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For several decades, we, as homeowners, contractors, architects, designers and real estate agents in San Francisco, have been told that bamboo is a wonderful material to remodel because it is very cheap (compared to hardwood) and eco-friendly.
How many of us attended the San Francisco Bay Area fair where bamboo stole the show? This fair boasts the wonders of using bamboo for everything from floors to ceilings, trash cans to furniture for coffee tables, and even drinking cups for more. The cost of many projects could be cut by a third or even half as bamboo is much less expensive (or at least that’s what we were told) than comparable hardwood that was not as versatile or environmentally friendly. Before 2000, many of these facts were true, and no one had reason to doubt it after decades of using bamboo for massive industrial applications in buildings.
But around 2000, many growers in Asia began harvesting bamboo stalks under the minimum age of five years. These younger stalks don’t have enough strength and durability yet, and are best suited for craft projects such as weaving baskets or clothing. Lots of homeowners. Contractors and designers continued recommending and using bamboo in the early 2000s, completely unaware of the results that would follow.
Today, in 2010, large amounts of bamboo are imported into the United States each year. How many of us can find that bamboo (or bamboo materials) is more than five years old? How many of us can say that bamboo is less than five years old? I don’t think anyone can. This is where the problem we all grapple with when choosing bamboo for our next ‘eco-friendly’ project! Nobody can tell. Well, we can actually tell it after a few years of use – but who would want to waste thousands of dollars (or risk thousands of dollars waiting) if bamboo starts decomposing a few years after assembly?
Perhaps in a few years there will be a bamboo rating system to those of us who choose to use bamboo for its potential strength and beauty, not to mention its functionality. Can I suggest that the evaluation system be simple and only include three categories: “Collected at least 5 years old from a verifiable / documented source”; B “harvested in less than 5 years and therefore not sustainable for most projects”; and C “source or age of the harvest unknown”. In this way, the buyer can be sure at the beginning of the project that he is really using an environmentally friendly material or not.
Until then, I will continue to admire bamboo, but I will not encourage my own clients to use it in projects that expect a long life, or as a substitute for parquet. Maybe it’s best to only use it as an attractive living landscaping plant until further notice!
If you want more information on bamboo and how to get started with a simple, classifiable system that can be easily accepted internationally, please email me. My contact details are below. The first step is to start the documentation process with a large bamboo plantation in China. Documented bamboo, bringing much higher revenues (as if it were an “ecological product”) will be an impulse for change. Even if the changes are slow, many homeowners, builders and designers will happily lead the way for truly certified building material. Bamboo deserves a place in every home. But first, let’s find out at least the age of the material at harvest.
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Source by John D. Kaufman