Why bamboo is perfect for an eco-friendly home.
As the effects of climate change become ever clearer, we’re all becoming more conscious of our environmental impact and looking for ways to be more eco-friendly. When it comes to home building and renovations, it’s helpful to use eco-friendly materials whenever possible, and bamboo is an excellent option.
There are plenty of advantages to integrating this valuable resource into our homes and buildings and its use is likely to become more mainstream across the world. Here are three reasons why bamboo is the perfect material for use in green properties.
Bamboo is a near-infinitely renewable resource
Bamboo is a naturally occurring and renewable material which inherently makes it a sustainable choice. What makes it even more eco-friendly is the rapid rate of its renewability, with some species of bamboo able to grow up to one metre every day.
Bamboo is a grass rather than a tree, so it puts down shallow roots and grows shoots which emerge from the ground and very quickly grow into tall canes within a couple of months.
Cutting down bamboo canes stimulates the growth of new shoots, which means that regular harvesting encourages even faster growth. This means we don’t have to worry too much about depleting resources of bamboo, and production of this useful crop doesn’t harm local ecosystems and wildlife. In fact, bamboo is often used to rejuvenate areas that have suffered from deforestation, as it regenerates the soil.
Bamboo absorbs Co2
Bamboo absorbs carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air, up to twelve tonnes per hectare, per year – making it a very sustainable material to use in your home and garden. This amazing plant also produces up to 35% more oxygen than other wood sources.
With greenhouse emissions proving to be putting a massive strain on our environment, clearly growing more bamboo is nothing but beneficial.
Bamboo is very strong
As a material with a higher tensile strength than steel, bamboo is incredibly strong, durable and hard wearing – and it withstands compression better than concrete.
In its natural form, bamboo has long been used as a material for houses and scaffolding in Asia, South America and Africa where it grows natively. When combined with other materials or processed with heat, bamboo can offer even greater strength benefits.
Consider bamboo in your eco-friendly home
If you’re planning to build a new eco-friendly home or improve the sustainability of your property, be sure to consider the benefits of bamboo. Not only is it accessible and affordable, but with its sophisticated appearance bamboo is sure to enhance your home both aesthetically and structurally.
