The Role of Bamboo in Home Construction

Bamboo is having its heyday as a material. No more is it just the plant that you see in certain types of landscapes or certain areas around the Globe. No more is it an accent as a rug or a piece of art. It has officially become a prolific part of a lot of construction.

You may be thinking, “don’t you guys just focus on windows and doors?” Well, sure, that in essence is our business. The best way to grow a business is to have a broader frame of mind and our customers as our top focus. How do we keep a broader frame of mind? We aim to always give you a better view. How do we keep our customers as our top focus? We do things like set up a blog where we share all of the information that we think will appeal to you! We want you to be ahead of the game when it comes to your home, just like we’re ahead of the game when it comes to the industry.

Which brings us back to bamboo and the sneak attack it is pulling on far more elements of your home than you realize.

“We’re mostly focused on the fire performance – what happens if you have a load-bearing element when it’s subjected to a fire?” says University of Queensland PhD candidate Mateo Gutierrez. “My research is to find out how it performs in a fire and how it affects the mechanical response.”

When you draw an image of bamboo in your head, it probably sounds flimsy and not weather-resistant, but that’s the beauty of its evolution. Architects and construction managers aren’t thinking about using bamboo in its rare form… that’s when it’s untreated and in its natural full cylinders, they’re talking about fully transforming it. Examples include cross-laminated timber and laminated veneer lumber.

It’s easier than you think, all you need to do is apply a particular type of high-quality glue to the wood, or you know – the grass! And, when experts follow the right steps, they ensure that the materials that are making up your home are full of strength and durability, they’re resistant to fire, and they’re incredibly viable as one of the top materials in construction. How are they resistant to fire? When combined with timber, bamboo will form a layer of char, basically serving as a line of defense for the wood that it is protecting.

Resources for conventional materials are becoming more and more limited, especially with the influx of those moving into our surrounding areas. Yes, bamboo isn’t quite as strong as the materials that we consider traditional like concrete or steel… yet. But at the rate we’re going with unique ideas when it comes to our homes, the sky is the limit and anything is possible.

Questions? Let us know. While we will always bring you a better view, we will also always be here to help bring you the best home.