With green construction practices and building materials sweeping the home improvement industry, bamboo has risen in stature to become one of the most beautiful, widely used, and eco-friendly hardwoods on the planet. From gorgeous hardwood flooring to easy-to-install outdoor fence, there's a bamboo product out there to fit just about every homeowner's fancy.
Just How Green Is Bamboo?
While bamboo is generally referred to as a hardwood because of its beauty, density, and durability, it actually comes from the grass family. That's the secret that makes bamboo a renewable resource compared to true hardwoods like oak and maple. If you cut down an oak tree, that's all she wrote. Cut down a stand of bamboo, however, and it grows back time and time again, just like the grass in your front yard. In fact, when grown responsibly on bamboo plantations, a single planting can provide a near limitless supply of high quality building material for years.
The Bamboo Top 5
Sure bamboo is a sustainable resource, but what's it good for? The answer is just about everything. It's denser and more durable than most hardwoods, and it truly is one of the most beautiful wood products being sold today. That combination of looks and durability has made it perfect for a number of common residential uses. Here's a list of five of the most common bamboo home improvement products just to get you thinking about the possibilities.
Bamboo Flooring—With varieties rumored to be 100% stronger than red oak, and a stunning appearance that stops people in their tracks, bamboo is quickly becoming one of the most sought after hardwood flooring materials on the market.
Bamboo Fencing—Tired of chain link, but not sold on a cedar privacy fence either? Think about bamboo fencing. It comes in rolls of poles, canes, or slats, and provides privacy fence without that closed in feeling. You can easily attach it to a pre-existing fence, or have a more formal, traditional wood frame built to fit your bamboo into.
Bamboo Veneer—Bamboo veneer is taking bamboo to places never thought possible just a few years past. From kitchen cabinetry to wall paneling, bamboo veneer allows you to outfit just about any area of your home with the rich, warm feel of this eco-friendly wood.
Butcher Block Bamboo Countertops—If you're installing bamboo cabinetry, why not a butcher block bamboo countertop as well? Constructed in parquet style, bamboo butcher block is beautiful for use as countertops and tabletops alike. And since bamboo is denser than almost any other hardwood, it's perfect for use in kitchens and dining rooms where spills and messes are commonplace.
Bamboo Furniture—Move over oak furniture, say hello to bamboo. We're not talking 70's era, rustic bamboo pole furniture either. From dining sets to coffee tables and nightstands, bamboo furniture is every bit as beautiful as oak, maple, and cherry, and much better for mother earth.
Why Not Choose Bamboo?
In this time of environmental uncertainty, it's our responsibility to be good stewards of the earth. That starts and stops with how responsibly we use the natural resources at our disposal, and when it comes to wood building products, bamboo has no equal. Whether you're thinking about a new dinette set or a total kitchen remodel, bamboo is a beautifully green solution. 
Matt Goering, formerly a carpenter and house painter, is a freelance writer for the home improvement industry who has published over 600 articles.
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