the most painstaking and time-consuming, it is important to perform it carefully, completely removing the detached soot, otherwise the material will look ugly. The quality of work is checked by wiping the wood with a napkin or soft cloth. To enhance the relief, to give the wood a look of real old antiques, pyrolysis and brushing are repeated.
As a result of processing, a relief surface is obtained from dark golden to chocolate shades. Optionally, the material is shaded with an aniline-based dye or a topcoat is applied immediately. You can use tinted priming mixtures, oil primers, nitrocellulose clear varnishes, waxes.
Japanese way
According to Japanese technology, only the top layer of ash is removed from the wood, the boards are washed in water, and then impregnated with tung oil, which has antiseptic and moisture-repellent properties. The material processed in this way acquires a noble black-silver hue and shine. The modern approach makes it possible to use a gas burner for convenience, although in the old days, for such purposes, wood was simply put into a fire or oven. Roasting allowed the inhabitants of the islands to protect wooden buildings and residential buildings from the spread of fires in this way - the ash layer on the material is practically immune to the effects of fire.
The service life of the burnt wood increases several times. As a care, it is enough to cover it with varnish or impregnation once every 1-2 years.
Wood is a good material: if you want - build it, if you want - use it for decoration. It is possible and
do. One of the important positive properties of wood is the mass of options for finishing its surface. Each method gives its own unique effect, and it can be matched to any image and style.
This material is durable: furniture made of natural wood, with proper care, lasts for many years - tens or even hundreds. And wood does not lose its beauty over time - on the contrary, like cognac, it can become even more interesting.
Time does not spoil wooden furniture The charm of a time-worn wooden surface is so strong that there is a whole trend in the production of furniture - artificial aging. In previous publications on this topic (Updating old furniture. Aging with staining and Updating old furniture. The charm of cracks) it was about how you can age furniture using varnishes and paints. In this material, we will consider how to give the surface of a tree a more respectable look by mechanical means.
brushing
The wood is heterogeneous in its composition: annual rings are visible on the saw cut of the tree. The number of circles determines age, and their width depends on many reasons: breed, nutritional conditions, weather, location (in the sun or in the shade). Annual rings are wider in young trees - they grow more actively. The size of the rings is also affected by whether a particular tree has grown from a seed (narrower) or root shoots.
Annual rings of a tree The light and wider section of the ring is an increase in the first half of the active vegetation period (spring and early summer), thin and dark - what has grown over the second half of summer and autumn. All together represents the growth of one year.
At the beginning of summer, a looser conductive tissue is formed. From the second half, solid cells grow that can withstand mechanical stress - they give the tree stability. The pattern of annual rings is also visible on the longitudinal cut of the tree.
Over time, wood breaks down. Especially if the board or wood product is in the open air - under the influence of the sun, rain, frost and wind. Light soft areas are destroyed faster, so over time the surface of the wood becomes uneven, ribbed.
Old board In order to achieve such a result, it is not necessary to wait many years, keeping the tree under the sun and wind. Wood can be aged brushing.
The process consists in the mechanical removal of softer fibers. To do this, use hard brushes (in English brush - brush). Depending on the required degree of aging, tools of various hardness are used: metal, nylon, sisal. A combination of them is possible: a metal brush is used for deeper and rougher processing, and a nylon and then sisal surface is treated to remove burrs.
Brushes for brushing In addition to attachments for a drill or an angle grinder (angle grinder, "grinder"), it is worth getting a hand tool - an abrasive skin of different grain sizes, a manual cord brush. It is also convenient to use abrasive sponges: the flexible surface allows you to remove splinters from the recesses.
Regardless of the choice, during work, the direction of movement should be taken into account: it should be along the fibers of the wood. Therefore, brush attachments for power tools need flat, and not in the form of a cup.
Before starting the aging process, practice on a sample.
With the help of various brushes, it is possible to imitate not only atmospheric aging (exposure to wind, sun), but also the effect of a piece of wood run in water - such can be found on the banks of a river or sea. In this case, the wood is processed more deeply, and "traces of time" can be not only along the fibers. An example of such aging is the box in the photo below.
Wood aging. Photo from o-drevesine.ru
In addition to the mechanical method (with brushes), the wood is textured using chemistry or sandblasting. The principle is the same: softer parts are removed.
