Fuming Oak – A great teak alternative

A colour change to a
rich chestnut brown
via the chemistry of fuming.

Throughout the ages, oak has been the timber of choice for British craftsmen. Whether it be a sturdy set of church gates or a great ship like the HMS Victory, oak has been highly valued for its strength and durability.

The slow grown, French oak we use at Classic Memorial Benches is rich in tannin (Quertannic acid). Tannin is a natural fungicide and pesticide and it’s part of what makes oak such a durable timber and naturally resistant to decay.

Fuming the oak.

Fuming is a centuries old process where ammonia is used to react with the tannin in the oak, discovered accidentally when it was realised that the ammonia from livestock urine darkened the oak that was used inside the building that housed the animals.

These days of course we use commercially produced Ammonium Chloride. This involves placing the piece of oak furniture in a sealed chamber and exposing it to strong ammonia fumes for up to two days. The ammonia reacts with the tannin in the oak and produces a very even, rich, and darker colour to the wood. Penetrating up to 6mm It also neutralises the tannin in the surface of the wood making it less likely to react unpredictably in the future when the bench is placed outside.

All of this really does help the oak to maintain an even colour distribution as it weathers over time in the great outdoors, albeit a few shades darker than raw oak and perhaps closer to the colour of teak or chestnut.

In the picture left, our Classic I memorial bench in the top picture has been fumed for 18 hours and the bench below is the raw colour of the new oak.

Whether you choose to have your oak memorial bench fumed or not, it’s important to keep the bench clean and well maintained. More information can be found on our aftercare page and of course you can get in touch if you have any queries at all regarding the care and treatment of your Classic memorial bench.