Heat treatment of wood, or as it is called “smoking” – is the process of exposing wood to ammonia vapor, which darkens the wood and emphasizes the structure of the wood. The process of “smoking” takes place in a multi-chamber closed system under constant control, using environmentally friendly vacuum technology. The wood is placed in a chamber where it is exposed to gaseous ammonia for two weeks. After this treatment, the residual ammonia is pumped to another chamber, where it is neutralized. The whole process takes about 3-4 weeks to complete and results in darkening of the wood that runs through the entire array.

“Smoking” can be successfully performed on any wood containing tannin. The concentration of color depends on the amount of tannin in the wood. This is one of the reasons why the absorption and the result of darkening are so different from species to species of wood. Due to the different levels of tannin, the color from “smoking” can vary from honey to rich chocolate to almost black. Other effects of “smoking” are increased smoothness and flexibility of the veneer.

Botanical name – Liquidambar styraciflua

Distribution – Southeastern United States