‘Bruges’ is a wood storage made from CorTen steel. Designed by the Belgian designer Jan Kuppers (Kuppers & Wuytens). The shape is inspired by the typical Belgian façade construction.
The Woodstorage / hocker BloX is a handy wood store from RB73. Made of 2mm CorTen steel. It is a nice accessory to put besides the outdoor fireplace and it forms a beautiful and attractive setting.
What does CorTen steel mean?
COR-rosion resistance : corrosion resistance
TEN-sile strength : tensile strength
It has been developed by US Steel with the aim of creating weatherproof steel. It is a metal alloy consisting of iron to which copper, silicon, nickel and chromium have been added.
CorTen steel properties
Characteristic of CorTenstaal is the brown-orange rust color and the long lifespan.
Through the addition of the other metals to the iron, CorTen steel develops a solid layer of rust, the oxide skin, which shields the deeper material from oxygen. In contrast to ordinary steel, corrosion is not a wear, but rather a protection of the steel.
The solid rust layer that has to develop will, depending on the weather, take 2 to 6 months. After this, the CorTen no longer delivers rust (water).
Faster start-up of the rust process
Accelerating and allowing to rust more evenly is possible with a salt or acid solution.
For salt, kitchen salt works fine and for acid can be thought of vinegar. Mix this with water in a plant spray and inject the product.
Benefits of CorTen steel
• beautiful appearance and gets a warm rust color
• very durable (lasts about 10 times longer than ordinary steel)
• very strong material (similar to stainless steel)
• does not need to be treated
• it is 100% recyclable
Disadvantages of CorTen steel
• rust water which is released at the beginning can give rust spots on eg tiles
• relatively expensive material
We made a video to show you how to burn a wood fire properly. So you get a clean combustion and a lot less smoke development. This prevents nuisance for the neighbors and the environment. We use the top-down method for this. On behalf of the Swiss government, research was done into a production process in which the least possible smoke development occurs. This top-down method is characterized by the cross-stacking of cleaved dry wood, on top of enough kindling and a few firelighters. In this way, the fire gets enough air in the start-up phase and the flue is heated quickly, which ensures good draft and clean combustion.
Good luck!
Heating tips
• Use dry (15 to 20% moisture) and untreated wood!
• Use the top down method
• Use firelighters but no newspapers or paper!
• Leave the door ajar during the start of the fire, this provides extra air.
• At the end, let the fire burn out
