What Is Bamboo Plywood?
Bamboo plywood derives from bamboo trees, which can grow to heights of 40 feet and achieve a trunk diameter of 6 inches. A bamboo tree usually takes around four years to reach full growth, at which point it can be harvested for use in the production of furniture such as tabletops, display cases, chests of drawers and cabinets. Most bamboo trees are harvested in regions of China, where native farmers manage bamboo forests, planting replacement bamboo trees as fully grown ones are cut down and sold. Does this Spark an idea?
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Removal
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Bamboo plywood is formed from laminated strips of bamboo that are constructed from the protective layer around the tree stalk. This layer can be an inch thick on some bamboo trees but tends to narrow in width toward the top of the tree. Once the strips are removed from the tree trunk, they are milled to make a flat, durable surface.
Preparation
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The strips are then placed in a mixture containing lime solution and boric acid and boiled. The purpose of boiling the strips is to remove the starch, which can attract damaging pests such as beetles and termites. Both boric acid and lime solution are nontoxic, too, meaning they don’t damage the strength of the bamboo during the boiling process.
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Drying
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The bamboo strips are dried in a kiln once boiled. The edges are then laminated together to form a single-ply segment of bamboo plywood. The flattened segments of wood are then bound to one another to form a strong, multi-plywood bamboo panel.
Availability
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Bamboo plywood is available as both moso and mosa varieties. Moso is more readily available and cheaper than its mosa counterpart, but is usually not as hard or as strong. Both types of plywood can usually be purchased in a natural or amber color. The natural variety resembles maple in appearance but has a stronger yellow tint. The color in amber bamboo plywood has a soft, caramellike finish, which is caused by a heat treatment method used by some manufacturers that darkens the bamboo. Amber bamboo plywood can smell like caramel as well as mimic its color if sprayed with water. This is due to the presence of sugar in the bamboo wood.
Strengths
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Bamboo plywood is fairly easy to cut and sand for a range of building projects. However, it is not as strong as some woods and can be prone to splintering if not worked on with caution. Binding pieces of bamboo plywood together with nails is also not advisable as the wood can split, especially if the nails are placed near the perimeters. The sap from commercially produced bamboo plywood is usually free from harmful emissions, such as formaldehyde, which can damage the environment. Bamboo plywood is also compatible with most finishes such as varnish or aniline dyes.
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