Why You Should Consider Bamboo Decking for Your Next Design

Posted on 3 November 2023 in Blog

Adding decking to your design project or property is a great way to add value with a practical asset with visual impact. Timber is a common material for this, but bamboo is a great alternative with a striking appearance and a whole host of other benefits.

At Gripsure, we supply a range of bamboo decking options and are the largest manufacturer of non-slip decking in Europe. In this article we’ll discuss why bamboo is good for decking, what its benefits are, and offer insight on its sustainability and environmental impact.

Get inspired for your next project – request a free sample or contact us today!

Bamboo Decking vs Other Decking materials

The most common option for decking is timber, but bamboo decking is becoming increasingly popular as its unique benefits and performance have come into light.

It has a durability which outlasts softwood timber, achieving Class 1 EN350. It is both stable and hard, being thermally treated, and it is certified to Class B fire rating without any chemical impregnation.

Much like hardwoods and softwoods, bamboo will weather naturally into a sleek finish that shows the growth and evolution of your building and business. Due to its sustainability, bamboo is a much more eco-friendly option than hardwood for achieving this aesthetic result.

Improve the Safety of Your Bamboo Decking with Non-Slip Grip

Already a stable and durable option, the benefits of bamboo decking can be enhanced further with non-slip grip from Gripsure. Our products are designed to work all year round, giving safe access to your project’s decking whenever the need or want arises.

Find out more about the importance of non-slip grip with our article highlighting the slipperiest time of the year >

Other Architectural Uses for Bamboo

While a great choice for decking, bamboo also has other potential applications. Similar to timber, it can be used for cladding – such as the MOSO® X-Treme® Bamboo cladding from Gripsure. This allows you to implement an overarching theme into your design covering all accents on the building.

The Benefits of Using Bamboo for Decking

So what makes bamboo a good material to use for decking? In this section we’ll go over the various benefits of bamboo as a material, and for decking in particular, to give it a unique place in decking and architecture.

We’ve listed the top six benefits of bamboo for your decking project:

1. Added Value

Due to the combination of the other elements on this list, bamboo decking is a desirable feature to have in your projects. A more attractive design means a more lucrative result, and bamboo decking achieves this while offering practical benefits and aesthetic beauty.

2. Visual Impact

Bamboo is a beautiful material, and the MOSO® bamboo decking offered by Gripsure has great impact and can make your design stand out.

Sleek and elegant, our bamboo decking evolves over time, weathering in a similar way to expensive hardwood timber from its rich dark brown to a sophisticated silvery-grey.

3. Stability

Bamboo is a stable resource that can provide great grip to a deck. It also has great durability and hardness, comparable to steel. Combined with a 25-year guarantee and an expected lifespan of 30-50 years, our MOSO® bamboo decking offers stability with longevity.

You can further enhance the natural stability of bamboo decking with non-slip from Gripsure, available for both the X-Treme® and N-Durance® versions. This gives your bamboo decking further grip, enabling its use during any season.

4. Versatility

The durability and resistance of bamboo enables it to have a variety of applications. From decking to cladding, bamboo is an excellent material which can provide impact and benefits to many facets of your design while offering freedom and design creativity.

The stability and shape of our MOSO® Bamboo X-Treme® decking and non-slip variant also allows for versatility with an end-match system that allows for unlimited lengthways connections, and its symmetrical sides offer a smooth or grooved option.

5. Discrete Fasteners

Made from the same bamboo material as the decking, our MOSO® bamboo clips provide a way to further increase the stability of your decking while blending in with the visuals. These clips prevent metal screws from hindering your design’s potential and make our decking even quicker and easier to install.

6. Sustainability

Along with the range of advantages when using bamboo for your decking, it also has environmental benefits that can improve the overall ecological impact of your project. These include great sustainability when harvesting and a net-negative carbon footprint over the product’s lifespan.

Improve your project with bamboo decking from Gripsure by getting in touch or browse our products!

The Sustainability of Bamboo Decking

The impact of bamboo on the environment is typically much better than traditional timber alternatives.

Carbon Offset. The main environmental benefit bamboo decking has is a net-negative carbon footprint over its lifespan. This means it offsets more CO₂ than it takes to grow, manufacture, and transport.

Rate of Growth. Due to its incredible rate of growth, bamboo is able to offer these benefits to your carbon footprint in a sustainable fashion. Some species of bamboo can grow up to a metre a day, to a maximum height of twenty metres within 4-5 years. This is much more sustainable than most timber options, with comparable hardwoods often taking decades or longer to reach maturity.

Reductions in Chemicals. Bamboo naturally has anti-pest properties, meaning pesticides aren’t needed to protect it while it’s growing. Additionally, it can reach Class B fire rating without chemical impregnation which further reduces the overall chemicals needed to treat it for commercial use.

Long Lifespan. A durable, long-lasting product like bamboo will function for longer without needing a replacement. This contributes to the rest of its sustainability as you won’t have to replace your decking for up to 50 years – meaning less materials will be used over time.

