Creating Old School Dark Finishes for Natural Eco-timber

One of the benefits of iron sulphate is that it “self-healing”, generally cracks and damage to wood will be naturally resealed by the stain. Iron sulphate is low toxicity and generally does not contain volatile organic compounds (VOC’s).

Ebonisation

Another method to darken wood naturally is ebonisation, which usually involves a chemical reaction between iron oxide and the natural tannins in wood.

This creates a dark black colour in the fibre of the timber, rather than sitting on top of the wood like a stain - resulting in a solid finish where the grain of the wood is not visible through the colour.

Which timbers work well?

Timbers with high tannin content such as Abodo’s Tundra is an excellent substrate for iron surface-based treatments.

The strong tannins in Tundra react quickly with the iron forming a dark brown black colour quickly. The reaction with Vulcan is less visible due to the reduced resin content of this timber.

Please note: Tundra Cladding is no longer available. However, you can achieve a similar look in our Vulcan Cladding – Standard Series.