It is no surprising fact that hardwood flooring and decking have become passé; at least to a considerable extent. Thanks to bamboo and its eco-friendly nature, more and more people have realized additional benefits that come with it. One important aspect about bamboo is that it grows way too fast than most other tress (particularly the ‘Moso Bamboo’ variety), which makes its availability abundant. Besides, it is also moisture and rot resistant, so protection against termites shouldn’t bother much.

Coming to the decking part, how suitable is bamboo? Apart from helping in environment protection and saving the money, bamboo decking looks great. There’s a unique style and aesthetic appeal that’s imparted to the outdoor space, all at once.

The durable nature of bamboo

Unlike the popular notion that bamboo being a soft grass is no good, the durability and tensile strength of this plant is incredible. In fact, the best varieties are even stronger than hardwood. No wonder, the plant has been the staple material for building and construction purposes in Asia for a number of years and continues to be even to this day.

The concept of decking

Most modern decking employs a process on bamboo that produces the ‘strand woven’ type. Not that the engineered or natural bamboo fibers are weak, but the strand woven is far the most popular. It is only after the strands are woven inside the planks (when the adhesive hardens sufficiently) than the durable nature of bamboo decking comes to the fore.

The process

As stressed, bamboo decking happens only with strand woven varieties that are cut, made into strips (pulverization), boiled in boric acid for removal of sugars and insects, bleached, carbonized and then dried to preserve. Now the strips are assembled together with formaldehyde resin under severe pressure of 1200 tons. Next, it is put inside a mold and baked to construct a solid piece. The bamboo is then milled with a laser machine, right before curing.

One important thing to consider here is that the bamboo can be glued into laminates, depending on lamination orientation. But this makes it more prone to peeling, cupping and curling. Right before installing, it must be kept dry and water should be avoided so that swelling and twisting is prevented.

Other alternative

In case the strand woven variety becomes a little expensive, distressed bamboo flooring imparts the patio or deck with a very antique finish. One can also use this in combination with the strand type for bamboo decking, since the latter is a hybrid grain that offers a good mix of wood and bamboo. 

The Maintenance bit

While there’s no doubt that bamboo is a great material, there’s some bit of maintenance to retain its beauty. If you have opted for bamboo decking, there are two vital options in its protection and maintenance- staining and sealing.

Sealing using a clear sealant is a great option for preserving the natural beauty. One cannot disregard that bamboo will fade with time, despite the sealant used.

It is for this reason that most homeowners opt for a pigmented stain. Here, there are particles known to reflect great UV light for maintaining the color of bamboo. But a good thing about it is its availability in greater varieties of transparency. This means that some will change the color only slightly, while many others resemble paint in the amount of color changing abilities.

Another common thing that many people use is specialized oil based stains, meant only for bamboo. A tad expensive than the wood stains, the results produced after using it are beyond comparison. Maximum amount of transparency is allowed here, with high UV reflecting pigment. So, the color will only change a little bit, but sun block quality protection is guaranteed. For better effect, treatments can be applied after few years and one should take care that these are not skipped.

Assessing the cost factor

Since it’s the strand woven type, bamboo decking costs a little more but then again it’s affordable, if you know how to use it on the patio or deck. Check to see the age of the bamboo, pattern of weaving and the type of adhesive, all of which determine the factors in pricing.