When we think about building materials – flooring in particular - bamboo probably isn’t the first option that comes to mind.
Architects, interior designers and other specifiers are likely to consider the more traditional materials such as timber, and hard materials such as ceramics and slate, contract carpet or a resin surface.
Bamboo however, outperforms many of these more conventional finishes in a number of key areas.
Firstly, bamboo is one of the most sustainable alternatives to traditional timbers. The species planted for use in panel manufacture, is one of the fastest growing, reaching a growth speed of up to one metre per day and ready for harvest after only 4 years. Because of this exceptional growth and therefore the height it achieves, it is not a food source for native pandas which choose a different low-growing species for their survival, thus this species of bamboo has an extremely low impact on the environment.
Bamboo manufactured by Moso is probably the most environmentally friendly in the world, due to its harvesting and production processes which are carried out to the highest standards of environmental and manufacturing control.
From a design perspective, bamboo is a highly attractive natural material and can greatly enhance a contemporary interior where a design statement is desired. Bamboo is truly inspired by nature and where ‘green credentials’ are essential, it ticks all the boxes.
Bamboo is specified in all manner of applications, including a ‘one stop shop’ material for interior refurbishments and office fit-out, but predominantly in flooring projects, where its hardness, density and extreme durability easily equals the best hardwood species, making it suitable for even heavy duty applications. Another design benefit of bamboo is that it is available in a vast range of styles and colours that can match or contrast with interior design schemes.
In the fitting and maintenance of flooring for example, bamboo can outperform solid wood. In the strand woven type, its composition is made up of individual strips of bamboo which are compressed under extreme pressure and then cross pressed to achieve great hardness and density, and as a result of this treatment, bamboo will shrink, warp and swell considerably less than solid wood species, thus providing a much more stable floor.
Bamboo also helps to facilitate a healthy indoor environment – this is particularly important where large numbers of people gather, for instance in offices or public buildings. The reason why bamboo offers environmental health benefits is that it is an anti-static and anti-allergenic product. Anti-static properties play an important part in reducing static electricity which can damage electrical components such as computer hard drives, and it can even ignite flammable liquids and gases. Anti-allergenic materials help reduce the effect of allergens which exists in our atmosphere. Generally these allergens are harmless to most people, but to others they can trigger any number of responses such as asthmatic attacks or hyper-sensitivity. Any product used in the design or construction of buildings which have anti-allergenic properties should be a preferred choice for specification.
Bamboo is also one of the most versatile of building materials. It’s most popular and widely used use is for flooring or walling where a highly contemporary, durable and natural feel is desired, and it is also an extremely tactile finish which makes it an interesting choice for a number of other design projects and items. Because of its exceptional qualities and great flexibility it can be used in some surprising ways. For instance, it has been used by a luxury car brand to create innovative interior fascia panels. It has been chosen to build pieces of unique and unusual furniture for one of the UK’s leading interior designers. It can be used to build kitchen and bathroom units, work surfaces, tables, chairs and more recently by Moso for decking and exterior cladding. It is also fast becoming the building material of choice for the green building industry.
Leading manufacturer Moso produces top quality products that meet the highest technical, functional and aesthetic requirements and provides a product guarantee of up to 30 years. Products are made in production facilities that are ISO 9001 AND ISO 14001 certified, thus meeting the most stringent requirements for quality, human health, safety and the environment.
Finally, bamboo from Moso is the only bamboo company which has full carbon footprint and LCA certification which guarantees that all its products are carbon neutral (or better) over their full life cycle. If these products are used in green premium projects, they will contribute to a higher score in the leading sustainable building certification systems LEED and BREEAM.
Moso Bamboo products are available exclusively in the UK from Moso Bamboo Surfaces which provides design and installation advice, and has the capability to re-manufacture any bamboo product for bespoke design.