Efficacy of surface carbonization of wood – a systematic literature review

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Abstract

Surface carbonization of wood has gained renewed attention as a sustainable alternative to chemical treatments for exterior façade cladding. This systematic literature review synthesized findings from 33 peer-reviewed articles published between 2008 and 2025 to evaluate the efficacy of surface carbonization in enhancing wood performance. The review identifies four primary research foci: resistance to fungal decay, structural/mechanical performance, weathering durability, and fire performance. Results indicate that while surface carbonization generally improves decay resistance, the effects are low in magnitude and highly contingent on wood species, carbonization method, and thermal intensity, and are often offset by trade-offs in mechanical properties and weathering durability. Weathering remains a critical challenge, with frequent reports of substantial surface flaking and photodegradation, highlighting the need for more research on post-carbonization stabilization, including the use of surface sealing substances. Surface carbonization is found to improve fire performance; however, the influence of post-carbonization surface sealing oils on fire resistance is largely underexplored and warrants further investigation. Overall, the findings underscore the complexity of optimizing carbonization parameters to balance biological durability, structural integrity, and environmental resistance, and call for further research on species-specific treatment windows.

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