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.

Description

• Eco bamboo is the largest of the grass family
• Fast growing, with maturity in 3-5 years
• Harvested ever 4-6 years
• Over 1600 species
• Vertical layered strip/grain with a nodular pattern
• Horizontal layered strip/grain with a narrow striping pattern
• Colours are natural or caramel

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