Get ready to install your decking with our article on preparing the ground space >

Robust MOSO® Bamboo Decking from Gripsure

With a range of benefits to your project’s look, durability, and sustainability, bamboo is a great choice to consider for your next deck. Reduce your carbon footprint and elevate your project’s potential with versatile bamboo materials.

Start making use of bamboo decking and cladding from Gripsure today by getting in touch. See our architect resources for help and advice or request a free sample. Find out more about what we do with some related articles below.

Read our full article on the sustainability of bamboo to discover more details >

Make the most of your new bamboo decking with a guide on autumn evening activities >

What is the Effect of Bamboo on Your Carbon Footprint?

Posted on in Blog

Thinking sustainably is an important consideration for architects, businesses, specifiers, and homeowners. A good way to improve your environmental impact is through your choice of materials, and within that lies the role of bamboo.

At Gripsure, we distribute bamboo decking and cladding as an eco-friendly and attractive alternative to tropical hardwoods. In this article we’ll explore how much carbon is captured by bamboo, how it can help you avoid carbon emissions, and its role as a commercial carbon offset.

Reduce your carbon footprint with our bamboo decking and cladding products – get in touch!

How to Avoid Carbon Emissions with Bamboo

When you’re planning your building project, you may end up finding a lot of the materials available to you produce sizeable carbon emissions.

From clearing the land in which to grow them, to their acquisition, processing, and transportation, there are a lot of factors involved that contribute to the overall carbon emissions that a resource creates.

You can avoid this issue by using eco-friendly alternatives. Bamboo substitutes can be used instead timber or high carbon materials like concrete and steel, providing extreme durability and beautiful visuals.

Find out about the sustainability of bamboo decking as a non-slip choice for your garden >

How Much does Bamboo Reduce Carbon Emissions?

Through photosynthesis, bamboo converts carbon dioxide into energy, water, and oxygen. This reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, making it a highly sustainable material.

The MOSO® bamboo used in our products grows up to a metre a day to a maximum height of 20 metres in 4-5 years, making it a rapidly growing and replenishable resource to use for your decking or cladding.

What is a Carbon Lock?

The carbon consumed by bamboo during photosynthesis is effectively locked inside of it in a process known as a “carbon lock”. This carbon becomes part of the makeup of the material, meaning it won’t be released again until the product decomposes or burns.

MOSO® bamboo can easily be raised to Fire Class B without chemical fire retardants, making it unlikely to burn. It also has an incredibly long lifespan, over 30 years, meaning it will last a long time before it needs replacement.

These factors combined mean that the carbon is unlikely to ever be released from your product throughout the duration of its lifespan.

How Much Carbon is Locked in Bamboo

There can be as much as 1.662 metric tonnes of CO₂ per m³ of bamboo when looking at strong variants such as the MOSO® X-treme®. When harvesting, the plant produces new stems which capture even more carbon, providing a steady supply of eco-friendly building materials.

Due to its fast growth and heavy, durable nature, the amount of carbon stored in bamboo can meet and exceed the levels of carbon stored in an equivalent timber product.

European norms can be used to determine the actual carbon content of a given type of bamboo. This takes into account the moisture content, weight, and density of the bamboo to create a resultant measure of its approximate carbon levels.

Check out our range of bamboo decking products to get an eco-friendly fit out for your garden >

Bamboo Products as a Commercial Carbon Offset

Adding accents to your commercial project is an appealing idea, not just due to the visual enhancement it can provide your building but also because of its beneficial effects.

Cladding, including bamboo cladding like MOSO® X-treme®, is a beautiful way to add an interesting design feature to the exterior of your commercial building. It also provides additional support, with benefits such as:

Natural insect repellence
Fire resistance Class B without harmful chemical impregnation
Energy efficiency through heat insulation
Evolution of your building’s appearance with natural weathering to a silvery-grey

While these benefits are all attractive, they aren’t the limit of what bamboo cladding has to offer. Over the course of its lifespan, MOSO® X-treme® bamboo has a net-negative production of CO₂; this means it takes away more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than it produces to make and use.

A carbon sink such as bamboo cladding can lead to your business being more sustainable, helping to offset any carbon production you do have and guiding you along towards a net-zero carbon footprint.

See more about our sustainability efforts via our tree planting partnership with Plant One Cornwall >

Sustainable MOSO® Bamboo Decking and Cladding from Gripsure

Bamboo takes carbon out of the atmosphere, grows quickly, and provides a durable and eco-friendly alternative to standard building materials with a whole host of additional benefits.

At Gripsure, we are committed to providing quality solutions to sustainable building design. See our MOSO® bamboo products including decking and cladding to use in your garden or building project. Get in touch with our support team or read on with some related articles!

Keep yourself safe with our article on when decks are most dangerous >

Find out how to prepare your ground space for a decking installation >