I’m looking for a source for outdoor bamboo decking. I found a source in Australia but nothing on this side of the pond. Anyone have any leads?
My reason, incidentally is that I really don’t want to use tropical hardwoods for decking (I know you can get FSC certified woods but I don’t trust certification from developing countries) and I don’t care for the look of the plastic woods. Bamboo, if it can be properly engineered, seems ideal.
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Thought I should post what I've found so far for others to check out.
Scroll down for bamboo decking reference:
http://www.bambooaustraliawholesale.com.au/flooring.htm
This outfit ('Bamboo Lifestyles') has a picture that looks like decking on this page (first column, third row)
http://www.bamboolifestyles.com/BambooLifestyles-PictureGallery.html
good for you
that looks like a good alternative
however Ill have to see proof that it holds up, as some of the inteior bamboo floors did/do not, totally trash, produced like yo siad by developing countries , and who can trust the certifications. This interior bamboo floor will ast centuries and will not delaminate....................sure......I learned that one .....big time
I'd be interested to hear your horror story and the name of the company you dealt with. Our bamboo floor has been awesome, even installed below grade.
Don't want to hijack this thread, but if you could tell me more about the experiences you have had with bamboo flooring: What were the conditions for the failure? How does bamboo compare to maple in durability?I am interested in using bamboo flooring for our house, and I can use any input you got. Thanks.
I have a prefinished bamboo laminate floor. It's gorgeous.The surface does seem to scratch easily though - I'm not sure why this is, everything I've read is that bamboo is quite hard so my guess is that the finish is the problem, not the flooring. In spite of my problems I'd recommend Bamboo, it really is stunning, as far as I know it's a great choice environmentally and it's unusual enough still that it will give you a distinctive look.In another thread on this forum I found some comments about cheap bamboo laminate where only the top surface is bamboo and the lower laminations were rubberwood or other materials. Search for 'bamboo flooring' for some recommendations on various manufacturers.
The decking looks interesting. Let us know if you find a source. I'll ask the company I use. My experiences with interior uses has been nothing short of wonderful. So far I love the results.
I read your enquiry about sources for bamboo decking. Wonder if you have come up with other suppliers of bamboo decking? And how does the cost compare to treated lumber?
Thanks
Will
I didn't find and US supplier but there is an outfit in Australia that is selling a bamboo decking board. They're swamped with orders so don't hold your breath. I asked for test data and all I got was: "the manufacturer says they work" If I can get my hands on some I'll stress test it but until then...Go to this page: http://www.bambooaustraliawholesale.com.au/flooring.htm
and scroll down to it.I encourage you to contact them though, more interest = faster it'll arrive here. Their email is: pietermcheyzer <at> bigpond.com