Maarten van de Voort

Why does European oak sometimes show brown or blue stains? Here's what tannic acid does to the wood, and what to watch for when working with it.

Watered logs being lifted In the past, most types of wood were often “watered”, meaning that the fresh logs were placed in clean, fresh and, if possible, running water for a longer period of time after felling. The logs are placed with the “butt” in the direction of the flow, i.e. in the same direction that the sap flows move, to promote flushing. The watering duration can vary between 3 months and 3 years depending on the type of wood. This has several advantages: 1) Insects cannot reach the...