Have you ever heard of Shou Sugi Ban (also called Yakisugi)? If you’re reading this article, you probably have. I hadn’t heard of it myself until I started searching for a way to seal my garden beds without using stain (for food safety reasons). I found two options: a food-safe stain or Shou Sugi Ban. Since I was working with a tight budget, the choice was easy. The stain I looked at cost around $50, but burning the wood with a torch from Harbor Freight—and a propane tank I already owned—would only cost about $25. Clear winner!
So, what exactly is Shou Sugi Ban? It’s an ancient Japanese technique that preserves and seals wood by burning it.
Here are some pros of this method:
Cost effective
Makes the wood more durable
Requires little to no maintenance once complete
Resistant to rot, water, and pests
Has a beautiful, unique look
And here are a few cons to consider:
The wood can shrink slightly after burning
The process can be time-consuming (burning can take hours depending on the size of the wood)
The wood may be a little harder to work with afterward
Changes are permanent once you burn it
In my research on this technique, I learned that traditional Shou Sugi Ban is done with cedar boards. The wood is burned before being used, and while the process is very time-consuming, it produces beautiful results. Traditionally, artisans bind three planks together, start a fire at one end, and allow a slow, controlled burn under close supervision. The craftsman knows exactly what to look for, and the results are stunning.
Since the technique came to the States, most people now use a propane torch to burn the wood. It’s much simpler compared to the original method, though the finished look does turn out a bit different. For my project, I chose the propane torch method.
The wood typically used for Shou Sugi Ban is clean, untreated hardwood such as cedar (the traditional choice), cypress, or oak. Softwoods like pine can also be used, but the key is that the wood must not be pretreated. For my garden beds, I used reclaimed fence pickets—some cedar, some pine. We had replaced our fence the year before, and I wanted to repurpose the old wood. To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure if some boards were cedar or pine, but after sanding, the greenish tinge made me think they were pine.
Once I measured and cut the boards, I sanded them down (which took forever and is my least favorite part!) and then built my garden beds. I decided to burn the wood after assembling the beds because I had read that burned wood can be harder to work with. While I was happy with the final result, there were a few drawbacks to this method:
Because I assembled the wood before burning, some corners and crevices didn’t get fully charred.
A few planks shrank a little too much, leaving small gaps between the boards.
Even with those flaws, I was satisfied overall. The color turned out beautifully, and I believe the wood will hold up well for what I need.
To create the garden beds, you’ll first need to measure how big you want them to be—most are around 8 ft by 4 ft. I originally planned for mine to be 8×4 ft; however, my fence planks measured closer to 7 ft after I trimmed the curved edges. So, my beds ended up being about 7(ish) ft by 4(ish) ft.
Next, I made sure to have corner supports made from 2×4 pieces cut to the height of the beds. These were attached to each of the four corners (obviously!) to provide stability. Then came the sanding—if your wood is old and crusty like mine was, this part is a must. While time-consuming, sanding really helped remove the bugs and gunk. If you’re using new planks, you can skip this step since the burning will naturally smooth and seal the wood. After sanding, I assembled the beds. I built the long sides first by drilling the planks into the corner pieces, then repeated the process for the other side. After that, I attached the short sides to the corner pieces, completing one end and then the other.
This is the 2×4 attached to the corner of the bed. I decided to have the length go higher than the bed becuase I want to attach an arbor.
Great! Now for the fun part—burning the wood! As I mentioned earlier, you’ll need a torch (like this—though you can easily pick one up at Harbor Freight) and a propane tank. Be sure to do this step outside, in an area where nothing nearby could catch on fire. Clear away anything remotely flammable, and keep a fire extinguisher nearby just in case. When you’re burning, start small and slow. I was surprised at how long it took for the wood to really char. Once I got more comfortable, I increased the flame size, and that sped up the process significantly. Since I was working with already-assembled beds, I made sure to burn both the outside and inside surfaces.
After the burning, take a wire brush and scrub all sides. This helps spread the ash into the crevices, removes excess soot, and ensures a more even finish. Finally, seal the wood with a food-safe oil. This step is optional since burning already seals the wood, but many people add oil for extra protection. I used mineral oil (what I had on hand), but teak oil is another good option.
