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mold and hydro-repellent treatment

What is the feedback from your customers in Singapore – regarding mold experience on the bathtub. I am very worried about this, because here everything gets moldy, even shoes.

About the mold: you should provide a good natural ventilation (open doors or windows after the tub). Forced ventilation alone, will not be enough.
In any case, we treat the tubs with a hydro-repellent product (see here).
https://www.bartokdesign.com/japan/downloads/kihadaichiban-description.pdf
“KIHADA ICHIBAN” is applied by brush or roller. It does not create a coat, it actually penetrates inside offering lasting protection whithout occluding the pores of wood.

Hinoki wood is generally unfinished to convey its soft touch and natural aroma. Anyway, this new product (based on the nano-technology and using a fluoride base) operates like the silicates treatments used in europe to waterproof bricks or plaster.
These products penetrate inside the material so they do not leave a peel, they do not alter the color, luminosity and aroma of the wood.

We have been using this product for 4 years now.
It is great to prevent mold and we did not have any claim from Singapore customers so far.

wood surface finishing

I read because your tub is planed, it does not need sealants or any chemical product. If soy sauce gets spilled on it and left to dry, would it stain or can be simply wiped off?

About the finishing, we offer 2 options:

1) simply planed: in this case you have to wash away immediately any spill or it will stain. If you get a stain, blot wisely with some bleach and rinse promptly until the stain is removed.

2) treated with “kihada ichiban”. This product is a hydrorepellent which does not create a film on the wood. It is very safe and environmental friendly but it is a chemical product.
Please find more info here:
https://www.bartokdesign.com/japan/downloads/kihadaichiban-description.pdf
In this case the spill will not penetrate the wood. The manufacturer warns that the hydrorepellent effect might diminuish after 2-3 years but in our experience we could not find considerable performance loss.

hinoki and asthma

What is the difference between hinoki and “Port Orford cedar” (Port Orford cypress, Oregon) for asthma?

I am not a specialist but the composition of the resin within the wood fibers of Port Orford Cedar and Hinoki is very different.
Actually one of the active aromatic components which has been isolated and is frequently used for viral protection and anti-allergic products is the hinokitiol.
hinokitiol is present in Taiwanese hinoki and in Japanese Asnaro wood.
It is included only in small percentages in japanese hinoki! and if I am not wrong, it is completely absent in american cedars.
Please find more info here:
https://www.bartokdesign.com/0-blog_news/new_product_hiba-oil.php
If you are interested in the aromatic properties of this wood you might also consider ordering a bottle of oil and try if it works in your case.

elegant ofuro for Rome

This tub will be employed in an apartment renovation in Rome. I saw the pictures of the present typical western style bathroom and I am looking forward to the metamorphosis into a clean design japanese wet room.
The client also took in consideration a deeper tub, but finally opted for the classic module for this size tubs: 2 shaku (about 2 feet or 60cm)

Hinoki wood tub AB grade (straight cut)
Dimensions are: L1100mm x W700mm x H690mm (ext. dim.) 600mm (deep) .
The bottom of the tub is finished with a copper apron and the joints are realized with wooden dowels.
Accessories include a sunoko floor grating and japanese wooden bucket&stool

The tub has an internal bench and to offer the possibility to orient it left or right, the iron brand was applied on both front and back.

Photos of the interior, smooth as a baby`s cheek…

You can even see the drain fitting reflected in the polished wood of the interior walls!

hinoki bathroom unit for Catskill

This is as close as you can get to a real all-hinoki japanese wet room.
The ofuro is on the end wall in front of a large window, I assume the window is offering a stunnning view.
The tub has 2 ledges to fit seamlessly in the wall and a large 4-panels duckboard floor.

Hinoki wood tub AB grade (straight cut)
Dimensions are: L1400mm x W750mm x H640mm (ext. dim.) 565mm (deep) .
The bottom of the tub is finished with a copper apron and the joints are realized with wooden dowels.
Accessories include custom built in ledges, traditional wood cover, full room floor grating panels, spout bathroom accessories (soap box, stools, buckets).

Here is the detail of the spout. The lid is removable for maintenance/cleaning.

The corner joint is made in such a way that the water cannot reach the head of the planks (cut perpendicular to the wood veins) which is more vulnerable to water.

And here is the detail of the joint construction.

It is a bit difficult to guess from this photo, but we also made a coordinated hinoki sink. Please remember not to use soap, unless you want to urethane coat it…

singapore rowhouse ofuro

Yes, we had two orders from Singapore in one month!
Do you know that is becoming very trendy to renovate a traditional Singapore row house (e.g. the Joo Chiat district) ?
Well, this elegantly proportioned soaking tub will be used in such a project and I am sure it will do its part in adding up originality and charm to the interior.

Hinoki wood tub AB grade (with sharp corners detail)
Dimensions are: L1100mm x W710mm x H750mm (ext. dim.) 650mm (deep) .
The bottom of the tub is finished with a natural oil and the joints are realized with wooden dowels.
There is also a matching hinoki wooden stool.
The layout was not 100% defined yet so we used completely knotless A grade hinoki on the 4 sides. This way the tub does not have a “back side” and can be orientated in any direction.

The client was not keen on our standard rubber plug, so we supplied a spherical plug (option). The design is pleasant and it will fit the drain hole at any angle!

round ofuro for singapore

Our client asked for a couple of quotations for different sizes and shapes.
But I had the feeling he would come back to the first choice: a stunning round soaking tub with circular bench. I imagine when installed it will look like a genuine professional spa!

Asnaro wood round tub AB-grade /with internal seat
Dimensions are: D1400mm x H700mm (ext. dim.) 590mm (deep) .
The straps are made of twisted stainless steel wire.
Accessories include a stool, ladle and a floor mounted spout.

Let`s get closer… Can you imagine the overwhelming yet delicate scent when it is filled with hot water?

You can alternate sitting on the tub bottom with periods sitting on the internal for resting and cooling down.

In this case, a faucet is directly mounted inside the spout column for easy installation and simple maintenance.

ofuro featured on interior design magazine

First of all thanks again to the architect who commissioned us this hinoki bathtub, and congratulations for his superb architectural design quality!

I feel that the rough and natural feeling of the knotty wood complements perfectly the classy shine of the glass mosaic walls.

His work was featured in Interior Design Magazine, I recommend to see also the picture gallery for a full overview of the house.

ofuro for California

A simple and lovely tub for a new construction in California.

Hinoki wood tub AB grade (quarter sawn)
Dimensions are: L1300mm x W750mm x H640mm (ext. dim.) 560mm (deep) .
The bottom of the tub is finished with a copper apron and the joints are realized with wooden dowels.
We also provided a stool and wooden bucket.
The iron-brand is applied on both sides in case of last minute plan changes…

The inside of the tub is silky and warm. Maybe it is because of the japanese october`s notorious comfortable temperature and humidity, but I thought this is one of the smoother tubs we ever made… Seriously!

ofuro for Massachussets

We dealt directly with the contractor for this project.
The ofuro will be installed in a niche, under a window.
As you can see towards the bottom of the page, we prepared a ledge to act as a filler and allow the tub to fit perfectly in the niche. The depth of the filler will need to be adjusted on site (with an electric plane or saw + plane) so we made it slightly larger.
The joints are made in such a way that water does not penetrate the joints.

Hinoki wood tub AB grade (quarter sawn)
Dimensions are: L1220mm x W760mm x H760mm (ext. dim.) 630mm (deep) .
The bottom of the tub is finished with a copper apron and the joints are realized with copper plates.
We also provided a custom cover and wooden spout.