Bamboo Plantations: Re: [bamboo-plantations] Re: Bamboo facts on floors and furniture!

Your reply underscores the need for these independent tests as we are
all forced to use phrases like "seems to me" and "I've read that...".

What I cannot understand is why, if bamboo is such a terrific
material, these tests have not been published to prove it. Is it
possible the tests might prove bamboo isn't quite so wonderful after
all? Surely not!

Richard

At 10:36 AM 11/20/2008, you wrote:

>Richard,
>
>Thanks for bringing up the consumer side of the equation. Not many
>people buy "green" products simply because they're "green," and never
>mind the cost.
>
>It seems to me that bamboo is harder and more rigid than the soft pine,
>fir, and spruce that is normally used. If bamboo plywood is more rigid,
>it might deflect less and would therefore be a better material for
>subfloors, especially those that will be tiled. I've read that bamboo
>has a very low moisture absorbency rate, which might also make it
>appealing for marine use, as well as for exterior use or use in
>bathrooms and other damp areas. This, and other aspects, needs to be
>proven by independent laboratories.
>
>The hardness of bamboo might make it a bit more difficult to install, as
>it may split when screws are driven through it. If pilot holes are
>required, that adds to the cost of installation. The type of adhesive
>will be critical, because it seems that glue is less able to penetrate
>the fibers. I tested a piece of bamboo plank by leaving it lay outside
>in the sun and rain. It didn't last long, less than three months. The
>glue let loose and all the slats curled up in a pile.
>
>Then there is the question of how bamboo will assemble. Soft-wood
>plywood is made from sheets continuously peeled off "peeler logs,"
>producing broad sheets of material. Depending upon the quality of the
>peeler logs, these sheets may have voids caused by knot holes, and poor
>grades of plywood may have numerous voids that weaken it considerably.
>Bamboo will not produce the same sort of broad sheets of material, and
>will require much more handling and fitting together of pieces. The
>potential for unwanted voids in bamboo plywood, it seems to me, is much
>greater than for soft-wood plywood, unless all pieces are properly
>milled so they fit together seamlessly.
>
>Something else of interest is whether bamboo lends itself to the
>construction of other ply materials, such as in bows, bent wood
>furniture, kayaks, canoes, aircraft spars, ceiling beams, etc.
>Naturally, each application will need to be tested and compared to
>existing materials and methods.
>
>There are many more concerns to address when comparing products, and I
>hope the research is designed not only to measure bamboo plywood's
>characteristics but also to find ways of improving those characteristics.
>
>Doug Harrison
>Minnesota