eco home

The other day we looked at some of the pros of building with Bamboo. Before I jump into the cons, I wanted to point out what someone commented on – the fact that Bamboo is not a wood, but a grass, which is true. However to simple things up I tend to talk about it like a wood, because when used in building its applications are wood-like. If you want to learn more about the true background of bamboo species I’d check out the book Bamboo Rediscovered or Building with Bamboo – which doesn’t go as much into the background of bamboo, but does cover harvesting and building techniques.

That said, let’s look at some bamboo building cons…

Most bamboo is hollow. Although some species are not, the ones that are can be harder to join, than say normal wood planks.

Bamboo is not fire resistant and can be quite combustible.

Bamboo pieces are not all the same, even when cut to the same size. If you think about how easy it is to stack bricks together because of their same size, you can also imagine how hard it would be to build a symmetrical structure with pieces of bamboo that vary.

If bamboo comes into contact with wet soil it deteriorates fairly quickly. Obviously because bamboo doesn’t fare well when exposed to wetness, this makes it problematic in wet weather unless it’s been properly treated (usually with chemicals).

Learn more about bamboo homes. Later we’ll look at some of the home construction companies who build with bamboo.

Lately I’ve seen more bamboo home builders popping up. However, just because these homes are available doesn’t mean they’re right for you. There are pros and cons of bamboo houses. We’ll look at some pros first and later discuss some cons. Tomorrow I’ll post some bamboo home builders for you to browse as well.

Bamboo house by home builders Bamboo Living

The benefits of bamboo dwellings:

• Bamboo is better than other woods due to it’s extremely fast growth. According to The Natural House, some bamboo species have been noted as growing as much as three feet in one day. Wow right?
• Bamboo is lovely – depending on the cut, it’s a great wood visually.
• There are no knots in bamboo which makes it an easier wood to work with and you don’t need special tools to cut it.
• Bamboo is sheathed naturally in silica, which makes it durable.
• Bamboo looks delicate but it’s actually a strong wood. A bamboo home when built well can even stand up to natural disasters like tornado.
• Termite proof!
• Bamboo is an easy plant to grow – and it grows well in various climates.

Something cool about bamboo is that it has other benefits beyond building. This wood serves more purposes making it a smart choice for structures because there doesn’t have to be waste involved. Bamboo shoots are edible. Because these trees grow fast they’re a good choice for planting as home privacy screens or wind blockers. Some species can be used to help control soil erosion. Lastly, small pieces can be used to build just about anything – cutting boards, dishes, art, and more. The waste not aspects of this wood are pretty nice.

Learn more about bamboo homes.

Stay tuned for some bamboo home cons.