Dear Umbra,
We will be putting in new flooring in the very near future. My first choice was hardwood, but I have recently read a lot about bamboo. Because it is renewable, it seems to be a better option. But how is it grown? Who is harvesting it? Are the people in the industry fair to their employees? Is it truly a better option for the environmentally conscious, or just a marketing tactic?
Kathleen DiBacco
Darien, Ill.
Dearest Kathleen,
Wood is a renewable resource, too, don't forget.
The bamboo situation is definitely interesting. I'm afraid that while bamboo has become another great choice, it is not a choice we can make blindly. Dang it.
Bamboo ... not just for pandas anymore.
Photo: iStockphoto.
Bamboo is a grass primarily found in East and Southeast Asia, but also in other areas. It grows fast -- as much as three feet a day for some species. That sounds like a spectator sport! The plants reach harvestable maturity in three to six years. Round, hollow bamboo is cut into strips, boiled or soaked to get the starch out, dried, and laminated together. Then it just looks like fat, flat boards. You may have seen it in varying colors, which are achieved through steaming. I've seen some floors I like and others I find hideous, by which I conclude that there is a finish for every palate.
Bamboo has become a hot green material because of the general sense that it is harvested from well-managed plantations, where rhizomes endlessly replenish a diverse stand of plentiful flooring material. It is touted as a green solution, and a LEED-worthy one at that. Still, I think bamboo doesn't completely fit our fantasy of a perfect eco-material. The reality is that not all bamboo is the same, and we need to look at the source just as much as we do for wood. We have a great arbiter for wood in the Forest Stewardship Council. At this time, bamboo does not have a similar third-party certification process. That means death of the eco-fantasy, and we need to chase down the source of any bamboo we intend to buy.
If you are buying new bamboo flooring, it should be possible to hunt around for good vendors who are making an effort to encourage good harvest and planting practices. The troubles with bamboo could include removal of natural habitat to make way for plantations, monoculture plantations, sad workers, and use of biocides for weed suppression. The positive sides should also be mentioned: high-yield, sustainably grown crops, erosion control in some circumstances, and reliable income in poor areas. A decent bamboo purveyor should boast of their sources' attributes, and should be able to provide verification.
In short, bamboo is a great idea for flooring. It's not magically far better than FSC-certified or locally re-milled hardwood, however, and you'll need to look into the sources as you shop. Sorry.
Grassily,
Umbra
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Comments
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CowsEatGrass Posted 8:18 am
08 Feb 2006
That should factor into the sustainability discussion around building products as well.
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PJAH Posted 3:27 am
09 Feb 2006
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stefanojl Posted 11:47 am
25 Mar 2006
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willythewolf Posted 8:58 pm
09 Aug 2008
Advantages of the Bamboo Parquet (flooring) Made in Thailand in comparison with the one from China.
* Minimum order of 100 m2 (square meter). (China speaks of 4 or 5 containers of 3,300 sq meter per container).
* Infinite colors possibilities decided by the client for this minimum.
* China measurements: 960 x 96 x 15 mm
We can do from 9,6 cm up to 15 cm width, and up to (in vertical) 2 meter long and (in Horizontal) 1m50. Thickness remains 1,5 cm.
* Very High Standard of quality. Is not afraid of high heels, and of domestic small incidents like fork or a plate which falls on the floor.
Regularity of product. We do have a standard QC. Which makes the quality all the time the same. We use as laker and paint: the Brand `Endura'
http://www.endurapaint.com/gameline.html
* The Bamboo is of a different essence then from China, in density (heavier), stronger, more flexibility, and has a look of natural bamboo.
* Posing is done on a `traditional way' (tongue and grove) or by simply gluing on a flat surface.
* Thanks to our drying and treatment method meant for non tropical weather, Our Bamboo flooring remains insensitive to variation of temperatures, and humidity.
* Our flooring got a anti molding, insecticide and anti-parasites treatment
* Our Bamboo are chosen carefully, to avoid a maximum of defects and enhance the quality. of our Bamboo Parquet Made in Thailand.
Our Pledge is in the chart of Fair Trade and ecology.
:
a) Respect of Human rights :: In all our production stages, four Basic principles of Human rights Chart and ethical labor are enforced, and respected:
* minimum age of labor is over 18 years old.
* 40 hours work week, with overtime paid extra.
* staff representative unions elected in all units of over 50 employees.
* We accept apprentices over the age of 16 years of age. As long as they have a practice and theory in alternation program.
b) In the respect of sustainable productions, we cut only culms over 4 years old. And we replant constantly.
c) we do work with NGO's and foundations, who's MAIN GOAL is to help the local populations.
Sure we work for profit, but we give back to the EARTH, as well to our coworkers.
d) Bamboo being a `grass' and not a `Tree'
one can easily say:
" To build our houses, we do not cut Trees, we cut GRASS"
We invite independent organizations to contact us for verification and any questions.
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