Fumed Oak | Fumed Oak Flooring in Brentwood, CA - Fame Hardwood
Posted on
5/18/2022
Fumed, or smoked oak is oak wood flooring which has been treated to change its color. Fuming or smoking involves putting the oak into an enclosed environment in which ammonia is introduced into the atmosphere. This enclosed environment might be a closed tank or a sealed tent or some kind of container into which just a rather small amount of ammonia is introduced. The result of the ammonia in the air is that the shade of the wood is changed.
Fumed, or smoked oak is oak wood flooring which has been treated to change its color. Fuming or smoking involves putting the oak into an enclosed environment in which ammonia is introduced into the atmosphere. This enclosed environment might be a closed tank or a sealed tent or some kind of container into which just a rather small amount of ammonia is introduced. The result of the ammonia in the air is that the shade of the wood is changed.
It is a common misunderstanding that fuming or smoking oak involves the application of the ammonia to the oak, however this is not the case. The change in color comes about from the wood's response to the presence of ammonia in the atmosphere. Effectively what occurs is that the ammonia causes the tannins in the wood to be brought to the surface. The closer the tannins are to the surface, the darker the wood will appear. The longer the wood is exposed to the ammonia, the darker it gets. The outcomes acquired from fuming or smoking will range from a rich brown shade to almost black.
Basically, the intensity of the color as well as the tone of the color will depend upon the period of time the wood remains in contact with the ammonia fumes. Durations of as little as twelve hours will give a lightly fumed result and 72 hours a darker end result. Furthermore, the higher the temperature in the chamber, as you would assume, the quicker color change effects will appear, but not just that, the tone will be affected. Hotter temperatures generally introduce red tones and cooler temperatures green tones allowing for creativity when it comes to the fuming or smoking technique.
Like many things, it is reputed that fuming was discovered by accident. Dating back to the turn of the twentieth century, it is believed that the initial discovery was made in horse stables. During that time, it was noticed that the beams above the horses were notably darkened compared to the beams in other parts of the stable and this darkening process was linked to the ammonia in the horses' urine. Fuming or smoking as a wood treatment method became commonplace with arts and crafts furniture manufacturers and to this day, is incredibly popular.
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