The chemical method uses acids and alkalis that can corrode organic matter, such as sulfuric or nitric acid. You can experiment with aggressive household chemicals designed to remove stubborn dirt. Chemical treatment is used as an independent option or as an initial stage before mechanical cleaning with brushes.
A combination of old boards and a modern sofa model. Photo from the site mebelica.ru When sandblasting, abrasive particles knock out softer layers. Sandblasting can be found in car repair shops - with the help of such equipment, rust is removed.
Using different brushing methods allows you to get a different effect. When processing with metal brushes, the relief of wood fibers will be deeper and more pronounced, after chemical etching and sandblasting - smoothed.
The treated wood is covered with stains and varnishes. After obtaining the required texture, the wood is treated with stains, waxes, glaze coatings, and varnishes. Tinting compositions (stains) stain soft areas more strongly than hard ones. Azure (glazing) additionally emphasizes the relief, accumulating in the recesses.
Burning
The firing of wood is most often considered as the first stage of brushing - just like with chemical etching, softer areas are destroyed (burnt) first.
The beauty of simplicity. Photo from wickdpleasures.tumblr.com
The wooden surface is fired with a blowtorch or gas burner, and then the charred parts are cleaned, washed with plenty of water and covered with oil. The degree of firing and subsequent brushing depends on preference.
The wood that has gone through fire and water does not need additional toning - the surface of the board takes on a noble dark shade. But if desired, the charred tree can be additionally covered with colored stains. The combination of red and jet black looks especially impressive.
A house lined with burnt boards. Photo from skyhousedesigncentre.com
Firing can be an independent type of finishing. Now this direction is gaining popularity and is considered the Japanese technique of Shou Sugi Ban (Yakisugi), although this method of woodworking is known in many countries. In Russia, burning wood was called smoking.
Fire-treated wood becomes less combustible and is practically not subject to rotting and damage by insects. Therefore, such boards are used for cladding facades, building fences. It is not necessary to regularly paint such a fence or facade - a burnt board does not change its qualities for a hundred years.
Burnt wood fence. Photo from oilobit.com
Naturally, the designers could not pass by such material. They began to use objects treated with fire in their interiors, to use boards using the Shou Sugi Ban technique of varying degrees of burntness for finishing walls and ceilings. Coated with oil, the surfaces do not get dirty.
Wall cladding in Shou Sugi Ban technique. Photo courtesy urbantimber.ca
Try texturing familiar wood - you may discover a new material for yourself.
Structuring is a technique that allows you to most clearly highlight and show the natural beauty of wood. Often this method is called "brushing" - from the English word "brush" - brush, clean, clean.
Brushing is used for those types of wood that have a good structure visible to the naked eye. The annual rings of such wood should be distinguishable and separated from each other at a considerable distance. The meaning of structuring is to select soft fibers from the top layer of the wood surface. In place of the soft layers, depressions appear, and the harder layers form ridges. In this case, the surface becomes embossed, textured.
For structuring, wood is most suitable, which has a low density, uneven texture, and, oddly enough, has some "defects" that often reduce the cost of the material, but after brushing give amazing decorative effects. Such defects include the presence of knots, tortuosity (a tortuous or disorderly arrangement of wood fibers), curls (curvature of the annual layers near the knots), eyes (traces of dormant buds that have not developed into an escape).
Types of wood suitable for structuring: pine, spruce, larch, oak, ash, walnut,
Not suitable for brushing: beech, pear, cherry, juniper, teak, maple, alder.
Structuring is carried out in two ways - chemical and mechanical. With the chemical method, special compounds are applied to the surface of the wood, soften it, and then mechanical scraping of the soft layers occurs. Although it is faster and easier, the chemical structuring process has its big disadvantages. For chemical brushing, ammonia, shumanite and other far from “soft” agents are used, which means that work must be done in special protection and in well-ventilated areas. In short, filth is everything, filth, and it doesn't suit us. Therefore, let's move on to mechanical brushing. It is manual and machine. The latter is good for large-scale work or for mass production - parquet, walls, beams. There is a selection of layers using special devices or brush attachments for a drill.
