Bamboo Poles

                   

               

 

 

 

           Lets see!......... bamboo poles...... where do we start??

Initially we had not planned to retail individual bamboo poles on this website. They are quite time consuming for a retailer. BUT after many requests from our customers........ Please read the information below carefully. 

Some stuff you might want to know:
In General, there are two main differences. The "solid" and hollow bamboo.

The "solid" is really thick walled bamboo, (not exactly solid!), mostly used for construction and fabrication of furniture. Solid bamboo can be nailed and generally do not split. (the split, if it occurs, happens on the inside of the bamboo and does not generally show on the outside). The nodes are very prominent and this bamboo is seldom straight. This bamboo is not prone to splitting. In many countries of the far east, solid bamboo is used for construction of houses, flooring, roofing etc....

The Hollow bamboo is the most common recognizable bamboo product. (the kind you usually find in a Chinese restaurant) . It straight and the nodes are generally not prominent but extremely prone to splitting over time. (they make excellent curtain rods)

More things you should know:
Shipping Issues.
This is probably the single biggest cost. In fact, more often, the shipping cost more than the pole itself!!. Rule of thumb: the shorter the package, the less expensive shipping cost.  Much less expensive to ship 2 (two) 5 ft lengths than 1 (one) 10 ft length.  UPS will not ship a package where:
LENGTH + 2 x WIDTH + 2 x HEIGHT exceeds 130"  (I need my calculator for this one. . .)
If you must have lengths exceeding UPS dimension restrictions, there are two options:
1) Splice the bamboo, depending on your bamboo usage, this might not be a problem. We can show you how to splice a bamboo pieces to reduce the visibility of the seams.
2) A solid  bamboo pole over 8ft long will have to be shipped by ground freight and is expensive ($50-150.00 depending on destination). We strongly recommend designing for 8ft or less bamboo pole lengths. (Note: Shipping by ground freight is cost effective when more then 10 poles are required)
 

ALL hollow bamboo poles leaving our facilities will have no splits, this however does NOT guarantee splits will not occur during shipping.
Bamboo is a moisture loving plant. Whenever there is a change in temp or moisture, splits are prone to occur. We cannot fix mother nature!
Acclimatize the bamboo slowly to your surrounding temp, this will help reduce splitting and cracking, remember your UPS truck can get up to 140F in the summer and down under freezing in the winters. (They are like the energizer bunny....keep on trucking!)

Cutting and Splitting Issues.
Cutting the poles are 55 cents per cut , and this includes the  Black and Spotted bamboo .
NOTE: Excessive cuts (more than 6 per pole) may be subject to additional labor fees.  Splitting the bamboo vertically is 60 cents per ft or $5.00 per pole. (it's a lot more work)

Diameter Issues.
You can only purchase full bamboo poles. We ship all remnants poles to you if required. (please ask specifically for it).

Hollow bamboo have excellent diameter control. This means the two end of the bamboo poles have the same diameter or are within 1/2-1". These poles are reduced nodes and generally does not affect the diameter and is usually very straight. 
Bamboo is the plant, for this reason, the lower part of the bamboo is always thicker than the top. It has always been surprising to us how our competitors can give an exact diameter for their bamboo poles considering that such a pole cannot grow naturally........Bamboo is not quite like a wood dowel!
Please expect that the bamboo diameter will be inconsistent. We will always give the ranges of sizes that are available of that bamboo size.

"Solid" or thick walled bamboo poles, have varying diameters. These can vary up to 1" from end to end of the pole in diameter. The nodes can also be unusually larger than the diameter. The poles are usually always slight curved.

The larger the width of the bamboo the more likely the width of the bamboo will vary from end to end. (usually we will give the maximum dimensions on either end). There is nothing uniform about bamboo, every piece is different!, plan to work with an inexact product.

Bamboo Curtain Rods.
If you are using these poles for drapery treatments rods, we can show you how to splice small sections of bamboo to make as long a pole as required. Our recommendation is to use 1.7-1.9" hollow Tonkin or 2-2.5" Moso bamboo for draperies. (even for heavy draperies). We will show you how to install and slice the bamboo rod'ing for your drapery treatment. Click on the pictures below to enlarge them!

