Eco bamboo

The timber alternative

This article focuses on eco bamboo as a building material and floor covering, you can also read my article on Bamboo Fibre which looks at fabrics, textiles and furnishings for your home.

Uses
♦ House construction, bridges and fences
♦ Solid; flooring, stairs, wall panels, worktop
♦ Laminated board; engineered, flooring, wall panels, furniture, coffins, plates, utensils
♦ Textiles; soft fabric, linen, nappies, clothing

Advantages
♦ Can be treated with the same timber finishes (stains, waxes etc)
♦ Can be glued or nailed
♦ Lighter in weight compared with laminated wood
♦ Low moisture absorption rate - great for humid areas or where moisture is a problem
♦ More fibre content compared with hardwood timber
♦ Excellent tensile strength comparable with steel
♦ Excellent compression strength increases with age
♦ Waterproof exterior means that they are suitable for pipes
♦ Mature stems collapse as they die, which means easy harvesting methods
♦ Good flexibility, able to create curved and arch shapes from stems
♦ Textile fibres have good anti bacterial properties

Disadvantages
♦ Unable to paint the natural waterproof shell
♦ Low quality drying processes can weaken the stems
♦ Must be treated to avoid wood boring insects and rot
♦ Can be brittle

Embodied Energy
♦ Eco bamboo advantages outweigh high levels of embodied energy
♦ The embodied energy level of bamboo is a little more than the level for a locally sourced timber that has been certified from a sustainably managed forest
♦ Poles used in some furniture have minimal manufacture

Source/Origin
♦ Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa, Oceania, North America specifically China and Vietnam
♦ Find a source which harvests from bamboo plantations and not from wild habitats

Transportation
♦ Overseas shipping causes high levels of embodied energy

Renewable
♦ Yes, fully

Environment & Health
♦ The majority of low cost products contain formaldehyde binders and toxic finishes
♦ Some boards are treated with boric acid as a preservative, which has a lower toxicity level
♦ Check for a certified organic / eco label
♦ Natural forests may be destroyed without correct regeneration to provide land for bamboo plantations
♦ Search for products with low VOC, water based glues and finishes

Performance
♦ Stronger than beech, oak, ample
♦ Stable
♦ Prone to expansion & contraction from humidity and temperature

Recyclable
♦ N/A

Disposal / Biodegradable
♦ Yes, fully

Ethics
♦ Employee standards must be overseen in areas where harvesting takes place
♦ The impact on the surrounding environment must be observed for any negative changes

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