Pressure Treated vs Kiln Dried? Anyone tried Shou Sugi Ban/Yakisugi?

[CoopPoop]

I used this method for both my garden fencing (treated posts in the ground) and for my raised beds. I made a video explaining.

Hi @Rancid Crbtree great video thanks for sharing! I know you said your in zone 3 so a ways north of us down in zone 6 but how have they held up since making them? The new beds I made with this method are only a couple weeks old so haven't really been put to the test yet,

 

[NagemTX]

 

[chicken1234]

My husband charred and oiled the bottom timbers of my chicken coop. Its new but I think anything you can do to help it last is the way to go.

 

[lizo97]

I wonder if it would be good for roosts?

 

[Folly's place]

Notice that the charred wood is only used above ground! And treating posts with tar is less safe for the environment that using newer treared posts. Use treated lumber at ground level, and anything else above ground, with surface treatment of some sort.
That 4'x4' coop is very very small!! Build bigger now, consider your entire structure, including your 'run' as the coop. Protect the north and west sides, at least in winter, and have shade in summer.
Mary

 

[Sic]

Hello all,

Apologies for the wordy thread on this. We are planning to build our first coop this month and looking for others experience/opinions in materials used to make a long lasting shelter. Has anyone tired using charred pine (Shou Sugi Ban) in their coop construction aside from just siding and if so how has it held up over the years? Is Pressure Treated (PT) the best way to go when building a coop/frame?

Some background info:

• Located in Eastern Kansas.
• Dimensions of Coop will be 4x4 with spacing under plus a 8x4 run giving us a total of 48 square foot.
• Coop/Run posts will be built on pavers so no wood will be in direct ground contact.
• Planning to build under a maple tree and in a area that does not get extreme rain/snow/wind and will receive plenty of direct and indirect sunlight depending on the time of day.
• We plan to paint our coop, the questions is more in regards to the framing and run.

The great PT debate:
While I understand the chemicals used nowadays are not nearly are dangerous to be around I would prefer to use environmentally friendly methods whenever possible. My main issues with using PT lumber are the treatment only penetrates the outer layer of the board meaning any cuts made will render that side unprotected unless manually applying wood preservative to each cut end. We would also need to factor in the cost or paint or exterior stain as raw pine, while beautiful in it's own right, is not the aesthetic we are wanting for our coop.

Let there be fire:
Alternatively, I had stumbled on the process of Shou Sugi Ban when researching ideas for cheap, long lasting garden beds and started to think "Why not use it on a coop as well?" The process involves charring wood to create timber that is naturally resistant to UV damage, insects, and, moisture. In terms of building a coop with this method we'd be looking at purchasing kiln dried lumber, charring, brushing, then giving them a coat of boiled linseed oil for additional protection. Once boards are cut to size any cut ends would be re-charred to fully seal any unprotected areas.

Is it worth it:
Cost wise, pressure treated lumber in my area is only around $1.10* more per board and I believe the cost saving for all the lumber I needed came out to around $20ish dollars. As mentioned above with PT lumber we would also need to factor in the additional cost of extra stains/chemicals if we are wanting to go with a natural look. I plan to upcycle when/what I can but came to the realization I am gonna need to buy new lumber. I already have a propane torch and the boiled linseed oil needed and have played with this method for garden beds but those beds have not been outside long enough to really know how effective it is at preventing rot. While it's certainly more labor intensive I really like the idea of less chemicals around our flock and kids as well as look of it, just not enough to have to replace it in a year if the whole thing rots away.

Any experiences or feedback are greatly appreciated!

Just an FYI on this old thread - Shou Sugi Ban was traditionally done on a cedar. Cedar is a water, rot, insect repellent wood, so shou sugi ban added fire resistance. Using this method on a pine will not give it the same quality as a cedar. I have bare cedar in and on the ground for 17 years, aside from weathering, is as good as it ever was. Use cedar and you don't need PT, SSB or paint or any other treatments.