And what about us, we would like to make beautiful boards and boxes, so we will all use pens ... For manual brushing, you need a beautiful wooden blank with a smooth surface, of course, a brush and a wide bristle brush - a flute. You will need a brush like this:
You can buy it in most hardware and construction stores, and many have it at home - it is used to clean surfaces from old paint.
Structuring wood is soft and hard. With soft structuring, the selection of fibers occurs at a shallow depth, it only “marks” the pattern of wood. This treatment is good for subsequent varnishing. tinting, decoupage on unprimed wood, Rigid structuring is performed to a great depth, sometimes in 2-3 steps, depressions and ridges are clearly visible, the workpiece resembles an old board that has lain for a long time in the open air. After this brushing, the wood can be tinted, giving it an aged look, most suitable for the bare-grain technique.
Well, the theoretical part is over, I propose to move on to practice. We all know how to tint, paint, stain and wax wood, so I won't talk about that. And showing brushing on a simple tree is boring. I want to show brushing after firing - this is a rarer technique, but quite affordable and not complicated.
To do this, however, you need one device - a gas burner. Now you can buy a wonderful contraption, such a Dremel Boschevsky
It refuels with gas from a conventional lighter canister, refilling lasts for a long time. Just do not forget about safety precautions - after all, the flame there has a very decent temperature! By the way. There are a lot of attachments in the kit, very useful. With this burner you can burn wood and leather (pyrograph), you can solder, you can clean off old paint, a lot of things, I haven’t fully studied it yet ...
Now let's get started. So, we need a wooden blank (preferably pine) with a beautiful fiber structure, a burner, a brush, a flute. Work is best done outdoors (after all, smoke, fire, again, and there will be a lot of dust). I burn in the apartment - and on the balcony with open frames, the smoke pulls a little, but not a disaster, and the smell is pleasant. Yes, and the household does not mind, knowing that I know how to handle this device and I will not set the apartment on fire. But I’m already going to do the sampling on another one - an open balcony in the common hall, where the breeze blows, dust does not fly into the apartment.
There was a pine box from Armagnac on the farm, so I will work on it.
We turn on the burner and begin to burn the surface. The firing should be carried out evenly, without staying in one place for a long time, but also not “flickering” with your hand, allowing the wood to burn evenly, without strongly burned and light unburned spots. Choose the degree of "charring" yourself - it can be from weak "smoking" to complete blackening. Just to make sure everything is the same. I like stronger, but it's a matter of taste.
Hold the burner like a handle, do not strain your hand so that the movements are smooth, not jerky. And do not be afraid - the burner handle does not heat up, just do not substitute your other hand under the flame.
Sometimes there are resin pockets and streaks in the wood, the resin starts to burn - do not let it do this. just blow out the flame. Otherwise, in this place the tree will burn more strongly, then there will be a stain. Knots and other "beauties" are sometimes fried worse, this place can be fired several times, for uniformity.
This is what the box looks like
and this is a pine board from my early work, I will also show the result later
When the firing is completed, we proceed to the selection. You will need a brush and a hard brush. A brush is needed for sweeping scraped sawdust.
Lay the workpiece horizontally, brush over the burnt surface strictly along the fibers, in one direction, in long strokes from start to finish. If it is possible to fix the workpiece, then you can work with both hands, with the second pressing on the top of the brush and creating additional effort. If you work with one hand, then be very careful - take care of the other hand! The bristles on the brush are metal and sharp, one careless movement - and you will need iodine and a bandage, and the workpiece will be “protonated” into a different color, which will be difficult to get rid of. So "Senya, take care of your hand!"
By the way, during normal brushing, without firing, to reduce the amount of dust and make work easier, the surface of the workpiece can be moistened with water. But don't soak too much, just spritz or go over with a wet brush and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Soft fibers are removed more easily.
After a little scraping, we take a flute in our hand and clean off the sawdust. It is necessary to clean not with free arbitrary strokes, but again along the fibers, in the direction in which the brush was worked. And not with stroking movements, as we apply paint, but “against the pile”, as if knocking out, picking out dust from the recesses with bristles. If you do it differently, the dust particles are smoothed out in the cavities, clogged deeper.
After we have cleaned the workpiece, we will begin to scrape further, here you can turn it over, work with a brush in the opposite direction. But again, only along the fibers, only with long movements. If the brush is unsuccessfully brushed over the fibers, deep visible scratches will remain. Do we need it?
