Why Strand Woven Bamboo is Superior To Solid Bamboo For Outdoor Application?
When it comes to decking materials, there are a lot of options to choose from. You can go with traditional wood, composite materials, or even bamboo.
Bamboo decking is quickly becoming one of the most popular choices among contractors and DIYers. Its strength and ability to withstand punishment make it perfect for outdoor projects, and with its natural wood finish it can blend in with almost any exterior feature of your residential or commercial building.
You should also be aware that not all bamboo is created equal and suitable for every application. There are two types of bamboo you may have heard of for outdoor decking: solid bamboo and strand woven bamboo. They are very different and it's significant to know the differences before you buy.
Let's take a closer look at two kinds of bamboo decking.
Solid bamboo is the most traditional manufacturing, which is made of layers of bamboo that have been glued and pressed together to form a plank. There are two lamination methods, plain-pressed or side-pressed or simply called horizontal or vertical. For outdoor application, it is normally refer to side vertical pressed. For such design, the strips are lined up, straight up and down, and are bonded with pressure applied from both sides. This process better retain the physical characteristics and actual appearance of natural bamboo materials, but with the cons as buckling deformation, crack, expand, etc. and subject to water damage as well for exterior usage.
More recently, strand woven bamboo became available, revolutionizing our ideas about the incredible grass. Instead of simply aligning and laminating even strips of bamboo, the strand woven method actually crushes and compresses the bamboo. It is made of natural bamboo fibers and adopt the most advanced hot pressing technology. As a result, the grain runs in various directions for even greater strength, and the material is about 50% denser than standard laminated solid bamboo. The finished product, therefore, is much harder and heavier.
Because of different manufacturing process, the density of solid bamboo is normally 650kg/m3, while strand woven bamboo can reach around 1100-1200kg/m3, almost double as solid bamboo. So solid bamboo decking is more suitable for indoor application, with no direct sunshine, rain and snow. And strand woven bamboo decking is more superior for outdoor application, include outdoor terrace decking, facade cladding and fencing, etc., for its anti-decay, waterproof characteristic.
Which type is more suitable for your project? Have you got a better idea now? To learn more about using bamboo as an alternative and eco-friendly building material, welcome to contact Fujian Golden Bamboo Industry Co.,Ltd. (REBO brand), who is the innovator and developer of bamboo product.
