( Update: 02/03/2018 )
With green construction practices and building materials sweeping the home improvement industry, bamboo has risen in stature to become one of the most beautiful, widely used, and eco-friendly hardwoods on the planet. From gorgeous hardwood flooring to easy-to-install outdoor fence, bamboo products are available to fit just about any homeowner's fancy or remodeling needs.
Bamboo Products: What You Need to Know
While bamboo is generally referred to as a hardwood because of its beauty, density, and durability, it actually comes from the grass family. And it's not just any grass or any plant. It's the fastest growing plant known to man: Some bamboo shoots have been seen to grow up to four feet in a 24-hour period. If you cut down an oak tree, that's all she wrote. Cutting bamboo, on the other hand, is necessary just to keep things tidy on a bamboo farm.
When harvested at the right time, when sugar levels are at their lowest, the resulting material is stronger than some hardwoods. Indeed, as the popularity of bamboo products have accelerated, manufacturers have struggled to keep up with demand, resulting in stories of discoloration and pest infestation. These inferior bamboo products have also created a belief that bamboo is cheaper than hardwood. In truth, all of these facts are true. Hastily harvested bamboo is likely to be cheaper than hardwood products, while solid harvesting practices can yield a product superior to many hardwood products. Look for the most trusted manufacturers, ask your local home improvement contractors which company they recommend, and don't get sucked in by steep discounts.
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The Top 5 Bamboo Products
So, with reliable and eco-friendly bamboo, what are the home improvement possibilities? The answer is just about anything or, more accurately, anyplace where you might use hardwood, you can use bamboo instead. Here's a list of five of the most common bamboo home improvement products just to get you thinking about the possibilities.
Why Not Bamboo?
In this time of environmental uncertainty, it's our responsibility to be good stewards of the earth. That starts and stops with how responsibly we use the natural resources at our disposal, and when it comes to wood building products, bamboo has no equal. Whether you're thinking about a new dinette set or a total kitchen remodel, bamboo is a beautifully green solution.