- Steve Roughan
Is Bamboo X-treme Decking Carbonised?
Let's Clear Up the Confusion
If you’ve been researching bamboo decking, you’ve probably come across the term “carbonised bamboo.” It’s a common phrase in the bamboo world, and when people see the rich, deep brown colour of Bamboo X-treme decking, the first assumption is often that it must have been carbonised. The short answer? It’s been through a similar heat treatment — but with a critical difference that makes all the difference for performance.
Understanding the Terms
Before we dive in, let’s clarify what these terms actually mean:
Carbonisation is a general industry term for heat-treating bamboo at high temperatures (typically 200–300°C) in a low-oxygen or steam-controlled environment. This process caramelises the natural sugars and starches in the bamboo, darkens the colour, and improves dimensional stability by removing moisture-attracting compounds. Standard carbonised bamboo is commonly used for decking, flooring and other applications.
Thermo-Density® is MOSO Bamboo’s (MOSO) patented process that takes thermal modification to the next level. It combines high-temperature heat treatment (~200°C) with extreme compression, creating a product that’s significantly harder and denser than standard carbonised bamboo. This is the process used for Bamboo X-treme.
Outdoor-Density® is MOSO’s lower-temperature steam process used for Bamboo N-durance, which preserves a lighter, more natural colour while still enhancing durability.
The Process Behind Bamboo X-treme
Bamboo X-treme undergoes MOSO’s patented Thermo-Density® heat treatment process. Like carbonisation, it uses heat to transform the bamboo — but it goes much further.
The bamboo strands are heated to 200°C in the presence of saturated steam, which protects the material from charring or burning during the process. During this thermal treatment:
- The sugars are removed from the bamboo entirely, making the material insensitive to rot and surface fungi — without the need for any fungicide finish
- The moisture content changes, improving dimensional stability
- The colour transforms from pale yellow/white to a deep, dark brown
But here’s where Bamboo X-treme diverges from standard carbonised bamboo: after heat treatment, the bamboo is strand-woven and compressed to approximately 1,150 kg/m³ density — nearly double the density of untreated bamboo (650–700 kg/m³). Standard carbonisation can actually slightly weaken bamboo fibres; MOSO’s compression process does the opposite, making the material exceptionally hard and strong.
The result? Bamboo X-treme consists of around 90% bamboo and 10% resin — and no other bamboo decking product on the market uses this patented process. Plantation Bamboo is the exclusive supplier of Bamboo X-treme in New Zealand.
Why Does This Matter for Durability?
The Thermo-Density® treatment doesn’t just change the colour — it fundamentally transforms the material’s performance:
Class 1
DURABILITY EN350
BEST AVAILABLE
Class 4
USE CLASS EN335 OUTDOOR RATING
Class A
FIRE RESISTANCE ASTM E84
25 yr
STRUCTURAL WARRANTY
Research confirms this thermal modification process is the most effective method — and currently the only efficient solution — to make bamboo genuinely suitable for outdoor applications long-term. With millions of square metres installed in over 50 countries, the track record speaks for itself.
What About Bamboo N-durance?
Our other decking option, Bamboo N-durance, takes a different approach. It uses the Outdoor-Density® process, which involves a different method of strip preparation and pressing, heated at a lower temperature. Because the thermal modification doesn’t go as far, N-durance relies on a factory-applied fungicide finish to prevent surface fungi — which needs to be reapplied periodically after installation.
This is also why N-durance is lighter in colour and looks more like a natural hardwood, while X-treme is distinctly dark. Both products achieve the same high level of durability and stability when properly maintained — the choice between them really comes down to aesthetics and your preferred maintenance schedule.
The Bottom Line
So, is Bamboo X-treme carbonised? It’s been through a heat treatment process that shares similarities with carbonisation — but combined with extreme compression that makes it significantly harder, denser, and more durable than standard carbonised bamboo. The colour is a byproduct of a treatment that delivers Durability Class 1, a 25-year warranty, and performance that rivals — and in many cases surpasses — the best tropical hardwoods.
See Bamboo X-treme in Person
Request a free sample or visit us at one of our showrooms
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