So, we evenly scrape and clean off the sawdust until that moment. until we like the color and texture of the wood. You can stop a little earlier, you can stop later. Here is the box after firing and structuring:
It can still be scraped off, it will be more contrasting, but even now it is already clear that soft layers are selected faster and easier. This blank can now be tinted or do something else with it. But it was a single firing and brushing - it turned out to be soft structuring, the relief does not stand out much. If you want something more "extreme", you can do a second firing and scrape again. The result will be like this (these are fragments of the board that I showed in a charred form). These are fragments, viewed at an angle, but the relief is clearly visible:
And this is the top view
In general, I am a lover of hard structuring, I do not tint finished products. and cover with wax or wax varnish. I like the roughness and "naturalness" of the material. But this is my choice, and most still use tinting, staining, bleaching and other decorative techniques.
My works in this technique are simple, rough and unpretentious... Owls, however, are painted in oil, but I have already written about them before.
Burning wood is one of the simplest ways to decorate and protect the surface from a number of harmful effects. How to do such an operation at home is described step by step in the article.
Who invented burning wood?
According to one version, it is believed that the Japanese were the first to burn wood. At the same time, they used this technology, oddly enough, not on their products. Initially, in this way they kept the forests from fire during the fire season. The burnt lower part of the barrel became difficult to ignite and, accordingly, was less exposed to fire.
The second popular legend also comes from Japan. If you believe this version, then once the Japanese noticed that after a fire in the forest, charred trunks lasted longer than those that had passed the fire. In particular, they noted for themselves that burnt wood does not rot so quickly, and insects do not sharpen it at all.
Later, this technology, prompted by nature itself, began to be used in construction. So, before installation, the roofing board, wall beam, wooden piles were fired. This made the building more durable, protected from insects and, in part, from fire.
Even later, firing began to be used to decorate wood products, in particular, for outdoor furniture. The goal, in this case, was not only to protect the material from harmful effects, but also to give the surface an attractive appearance.
There is also a version that the Vikings began to burn wood long before the Japanese. They applied this technology to the processing of their ships.
Benefits of burnt wood
The advantages of fire-treated wood are as follows:
- presentable appearance;
- unattractive to insects;
- increased fire resistance;
- compacted surface;
- increased strength;
- improved moisture resistance;
- wear resistance;
- protection from ultraviolet radiation.
In addition, in the process of firing low-quality lumber, almost all defects are eliminated - darkening, blue, light rot. The processed product also does not require planing and finishing grinding.
Application of technology at home
In everyday life, firing lumber is used everywhere. The technology allows without the use of stains, toners and oils to turn pine into rare wood. In particular, with deep roasting, which is described in this article, the most defective pine easily turns into wenge (it grows mainly in Africa).
It is especially useful to use firing in the manufacture of products and structures that will be used outdoors. It can be garden furniture, a fence, a gazebo. Also, wooden elements of housing are often treated with fire - sheathing, frontal boards, terraces, stair balusters, and so on.
Burnt wooden boxes, gift cases, picture frames, grooves and photographs, various coasters and lamps will look beautiful.
What kind of wood can be burned?
Not all wood can be protected and decorated in this way. First of all, this applies to fruit species, oak, ash and alder. However, the most common lumber - pine and Christmas tree - is perfectly burned. You can also fire veneer and plywood.
For firing, it is best to choose a material on which an ornate structure is visible. During processing, the soft wood will burn out and be removed, and the hard fibers will stand out in a darker color. At the same time, knots, blue, fungus and other defects are not a problem for fire.
When firing coniferous wood, it is better to take dried material. It burns much faster, it has less resin, with which there will be certain problems later. Raw wood is also quite possible to burn. However, it should be borne in mind that such processing will partially clog the pores of the material, and the moisture remaining inside will come out much longer, which is not good.
Tools and materials for firing
The main tool in this business is a gas burner. It's just that an open fire (gas stove, bonfire, etc.) does not fit well, and it will not work to evenly burn a large surface. It is also undesirable to use a blowtorch on gasoline. It burns, of course, excellently, but drops of unburned fuel can fly out of its nozzle, leaving glossy spots on the wood. Alternatively, you can try using a building hair dryer. But a lot of time is spent with it, and deep roasting cannot be achieved.
