Shou Sugi Ban

Shou Sugi Ban charred timber cladding: boards charred by the traditional Japanese method for a deep black, textured finish, in 70 mm and 120 mm widths, in Callitris or Australian hardwood, including a BAL-29 rated hardwood option.

• Widths: 70 mm and 120 mm
• Species: Callitris (native cypress), Australian hardwood, or BAL-29 rated Australian hardwood
• Bushfire: choose the BAL-29 hardwood option for bushfire-prone sites, and tell us the BAL rating on your report before you order
• Finish: the charring brings up the grain and gives a black to charcoal surface; tones vary with species and board
• Where it suits: facades, feature walls, fences and screens, inside or out
• Fixing: pre-drill, and use stainless steel fixings within 1 km of the coast
• At Greenhill: stocked at 170 Settlement Road, Thomastown, with pickup or delivery across Melbourne and regional Victoria. See all our timber cladding.

Shou Sugi Ban charred timber cladding in Melbourne

Shou Sugi Ban, or yakisugi, is timber cladding with a face charred by the traditional Japanese method. The burn brings up the grain, hardens the surface and leaves a black to charcoal finish that needs no paint or stain. Greenhill Timbers stocks it in 70 mm and 120 mm boards at our yard at 170 Settlement Road, Thomastown, with pickup or delivery across Melbourne and regional Victoria. It is used on facades, garden walls, fences, feature walls and fireplace surrounds, outside and in.

Sizes and prices

Prices as at 19 October 2026, per square metre of wall, including GST. Boards come in random lengths; tell us the wall area and we will make up the pack.

From $214.28 to $293.57 per m² depending on species and width. The 70 mm board gives a finer, more linear wall with more shadow lines; the 120 mm board covers faster and reads as broader planks.

Choosing a species

Callitris is a native Australian cypress: naturally termite resistant, lighter to handle and the lower-priced option. Australian hardwood is denser and holds the charred surface longer under weather, so on a north or west facade it earns its price. The BAL-29 Australian hardwood option is the one to specify on a bushfire-prone site; it is the only one of the three we sell as rated. Charring alone does not give a board a bushfire rating, so tell us the BAL on your report before you order.

How the charring works

Each board is burnt on the face until a layer of carbon forms, then brushed and, depending on the finish, oiled. The carbon layer is what resists weather and insects; the depth of the burn sets the texture, from a crackled, alligator-skin surface to a smooth brushed black. Tones vary from board to board and between species, so order the whole wall from one batch and let us know if you want a sample first.

Fixing and care

Fix over a breathable wall wrap and a ventilated cavity batten so the wall can drain and dry. Pre-drill, keep fixings 12 mm from the ends, and use stainless steel within 1 km of the coast. A charred face can mark hands and clothing until it has been sealed, so coat the boards with a clear penetrating oil before or soon after fixing. Left bare, the char weathers slowly to a softer grey-black; an oil every couple of years keeps it deep black. Store the boards flat and dry on site, and handle them by the edges.

Ordering

Measure each wall in square metres, subtract the openings, and add about 10% for cuts. Call (03) 9465 9875 with the wall sizes, the species and the BAL rating if you have one, and we will quote boards, cavity battens, oil and delivery. Trade accounts are available.

Questions we get asked about Shou Sugi Ban

Is Shou Sugi Ban fire resistant?
The charred layer resists surface ignition better than bare timber, but that is not the same as a bushfire rating. Only our BAL-29 Australian hardwood option is sold as rated; use it, with the cavity and flashing details your assessor specifies, on a BAL site.

Does the black rub off?
Until the board is oiled, yes, a little. Oiling binds the carbon; after that it behaves like any oiled hardwood cladding.

How long does it last outside?
The charred face slows weathering and insect attack, and the hardwood options are durable species in their own right. Expect the same life as a quality hardwood cladding, with the colour softening to grey-black over the years unless it is re-oiled.

Can I use it inside?
Yes. Feature walls, ceilings and fireplace surrounds are common; oil the boards first so the char does not mark hands or furniture.

Can it be used for a fence or gate?
Yes, on a frame of H3 treated pine or H4 posts. Face-fix with stainless screws and oil both sides of the boards before you hang them.

How much do I need?
Price is per square metre of finished wall, so a 3 m by 2.4 m wall is 7.2 m², plus about 10% for cuts. We work out the board count from your wall sizes.

What about the colour of the cut ends?
Cut ends show raw timber. Char them lightly with a torch, or brush them with a black exterior stain, then oil.

Goes with

Ventilated cavity battens, CUTEK CD50 oil and stainless screws from our cladding accessories. Compare it with Blackbutt and grey ironbark cladding, the pre-finished composite cladding ranges, or see the full external cladding range. For a charred look inside, see internal wall cladding and timber battens.

Pick up from 170 Settlement Road, Thomastown. Stocked lines are usually ready the same day. Delivery across Melbourne and regional Victoria is quoted on the order; call (03) 9465 9875 for a price on your suburb.

All prices include GST. Flooring is priced per square metre, decking and dressed timber per lineal metre, framing and posts per length. Trade accounts get trade pricing on the site and at the counter: apply here.

Bring your room or deck sizes in, or call (03) 9465 9875, and we will work out boards, lengths, fixings and oil, with about 10% allowed for cuts.