<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Charring wood to preserve it - or other materials that come into contact with it - is a very old tradition. It can be seen - accidentally - in old timber framed buildings which survive fires because the beams and posts form a protective layer of carbon which retards incineration during a fire. A definite advantage of larger timbers over current 2x systems.<div><br></div><div>It was also used by coach-builders when working with Oak and other caustic woods. Surfaces that would come into contact with ferrous metals were deliberated scorched in order to create an inert layer and protect iron from the corrosive effects of tannic acid in the wood.</div><div><br></div><div>Regards,<div><div apple-content-edited="true"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Papyrus; color: rgb(255, 160, 18); "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Papyrus; color: rgb(99, 10, 255); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">Steve Satow</span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Papyrus; color: rgb(99, 10, 255); "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Papyrus; color: rgb(99, 10, 255); "><a href="http://www.naturalbuildingsite.net">www.naturalbuildingsite.net</a></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Papyrus; color: rgb(99, 10, 255); "><a href="mailto:naturalbuilding@shaw.ca">naturalbuilding@shaw.ca</a></div></div></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span> </div><br><div><div>On 23-Jan-11, at 8:27 AM, Benjamin Pratt wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div>the floor joists of my 1929 house have a charred appearance. at first<br>i thought this may be evidence from a house fire, but I've since<br>decided that they have always been that way. Was it a technique to<br>preserve them?<br>Ben<br><br>On Sun, Jan 23, 2011 at 10:16 AM, JOHN SALMEN <<a href="mailto:terrain@shaw.ca">terrain@shaw.ca</a>> wrote:<br><blockquote type="cite">When I was a kid I made money dismantling barns for the barnboard. I<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">remember it as old and tough - but relatively 'woodlike' beyond the scoured<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">surface.<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Wood on average loses about a 1/4" a century - depends on density less for<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">hardwoods, more for softwoods. Initial weathering robs the surface of<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">various lignins leaving a relatively pure cellulose covering that is highly<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">uv resistant.<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">There are historical techniques of accelerating that process and creating an<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">even colouring for wood. Shou-sugi-ban is a Japanese technique of burning<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">(charring) the surface of the wood and polishing it. It is quite beautiful.<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">There are contemporary finishes that simply oxidize the surface to an even<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">grey (lifetime?).<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">The problem with shakes and shingles is that they typically require 1st<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">growth softwood material with fine grain structure. These are the forests we<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">are trying to preserve locally. They are also hard to reuse (other than as<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">kindling). I don't mind 2nd growth siding untreated(used as part of a 100<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">mile diet)as it does have a long life. I prefer board and batten but current<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">rainscreen code requirements make this difficult to do.<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Best<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">John<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">JOHN SALMEN ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">4465 UPHILL RD,. DUNCAN, B.C. CANADA, V9L 6M7<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">PH 250 748 7672 FAX 250 748 7612 CELL 250 246 8541<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><a href="mailto:terrain@shaw.ca">terrain@shaw.ca</a><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">-----Original Message-----<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">From: <a href="mailto:greenbuilding-bounces@lists.bioenergylists.org">greenbuilding-bounces@lists.bioenergylists.org</a><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">[<a href="mailto:greenbuilding-bounces@lists.bioenergylists.org">mailto:greenbuilding-bounces@lists.bioenergylists.org</a>] On Behalf Of<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><a href="mailto:bill.allen@verizon.net">bill.allen@verizon.net</a><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Sent: January 23, 2011 5:07 AM<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">To: Green Building<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Nansulate Insulation<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">John,<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">I applaud your efforts.<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">My uneducated question is: Why use paint at all? Don't well installed, bare<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">wood shingles last a pretty long time (as siding) if you use the right<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">species?<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">I am making these choices now for my own house and keep gravitating toward<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">natural wood (shingles or siding). With the correct roof overhang (eves and<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">gables), don't they last a while? I just dismantled a 150+ year old barn in<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">climate zone 6 with the original, naked hemlock siding (vertical). It's got<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">plenty of life left.<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Would love any comments...<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Bill<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">-----Original Message-----<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">From: "JOHN SALMEN" <<a href="mailto:terrain@shaw.ca">terrain@shaw.ca</a>><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Sender: <a href="mailto:greenbuilding-bounces@lists.bioenergylists.org">greenbuilding-bounces@lists.bioenergylists.org</a><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2011 12:36:32<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">To: 'Green Building'<<a href="mailto:greenbuilding@lists.bioenergylists.org">greenbuilding@lists.bioenergylists.org</a>><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Reply-to: Green Building <<a href="mailto:greenbuilding@lists.bioenergylists.org">greenbuilding@lists.bioenergylists.org</a>><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Nansulate Insulation<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">_______________________________________________<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Greenbuilding mailing list<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">to Send a Message to the list, use the email address<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><a href="mailto:Greenbuilding@bioenergylists.org">Greenbuilding@bioenergylists.org</a><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><a href="http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/greenbuilding_lists.bioener">http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/greenbuilding_lists.bioener</a><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">gylists.org<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">_______________________________________________<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Greenbuilding mailing list<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">to Send a Message to the list, use the email address<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><a href="mailto:Greenbuilding@bioenergylists.org">Greenbuilding@bioenergylists.org</a><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><a href="http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/greenbuilding_lists.bioener">http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/greenbuilding_lists.bioener</a><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">gylists.org<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">_______________________________________________<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Greenbuilding mailing list<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">to Send a Message to the list, use the email address<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><a href="mailto:Greenbuilding@bioenergylists.org">Greenbuilding@bioenergylists.org</a><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><a href="http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/greenbuilding_lists.bioenergylists.org">http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/greenbuilding_lists.bioenergylists.org</a><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><br><br><br>-- <br><br><br>b e n j a m i n p r a t t<br><br>professor art+design<br>the university of wisconsin stout<br><br>_______________________________________________<br>Greenbuilding mailing list<br>to Send a Message to the list, use the email address<br><a href="mailto:Greenbuilding@bioenergylists.org">Greenbuilding@bioenergylists.org</a><br><br>to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page<br>http://lists.bioenergylists.org/mailman/listinfo/greenbuilding_lists.bioenergylists.org<br></div></blockquote></div><br></div></div></body></html>