A gas burner is the best for this business. Worth a penny, safe to use, easy to control and configure. You can even get by with the cheapest Chinese-made version, which, together with a can of gas, will cost about $ 5.
For large-scale work, it is better to get a large gas burner, which is designed for laying bituminous roofing.
In addition to a source of directed fire, you will also need felt. In extreme cases, you can take a washcloth from the kitchen for washing dishes and use its harder side for work.
Basically, that's all it takes.
Staged firing of wood. technology nuances.
Deep firing should begin with a surface pass of the burner over the material. At this stage, you need to evenly heat the wood, burn out the protruding pile, and also open the places where the resin is concentrated in large quantities. These areas will need special attention later.
The photo just shows such places well. As a rule, they appear on knots, and after the first pass they do not darken, but are covered with boiling resin. It is highly flammable and can ruin the whole result, so you should carefully warm up the knots. Warmed up, waited until it boils, then again. Repeat until the boil stops.
While the resin boils and the wood in these places cools down, the second stage is carried out in parallel - deep firing. The goal is to make the surface char and crack slightly. The photo below shows how it looks.
The next step is cleaning the surface of soot. This can be done in several ways: using felt, a soft brush or a special attachment for a grinder (brushing brush). The only condition for all cases is that it is necessary to clean off the soot only in the direction of the wood fibers.
Sandpaper is not suitable for this purpose. It is advisable to use it only for surface firing of wood. In this case, it is necessary to remove all burnt soft fibers, and sandpaper without scratches will not cope with this task.
By the way, if you want the result to be lighter than in the above photos, you need to brush the surface longer. But you can achieve lighter shades only with a brush. Felt "get" to light wood will not work.
Some masters wash off the soot with water, which, in principle, gives a good result. But keep in mind that dry wood, in direct contact with water, will take on some moisture, which, in turn, can lead to deformations and other problems in the future. A more predictable result is obtained only dry.
After firing, it remains only to cover the wood with a protective compound. To get a silky, matte surface that feels like pure wood, use special oils. A glossy surface that shimmers in the sun and at different viewing angles from black to light - is obtained after applying several layers of ordinary wood varnish.
Results
In general, decorating the simplest pine with the help of firing is not a complicated procedure that requires experience, expensive tools and compositions. The main thing is to prevent prolonged burning of wood, completely evaporate the resin, achieve cracking and remove soot only in the direction of the fibers.
Now, as before, natural is widely used:, decorative elements and much more. In order for the tree to last for a long time, it needs special treatment with antibacterial, anti-mold and impregnations. Now chemicals are used for wood processing, but the old proven methods are no less popular, thanks to which, built in the century before last, they still stand to this day. An editorial review of the site will tell you why such a processing method as firing is needed, we will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of burnt wood as an independent building material.
Read in the article
Technology and the need for wood processing by fire
There are various lumber from the negative impact of the external environment, but not all of them are available for use in normal home conditions. The most affordable option is to burn wood with an open fire.
Heat treatment of wood was carried out in ancient Japan using a technology called “cedar languishing”. The wood was burned on fires, carbon deposits were removed, washed and impregnated with tung oil. After firing, the wood acquired shine and an amazing noble black and silver hue. The operating time of wood after heat treatment increased to 80 years.
The aesthetic appearance and characteristics of fired lumber in most cases depend on the method and depth of heat treatment. There are three degrees of firing:
- Full. Occurs in special ovens at 400°C. Material that has undergone such processing is used quite rarely, mainly for production.
- Deep. This technology is used to process lumber that has already been in use. After this type of processing, the material acquires an expressive surface.
- Surface. The most popular method, which is carried out with a blowtorch or gas burner.
Advantages and disadvantages of firing lumber
Processing wood at home with an open flame has its advantages:
- the help of third-party specialists is not required;
- after the firing process, the lumber receives increased fire resistance;
- during heat treatment of natural wood, a favorable environment for various pathogens is destroyed, which helps prevent destruction and decay.
How to burn wood yourself
Wood processing at home, in principle, does not present big problems, especially if you follow certain requirements and choose the right firing method. We offer you to get acquainted with some of the nuances of firing lumber.
