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| Manufacturing |
| Growing and Harvesting | Manufacturing | Environmental Memberships |
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Fast growing and long lived, our timber bamboo grows to a height of 40 feet with a diameter exceeding 6 inches and matures in 4 years. Bamboo is a grass and from an environmental standpoint, this is important. Unlike traditional hardwoods, when harvested, bamboo does not require replanting. Mature bamboo has an extensive root system that continues to send up new shoots for decades. Our bamboo is grown in managed forests in China. Harvesting is done by hand, minimizing the impact on the local environment. By working with bamboo and understanding its growth patterns, bamboo farmers are are able to maximize timber production, maintain healthy forests. |
All our products are made from Bamboo strips. Bamboo is hollow in the center and we are working with the wall thickness of the stalk. The wall at the base can be more than an inch thick and will taper over the length of the stalk. A flat strip is milled from the core of this wall. These strips are then boiled in a bath of boric acid and lime solution. The purpose of this bath is to extract the starch that attracts termites or powder post beetles. Boric acid and lime are a natural non-toxic repellent and is used to insure that our products will come to you pest free and will continue to be so throughout the duration of their product life. The strips are kiln dried and sanded to a smooth surface for laminating. The strips are then laminated edge to edge to create a single-ply panel. These panels are then laminated again to each other to create a multi-ply bamboo panel. Our products come in two colors, natural and amber [or carbonated]. The natural color is the color of the bamboo untreated. The amber color is derived from a steam treatment process that heats the bamboo and gives it a warm, tea-stained color. The coloration is permanent and will not fade or sand out. |
Our suppliers are members of the National Wood Flooring Association, Co-op America Business Network, an organization concerned with environmental issues, and the American Bamboo Society.
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