Gendai

The SINGLE BRUSHED Yakisugi

Gendai is our most popular Yakisugi (brushed Shou Sugi Ban) surface for exterior applications. A single pass through the brush machine knocks down the heavy soot layer and leaves a smooth, silky look. The burnt fibre crevasse shadows are subtle, and Gendai can either be installed without oil prefinish, with a traditional oil prefinish, or with a water-based oil prefinish depending on the appearance or colour desired.

1. Available coatings and colours

2. Available profiles and widths

Shiplap profile
145 mm (135 mm reveal) – #G14

Square Edge profile
89 mm – #G08

Square Edge profile
145 mm – #G04

Square Edge profile
195 mm – #G09

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Gendai Specifications
(Yaksiugi / brushed Shou Sugi Ban)

Gendai: “Modern” dark, with a smooth, silky look
Once brushed Shou Sugi Ban: smooth, consistent, and dark surface. Most commonly specified yakisugi, suitable for interior and exterior

Species

Cryptomeria japonica, an endemic Japanese Cypress species (commonly also known as "Japanese cedar") is extremely fragrant, weather and insect resistant, soft, with a low density, and high dimensional stability. It is the national tree of Japan, it is called "Sugi" in Japanese and stands for the “sugi” in Yakisugi and “Shou Sugi Ban”.

Heartwood

Unlimited combination of heartwood and sapwood, pith allowed.

Colour

Dark brown with slightly darker crevasse shadows, and smooth, silky look, stainable to a broad palette.

Checks

Checks allowed to 2 mm as long as plank stability, weather-resistance,and cosmetics are not adversely affected.

Moisture Content

Air and sundried, then burnt to 11~14% moisture content. Moisture content may fluctuate according to conditions during transport or warehousing. Please acclimate on site for at least two weeks prior to installation.

Fire Resistance

Yakisugi shows higher resistance to fire compared to untreated timber due to its charred layer. Additionally, exterior and interior fire-retardant treatment is available for code compliance. Currently surface treatment with B1 class performance (according to EN 13501-1).

Grain

Outside of log faces outside of plank profile to ensure weather resistance, always with flat grain centre and angled grain to edges. Planks are graded for consistent grain density and pattern, with irregular grain patterns or boards being deselected.

Dimensional Stability

Culling of warped, crowned, crooked, or cupped boards is carried out during milling, air drying, sun drying, moulding, charring, packing, and finishing operations. Since growth rings are always aligned towards the outside of the plank profile, minor cupping is common and acceptable. Cupping is not noticeable after installation, and samples will cup more than shipped product.

Knots

Premium select clear grade allows for up to 4 knots (max 10 mm tight or 5 mm loose) for planks over 2,000 mm length, but in practice knots are rare with the premium grade. Select grade allows for unlimited knots, including some loose knots due to species characteristics (cypress does not produce high yield of tight-knot grade like red cedar due to high tannin content and unavailability of old growth logs in volume).

Hardness

320 –510

Finish

Gendai does not need to be finished with an oil for good longevity since it is heat-treated, but the wood will develop patina without an oil stain prefinish. Prefinish and periodic reapplication will slow down colour weathering over time. There are two oil prefinish formulation options and many colours available. We use breathable, low VOC, non-film-forming finishes derived from vegetable oil bases, and all formulations have a high transparent oxide pigment load. We only use the best oil stain formulations available on the market in terms of beauty and colour longevity.

- Penetrating transparent and semi-transparent oil finishes will bond loose soot into the surface and show depth of grain. Soot will not come off when touched and surface is solid. Semi-transparent finishes offer a larger pigment selection than transparent. Colour will patina gradually.

- Hybrid finishes are a combination of light and drying oils and can have a water-based acrylate / PU dispersion. The light oil will penetrate and show depth of grain while the reactive drying oil will remain on the surface to protect from UV and show more pigment. Pigment load is high as an effective UV inhibitor and silicone doping sheds water while allowing the wood to breathe. The colour will stay consistent until the surface residue erodes off over time, then the color will begin to patina gradually.

- Unfinished Gendai will change colour not much different to untreated timber. Surface is sooty at first but will not shed much soot after washing or a first heavy rain. The light soot layer will erode slowly, and the colour will weather organically.

Texture

Silky smooth, brushed Shou Sugi Ban, undulating surface, with approximately 1mm remaining soot layer.