The choice of wood species
Almost any type of wood is suitable for heat treatment, but true admirers of beauty prefer to use lumber with an unusual and expressive texture. For firing wood according to the original Japanese technology, only cedar was used. An equally interesting effect is achieved when firing beech and hornbeam, since due to the significant density of these wood species, only the top layer burns through. Poplar, alder and maple have a distinct texture after decorative fire treatment, while larch and walnut show additional small and unique patterns. Those who like to take a steam bath in the sauna will appreciate the burnt birch board, because after processing its surface becomes more porous and after heating it does not burn the skin.
Preparation of wood for heat treatment
Lumber before annealing must be carefully prepared. The wood surface must be clean, smooth and dry. should not exceed 13-15%, otherwise, when exposed to high temperatures, various surface defects may occur, and this will significantly worsen the quality of the decorative finish. Also, the material should have been completely, because after heat treatment they will appear in the form of spots.
For your information! It is best to use freshly treated wood for heat treatment, which has not yet had time to change its texture and color. If this condition is not met, the grinding work will have to be carried out again.
Burning wood with a blowtorch
If it is decided to carry out wood processing, then you should wait until the nozzle of the device turns red and the fire becomes evenly purple. In order for the fired wood to meet all standards, the flame must be directed perpendicular to the board, and the end of the torch should barely touch the material being processed. The lit lamp must be moved slowly at the same speed, not forgetting the contrast of the emerging wood pattern. When the fired boards are installed, they must be treated with drying oil, nitro or urea-formaldehyde varnishes.
Burning wood with a gas burner
By means of a gas burner, only light heat treatment of natural wood is performed. This is due to the fact that when the material is deeply burned, it is not possible to achieve uniformity. During operation, the wood burning burner should only lightly touch the flame with the lumber being processed. The speed of movement of the gas burner should be the same as when painting with a brush. The depth of wood processing is controlled by the degree of change in the contrast of the pattern.
After firing the parts, their surfaces must be moistened with a spray gun. The length of time between fire treatment and spraying should be the same for all areas of wood. When the burnt wood has cooled, soot is removed from it with the help of special brushes made of brass wire. Additionally, you can perform or brushing.
Does burnt wood need additional protection?
After removing carbon deposits and grinding the burnt wood, they proceed to its fastening or further processing. Experts recommend processing lumber after firing with oil. A minimum of 2 coats of artificial nitrocellulose varnish should be applied to the burned board. To cover the lumber to be used for, only synthetic wax dissolved in turpentine at a temperature of 40-45 ° C should be used. This is due to the fact that natural wax does not lose its stickiness.
Where is lumber used after firing
The wood that has gone through the firing process is widely used in the creation of interiors and facade works. This is due to the fact that after treatment with fire, the decorative and operational characteristics of wood are significantly improved. You can buy burnt wood or do the necessary processing yourself.
The use of burnt wood in interiors
Due to the fact that the heat treatment of lumber on an industrial scale became possible, they began to be widely used in decoration. The wood that has gone through the burning process is used for wall decoration, creating original flooring, and furniture. Burnt wood furniture, in combination with similarly processed wood finishing materials, allows you to create a unique complex and harmony in the created interior.
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Burning wood is one of the simplest ways to decorate and protect the surface from a number of harmful effects. How to do such an operation at home is described step by step in the article.
Who invented burning wood?
According to one version, it is believed that the Japanese were the first to burn wood. At the same time, they used this technology, oddly enough, not on their products. Initially, in this way they kept the forests from fire during the fire season. The burnt lower part of the barrel became difficult to ignite and, accordingly, was less exposed to fire.The second popular legend also comes from Japan. If you believe this version, then once the Japanese noticed that after a fire in the forest, charred trunks lasted longer than those that had passed the fire. In particular, they noted for themselves that burnt wood does not rot so quickly, and insects do not sharpen it at all.
Later, this technology, prompted by nature itself, began to be used in construction. So, before installation, the roofing board, wall beam, wooden piles were fired. This made the building more durable, protected from insects and, in part, from fire.
Even later, firing began to be used to decorate wood products, in particular, for outdoor use. The goal, in this case, was not only to protect the material from harmful effects, but also to give the surface an attractive appearance.
