Charred Boards

The striking black boards of houses and building in Kyoto (and suburban Tokyo) are cedar that have been purposely charred as a means of protection agains the weather and future fire.  The technique know as shou sugi ban or yaki sugi ita is becoming a trend in western countries too. Wonder if I could add a charred feature wall to Finch St???  It does look amazing, but the technique requires specific timber.  I like the vertical run of the boards too.