Oils and Finishes for Yakisugi

Martin Gottschlich

Enhancing and Preserving the Beauty of Your Yakisugi Cladding

Oils and finishes are not a functional necessity for authentic Yakisugi – the charring process alone ensures long-lasting durability and weather resistance.
However, additional oil treatments or coatings can help preserve the facade’s original look for longer, delaying the formation of a natural patina. They also offer the opportunity to introduce colour accents to bring your individual design vision to life.

Why Treat Yakisugi with Oil or Finish?

Oils and finishes can visually enhance the surface by intensifying the wood’s tones and slowing the natural weathering process, while also offering surface protection:

Colour Enhancement: Oils draw out the wood’s natural depth and grain – from deep blacks and rich browns to soft greys.
UV Protection: Over time, sun exposure causes the wood fibres to grey. An oil or finish provides UV resistance and slows this fading process.
Surface Protection: Particularly with the soft, charred surface of Suyaki, our natural oil binds and stabilises the soot layer. For interior use, we also recommend our water-based multi-layer lacquer system, which protects the distinctive alligator-like texture from wear and tear and makes it easy to clean.

Optional Maintenance – Retaining Your Facade's Colour

Many clients ask whether Yakisugi cladding needs regular maintenance. The typical answer: No.

In Japan, it’s common to allow Yakisugi facades to age naturally, embracing the unique patterns created by time and weather. Much like human faces, these facades change subtly every decade – a beautiful and natural process.

These changes are largely cosmetic – the durability of the charred wood remains unaffected. However, those wishing to preserve the original look for longer can slow the greying process with oil or coating treatments. In most cases, reapplication every 5 to 10 years is sufficient.

One of the great advantages of Yakisugi is its low-maintenance care. No sanding, priming or staining needed – simply brush on the oil or finish, and you’re done!

Choosing the Right Oils and Finishes

Choosing the right oil or coating is key to achieving the desired look and protection:

✔ We use our own blends of natural, eco-friendly, plant-based oils like linseed and tung oil
✔ These oils deeply penetrate and nourish the wood from within
✔ Water-based, environmentally friendly transparent or semi-transparent finishes create a sealing layer on the surface
✔ Transparent/semi-transparent finishes preserve the natural look of the wood – the beautiful grain remains clearly visible
✔ A blend of finish and pigment allows for even, rich colour accents
✔ The sealed surface is made more resilient and long-lasting

Whether you prefer a naturally aged patina or a consistent, long-lasting tone, your aesthetic preference is what counts most.

Matching Oils, Finishes and Pigments to the Yakisugi Surface

Different Yakisugi finishes benefit from different care approaches:

Suyaki (Exterior): The deeply charred surface is treated twice with our natural wood oil. Once dry, the oil stabilises the carbon layer, preventing smudging and increasing weather resistance. The open-pored nature of the oil allows the wood to “breathe” with changing humidity and temperature.
Suyaki (Interior): The textured, charred surface is coated with a water-based, solvent-free multi-layer lacquer that enhances its unique texture with a silky sheen and makes it washable and even more durable.
Gendai: A single-brushed surface that highlights the wood grain. It pairs beautifully with dark oil shades like ebony or deep grey.
Pika-Pika: Double-brushed for a pronounced wood texture, allowing for a wide range of colour options in design.

Custom Finishes – As Unique as Your Project

In our workshop near Düsseldorf, we tailor every Yakisugi board to our clients’ specifications.

We use:
✔ Natural plant-based oils for wood treatment
✔ Solvent-free, water-based transparent or semi-transparent coatings from renowned European manufacturers
✔ Pigmented coatings to achieve nearly any shade or colour nuance

Protection Inside and Out

Our treatments serve two key purposes:
1️⃣ Deep Nourishment – Oil penetrates the wood and nurtures it from within
2️⃣ Surface Protection – Coatings protect the colour from UV exposure

For Suyaki, coatings also stabilise the charred soot layer, prevent smudging, and ensure clean handling during installation. Gendai and Pika-Pika can be customised with pigments to realise unique design visions.

Special Indoor Coatings for High-Traffic Areas

For indoor applications of Suyaki in areas with heavy use, we offer a water-based, solvent-free multi-layer lacquer that provides:

✔ A silky-matte sheen that enhances the wood’s texture
✔ A washable, highly durable surface

Conclusion: Why Add Extra Protection to Yakisugi Cladding?

Yakisugi is naturally long-lasting, but oil impregnation or coating offers extra protection and control over its visual evolution.
Whether you prefer to embrace natural ageing or maintain a consistent appearance – the right treatment ensures your Yakisugi cladding retains its beauty for decades to come.

Questions? Feel free to contact us for tailored advice on oil treatments and maintenance options!

Interested? Give us a ring:

+49 211 86 80 86 60

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