Bamboo Flooring
5 Reasons to Love Bamboo Decking
Bamboo has been in use in China and other Asian countries for over
thousands of years as a construction material. Over the past few years
bamboo has gained popularity in the western world as well. More home
owners have become environmentally conscious and want their homes to
reflect this greener side of them. Architects and construction designers
too are looking to bamboo not only for its immense strength and unique
flexibility but also for its sustainability.
Who doesn’t want a nice deck in their backyard? However, when
thinking of a deck the first thing to tackle is the material the deck is
to be made of. Earlier people used to choose hardwood to make decks but
now they are going for bamboo. You may wonder why. Here’s why.
Unique look
The natural texture of the bamboo is very distinctive and when
set on the floor the joint lines and natural features of the bamboo
stand out and accentuates the beauty of your room. The earthy feel
bamboo brings with it will add a natural feel to your deck. Horizontally
stacked bamboo shows fewer joint lines and more characters which looks
elegant yet simplistic. The vertical stacking of bamboo results in more
joint lines but lesser characters and lends a more contemporary look to
your room. Stained bamboo floor are also quiet popular now as they allow
home owners a variety of choice in colors. Staining also protects your
bamboo from the harmful rays of the sun.
Stronger than hardwood
The Janka hardness scale used to measure hardness of wood shows
that bamboo is as hard as any average hardwood. However strand woven
bamboo is one of the hardest materials and with a hardness of over
3000lbf it is stronger than most oak, teak and Brazilian hardwoods.
Strand woven bamboo is formed by first boiling bamboo strips in boric
acid solution to eliminate insects and sugar from the bamboo. This
process also prevents further infestation. Then the bamboo strips are
glued together under high pressure producing bamboo planks and plywood
stronger than most hardwoods. Bamboo will provide you the same strength
at a cheaper price and you don’t have to cut down a 40 year old tree for
your deck.
Lasts long, very long
Generally engineered bamboo has a lifespan of around 20 years
with minimal care. However, with a good brand and proper care bamboo has
the ability to last you a lifetime. Bamboos are naturally dense
materials and hence resist dents and scratches. Even if there are
scratches on your deck don’t worry, the scratch is most likely on the
top surface and your bamboo beneath is intact. Just refinish your bamboo
deck and it will look as good as new.
Bamboo also resists moisture so if you have swimming pool beside
your deck, do not worry. Just don’t let too much water to rest on your
deck for hours at a time.
Easy on your pocket and easy to maintain
Using bamboo for your deck will cost you around $2-$4 per square
feet which is less than the average hardwood in the market. The
installation is easy also and more often than not you can do it yourself
thus saving installation charges. The bamboo deck sits as a floating
floor and the planks fit perfectly into the joists thereby reducing
wastage of excess bamboo.
Bamboo decks repel dust and insects so it requires minimal
cleaning. All you need is a clean wet mop to clean your deck from time
to time. You can also vacuum it once every two months. The fact that
bamboo products can be refinished is a huge advantage over hardwood.
The eco-friendly quality of bamboo makes it a very popular
choice amongst architects and furniture makers. Also the versatility of
bamboo means it can be used to make almost anything.
No wonder bamboo is replacing hardwood very fast. Even though it
is technically a grass bamboo has been proven to be stronger than most
of the hardwood in the market and looks the part as well. The
sustainability of bamboo means that we no longer need to cut down
decades old trees and clear rainforests in Brazil. Thus, bamboo decking
is the new and smarter way to deck up your homes.
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