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Why you should use Bamboo Fencing

ryan-frank | Jul 17, 2009 |

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Bamboo fencing is becoming a very popular option amongst people looking to renovate their back yards with an added tropical or exotic flare. Bamboo lends a more natural and relaxed feel to a backyard or outdoor space and it works great as background during backyard barbeques and parties.

But there are more than just aesthetic reasons for choosing bamboo fencing over conventional wooden fencing. Bamboo is one of the most eco-friendly alternatives to wooden fencing, as it (bamboo) is an easily renewable natural resource. For homeowners who are looking to give their house a green makeover, bamboo fencing is a no-brainer, as harvesting bamboo is immensely less damaging to the environment than traditional wood logging. In addition to switching your fluorescent light bulbs to LEDs and through energy-gobbling appliances away, using alternatives to wooden building materials is another great way to reduce or environmental footprint. So next time you need to update your fence, think about opting for bamboo fencing. It can add a beautiful and exotic touch to your outdoor spaces and help improve the health of our planet.

Why Choosing Bamboo is Green

Western homes have traditionally had wooden fences. This was and still is the norm. Pine, red cedar, spruce, white cedar, redwood and fir are some of the most commonly used woods for fencing. Increased environmental awareness, however, especially in the past decade has shed a spotlight on the problem of over-logging. There are no forests left in the world today that haven't been damaged by logging. And the problem is a serious one that will take many, many decades to fix. After being cut down, a forest can take hundreds of years, in fact, to grow back to its original size. In the meantime, whole species of animals that were dependant of the forest ecosystem are left in disarray.

Unlike wooden forests, though, bamboo forests grow back very quickly. Bamboo is a grass, and is thus exceptionally resilient. It can be harvested without causing damage to its root system, making replanting, for the most part, unnecessary. Bamboo poles are surprisingly hard and durable. In fact, bamboo can be two or three times harder than timber and yield more building material (as much as 20 times more) than a hardwood forest of any kind.

If conscientiously done, bamboo harvests can have no ill effects of the local ecosystems. So next time you put up a fence, look into bamboo fencing. It looks good and is sustainable.