Using Bamboo Paneling for a Better Home

If you are planning to remodel your home soon, you may want to consider using bamboo paneling for your wall paneling or flooring needs. Although a bit more expensive than regular wood, bamboo paneling is highly regarded in the wood and timber industry because of its eco-friendly, aesthetically attractive and renewable characteristic. Grown in most parts of the world, bamboo is easily replaceable as it grows rapidly and can easily adapt to a varied climatic condition.


A Closer Look at Bamboo Paneling


Bamboo paneling is most commonly made of a bamboo species called Moso. The mature bamboo, usually reaching a height of 35 to 40 feet, is harvested and checked for deformities or pests. Those passing the quality check are then cut into slats, chemically treated to eradicate the pests and then dried. Dried bamboo slats are then glued together to form a bamboo paneling.


Different Uses of Bamboo paneling


Paneling made from bamboo may be used as flooring. Bamboo flooring can either have vertical or horizontal grain orientation and is available in different colors from natural or a darker color similar to oak. Dark colored bamboo plywood goes through a process called carbonizing. Through carbonizing, the wood undergoes exposure to heat and pressure to generate the desired color. Bamboo paneling is also used in making wall panels, ceilings or cabinets. As bamboo has an excellent water resistant property, it is even recommended for use in kitchens or bathrooms where hardwood and other wood laminates are not used.


Bamboo as an Eco-friendly Alternative


Bamboo paneling is usually more expensive that the regular paneling. But despite its cost, a lot of people prefer using this because it is a highly renewable resource available in most countries. Bamboo, classified as a grass and not a tree, is ready for harvest in four years while other hardwoods take around 100 years to mature. Harvesting bamboo does not disrupt the plant’s root system therefore no replanting is need for the bamboo to grow back.


Being the world’s tallest grass, bamboo is also as resilient as any other grass. Because of this resilience, it has even inspired people to see wisdom in what the bamboo represents. At one point, the once lowly bamboo was even compared to hardwood and according to a Japanese proverb, “A bamboo that bends is stronger than an oak that resists.” Literally or figuratively, the bamboo has many uses in homes. All we need to do is to look around us to resolve how this green grass can help us improve our homes and our lives.