There is also a version that the Vikings began to burn wood long before the Japanese. They applied this technology to the processing of their ships.
Benefits of burnt wood
The advantages of fire-treated wood are as follows:- presentable appearance;
- unattractive to insects;
- increased fire resistance;
- compacted surface;
- increased strength;
- improved moisture resistance;
- wear resistance;
- protection from ultraviolet radiation.
Application of technology at home
In everyday life, firing lumber is used everywhere. The technology allows without the use of stains, toners and oils to turn pine into rare wood. In particular, with deep roasting, which is described in this article, the most defective pine easily turns into wenge (it grows mainly in Africa).It is especially useful to use firing in the manufacture of products and structures that will be used outdoors. It can be garden furniture, a fence, a gazebo. Also, wooden elements of housing are often treated with fire - sheathing, frontal boards, terraces, stair balusters, and so on.
Burnt wooden boxes, gift cases, picture frames, grooves and photographs, various coasters and lamps will look beautiful.
What kind of wood can be burned?
Not all wood can be protected and decorated in this way. First of all, this applies to fruit species, oak, ash and alder. However, the most common lumber - pine and Christmas tree - is perfectly burned. You can also fire veneer and plywood.For firing, it is best to choose a material on which an ornate structure is visible. During processing, the soft wood will burn out and be removed, and the hard fibers will stand out in a darker color. At the same time, knots, blue, fungus and other defects are not a problem for fire.
When firing coniferous wood, it is better to take dried material. It burns much faster, it has less resin, with which there will be certain problems later. Raw wood is also quite possible to burn. However, it should be borne in mind that such processing will partially clog the pores of the material, and the moisture remaining inside will come out much longer, which is not good.
Tools and materials for firing
The main tool in this business is a gas burner. It's just that an open fire (gas stove, bonfire, etc.) does not fit well, and it will not work to evenly burn a large surface. It is also undesirable to use a blowtorch on gasoline. It burns, of course, excellently, but drops of unburned fuel can fly out of its nozzle, leaving glossy spots on the wood. Alternatively, you can try using a building hair dryer. But a lot of time is spent with it, and deep roasting cannot be achieved.A gas burner is the best for this business. Worth a penny, safe to use, easy to control and configure. You can even get by with the cheapest Chinese-made version, which, together with a can of gas, will cost about $ 5.
For large-scale work, it is better to get a large gas burner, which is designed for laying bituminous roofing.
In addition to a source of directed fire, you will also need felt. In extreme cases, you can take a washcloth from the kitchen for washing dishes and use its harder side for work.
Basically, that's all it takes.
Staged firing of wood. technology nuances.
Deep firing should begin with a surface pass of the burner over the material. At this stage, you need to evenly heat the wood, burn out the protruding pile, and also open the places where the resin is concentrated in large quantities. These areas will need special attention later.
The photo just shows such places well. As a rule, they appear on knots, and after the first pass they do not darken, but are covered with boiling resin. It is highly flammable and can ruin the whole result, so you should carefully warm up the knots. Warmed up, waited until it boils, then again. Repeat until the boil stops.
While the resin boils and the wood in these places cools down, the second stage is carried out in parallel - deep firing. The goal is to make the surface char and crack slightly. The photo below shows how it looks.
The next step is cleaning the surface of soot. This can be done in several ways: using felt, a soft brush or a special attachment for a grinder (brushing brush). The only condition for all cases is that it is necessary to clean off the soot only in the direction of the wood fibers.
Sandpaper is not suitable for this purpose. It is advisable to use it only for surface firing of wood. In this case, it is necessary to remove all burnt soft fibers, and sandpaper without scratches will not cope with this task.
By the way, if you want the result to be lighter than in the above photos, you need to brush the surface longer. But you can achieve lighter shades only with a brush. Felt "get" to light wood will not work.
Some masters wash off the soot with water, which, in principle, gives a good result. But keep in mind that dry wood, in direct contact with water, will take on some moisture, which, in turn, can lead to deformations and other problems in the future. A more predictable result is obtained only dry.
After firing, it remains only to cover the wood with a protective compound. To get a silky, matte surface that feels like pure wood, use special oils. A glossy surface that shimmers in the sun and at different viewing angles from black to light - is obtained after applying several layers of ordinary wood varnish.