Create stable structures with giant grass? That might sound like utopia. But it is actually possible with bamboo. Below you will find out why bamboo is suitable as a building material and what you need to consider when using it.
Why is bamboo suitable as a building material?
Bamboo as a building material is renewable, light, pressure-resistant, tensile and flexible. Guadua bamboo in particular is suitable for building fences, hedges, privacy screens, trellises, greenhouses or even houses. No pretreatment is necessary and special bamboo saws and weather-resistant thread are recommended for processing.
What makes bamboo so special as a building material?
Bamboo is a naturallyrenewable raw material that reaches dizzying heights within a short period of time. If its stalks are cleared, new specimens grow back quickly.
Bamboo is perfect for building: the bamboo stalks are long, sopressure-resistantlike concrete and sotensile-resistantlike steel. You can even grow them in your own garden and are therefore independent of the hardware store. In addition, due to its hollow space, bamboo is verylight The material can withstand maximum temperatures of up to 50 °C and minus temperatures of up to -25 °C.
Which type of bamboo is suitable for building?
There is a type of bamboo that can be extremely long, up to 30 meters, and at the same time grows very straight. In addition, it has an enormous wall thickness. It is called “Guadua angustifolia” or Guadua bamboo. This type of bamboo comes from South America and puts even some ultra-modern building materials to shame.
Why is bamboo better than wood for building?
Firstly, bamboo is significantlylighterthan wood. On the other hand, bamboo tubes are easier to bend than wood. They aremore elasticand therefore moreflexiblein use. The background is the structure of the stalks, which means that they only break later than with wood. The cavities in the stalks contribute to this. In addition, the knots and the partitions within the knots mean that bamboo is very malleable and does not break easily.
Does bamboo need to be pretreated for construction?
Bamboo can beused completely untreated for building purposes. This is even recommended for many purposes, as the bamboo tubes are covered by a protective layer. No varnish or oil is necessary anymore. The protective layer consists, among other things, of silica, which even makes the material flame-retardant.
What can you build with bamboo?
You can do all kinds of things with bamboo in the garden. This material is suitable, among other things, for building
- Fences
- Hedges
- Privacy protection
- Trellises
- Greenhouses
If you're a little more confident, you can even build entire houses with bamboo. This is popular in Asia and especially in Japan, because bamboo is fast-growing, long-lasting, inexpensive and incredibly robust.
Tip
Processing bamboo – with what?
If you are enthusiastic about bamboo as a building material and want to take action, you should note that no conventional wooden tools are suitable for this. Use a special bamboo saw and do not use nails to connect, but rather a sturdy and weather-resistant thread.
