Hi,
I am planning a japanese soaking tub in my next house and wondered if there is a west coast source for the type of wood needed for the project. I know there is a specific japanese wood, but there is also one availaible on the Northwest coast that is almost as good. ANy suggestions?
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Isn't redwood available in NW? Seems like that would be good--if available and not too expensive. Cedar might be nice too and would smell nice. You might try posting your question in the Knots forum where they seem to know a lot about wood.
Redwood, Cypress, White OAK, Spruce..
Almost any water resistant wood would do because this kind of tub is freshly filled each time it is used.. (I hope!).. You have to think about GOOD JOINTS though.
It isn't refilled each tiem. You actually scrub up and rinse off outside the tub before you get in to soak. It is a special wood like cypress, I just don't know the name or where to get it. Thanks!!
Actually, my understanding is that ofuro tubs are kind of leaky when they are first built, but the wood expands when it gets wet, and stays expanded because the water stays in the tub. One is expected to bathe first before stepping into the soaking tub. But the flooring around and under the tub should be able to take the inevitable leakage and drain it without ruining the house.
To the original poster, I believe that Port Orford Cedar is a traditional wood for this type of bath, and is available in the Pacific Northwest of the US. In fact, I think this is Japan's source for this wood now. Other alternatives could be Teak, or Redwood.
Inoke cedar is the Japanese wood. POC is very close to Inoke and is more readily available.
Inoke cedar? That's a new one to me. I thought it was called "hinoki"--or at least that's what the Japanese call it. The Japanese refer to Port Orford cedar as "bei hinoki," and, while they do consider it to be inferior to Japanese hinoki, just as they consider Taiwanese hinoki to be inferior (and any and all other varieties of this wood, as a matter of course) it is used pretty much interchangeably. I myself routinely work with high-end old-growth hinoki and I am not sure I could tell the difference. The genuine old fashioned hinoki buro is something you only see these days in high-end Japanese accommodations and bathing establishments. It's really a luxury.One reason why it's a luxury is that it requires expensive maintenance. You cannot maintain it yourself, and there is only about one person left in Japan who knows how to maintain these tubs.What kind of maintenance? Well, the wood needs to be scraped down and washed with chemicals once a year. By chemicals I mean lye, along with other things, dunno what. But anyway lye. Why lye? Well, hinoki tends to turn black with daily use. Your lovely $5K or $10K yellow wooden tub will have slimy streaks of grey and black in it after a year. The lye somehow restores the color. I sort of doubt it restores the natural oil, which is volatile to begin with, and this is what give your hinoki buro the lovely smell.Personally, I would advise you to think again about a hinoki buro. It's not practical. One compromise, which you more often see in Japan, is a custom made tub/pool lined with slate or rough black tile, and with a lip made of thick pieces of hinoki. This lip can be replaced when the wood gets too slimy and gross. I'd use second growth wood, even wood with knots, for this.Another possibility would be to do the tub in redwood. After all, that's what the original California hot tubs were made out of, old redwood wine casks. Doesn't smell as nice, though, and your Japanese friends would probably turn up their noses at it.
You want vertical grain Port-Orford Cedar.
A mill near me cuts mostly POC and WRC....call them and tell them what your needs are.
This place is kind of a Mom and Pop (though their operation is first class), so you may have to leave a message on their phone.
East Fork Lumber
541-572-5732
Hi Carolynn,
You may already have someone lined up, but I thought it would be helpful to let you know that in our upcoming issue we are featuring a house with an ofuro that was built by a Japanese woodworking in CA who specializes in them. If you are looking for someone to build one for you, his website is http://www.kiarts.com.
Thanks for reading!
Samara Rafert
Editorial Assistant
Inspired House