I was surprised to read the following, “Over one billion people in the world live in bamboo houses.” I was further intrigued when I read, “bamboo actually has higher strength properties than oak,” and is a popular selection for hardwood floor material. See it for yourself here.
You can watch a wonderful Youtube video here to give you insight into this wonderful green alternative to homebuilding. It is a rapidly renewable material source.
What are some of the advantages of building an entire home with Bamboo?
The list is endless and includes the following:
Bamboo is amazingly strong – just 1 inch of bamboo can hold 7-1/2 tons of weight (sounds perfect for the amounts of snow we have had in the Northeast this past winter)
For whatever reason, unlike the pandas (who can consume up to 84 pounds in a single day!), the termites detest bamboo. Termites refuse to chew on treated or untreated bamboo.
Bamboo is extremely flexible and homes built with bamboo surpass all hurricane codes in America.
Bamboo is usually treated with natural borates to resist mold and mildew improving indoor air quality substantially. It is also completely recyclable.
Interesting to note is that in the Philippines, scientists have developed three bamboo car models that run on coconut biofuel that retails on the world market for $0.55 a liter and I imagine it smells a whole lot nicer, too.
If you think it is only limited for building and flooring – think again. Bamboo clothing has certain qualities that make it a wonderful alternative to cotton. It wicks away moisture, is very breathable and comfortable to wear. Scientists have discovered that it has unique anti-bacterial qualities in the form of ‘bamboo kun’ that also act as a natural deodorant. Bamboo remains naturally static-free and will never cling to your skin. It is also the perfect fabric for those of us with super-sensitive skin.
Bamboo is the fastest growing woody plant on this planet. The question is will its popularity grow as quickly in the United States as the plant does? The bamboo grass appears to be greening.
Sources:
http://www.worldbamboo.net/
http://www.bambooliving.com/why-bamboo.html
http://www.wiserearth.org/resource/view/d9ef8decd32adc4783d7ea8c9dc3c5c0
http://www.bamboovillagehawaii.org/facts.htm
http://www.whisperingwindsbamboo.com/whyboo.html
http://www.globio.org/glossopedia/article.aspx?art_id=12
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/improvement/lawn-garden/4323342
http://www.extremehowto.com/xh/article.asp?article_id=60347
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,195199,00.html
http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/003520.html