The bamboo rod brackets can are normal wood drapery rods brackets. You can also use L brackets as long as your drapery can hide the L brackets. Pre-drill the bamboo before screwing it to the brackets, do not over tighten, you will crack the bamboo. Normal 2" drapery rods finials can be used, cut off the screw and glue the finial to the end of the rod with hot glue. Bamboo will sometimes crack at random during transit, face the cracks the wall, so that it cannot be seen.

Bamboo facia.
Bamboo poles are regularly used to cover existing pillars or post. (We had one customer, cover his deck pillars with bamboo, the deck now looks like a huge tiki hut!) .
To do this you must split the bamboo poles. You will need at least an additional 1 1/2" additional in diameter to cover your pillars. For example: if your pillar is 3" diameter, you will need a least a 4 1/2" bamboo pole. (Why?, Remember you have to account for the bamboo wall thickness!). The split parts can be glued together with silicone, the top and bottom opening must also be sealed with silicone. Rolled Fencing also works as a great for this application.  We recommend a coat of varnish on the insides and outside of the split poles prior to installation.
 

Bamboo Headboard, Beds and canopies
One of our biggest requests. Relatively simple request.
Canopies is the easiest:
You will require several different diameter bamboo poles (4" and 2" work the best), Sisal rope. We will have the bamboo cut and predrilled with the holes to fit. You will need to assemble them and slot and glue the poles into place. Use the sisal rope to cover the attach points of the bamboo. The canopy will be secured to your bed by L or U brackets.
Headboard is even easier:
2" or 4" poles work the best. We will precut the poles to size, line them up, glue the poles to the wall! that it!. Laminated, quick grip glue works the best. This headboard can be made more sturdier when the poles are installed on plywood backing and then installed on the wall......
Bed: Now it gets complicated........
There is a lots more tips on how to construct the above items. Please contact us for more information.

Colored bamboo Poles
Black Bamboo is normal bamboo that is either dyed or stained. It very simple, use a normal bamboo like Tonkin or Moso. Lightly sand the bamboo and stain or paint the bamboo. That's it! Recommend high gloss if using paint.  (update: we now carry natural black bamboo) 
Green bamboo: we do not recommend this type of poles. It looks more "jungle" but it does not last long. The chlorophyll (the green) in the bamboo will eventually disappear and turn yellow when the bamboo is exposed to the sun or dries out. That's why you get yellow bamboo. We have also noted large amount of bugs and pests in greener bamboo. Recommend buying yellow bamboo, sanding and staining the bamboo green for a longer lasting product.
Mottled bamboo is slightly more complicated. The yellow bamboo is burnt to form the mottled look. The mottled bamboo (tortoise, tiger, green speckled...different names) can now be sanded and varnish for a glossier look. It can also be dyed for a green mottled look
We will supply you with instruction on how to color the above bamboo poles. (Or we can also custom color the above poles to almost any color).

Bamboo molding or Wainscoating (chair molding)
Simple 1.7-1.9" Tonkin, 2-2.5" Moso or 2.75-3.1 Moso will work out fine. The bamboo will have to be split vertically into 1/2 rounds. Try to keep the lengths under 12ft (single run). Give the bamboo a coat of polyurethane varnish before installing.
Sand down wall until its smooth, remove any dust. Glue bamboo molding to wall with transparent liquid nails. (local home depot will have it). Bamboo Molding can be reinforced with screws, Pre drill and countersink. Do not over-tighten the screws as the bamboo will crack.  The screw hole can be covered with a thin slat or another half round if desired. Before installing the bamboo molding cut the 45 degree angle for the corners with a miter box.
 

Other Stuff from bamboo poles
Hand Rails, Bar rails, Wall and Ceiling panels, Wall/door Molding, Ladders, towel hangers, fences, dividers, picture frames and lots more.........
We can supply you information on how to make them from the bamboo poles or we can make them for you!

Varnish.
Varnish your bamboo poles for display uses is a good thing. It make the pole look glossier and protects the bamboo. However varnish does not easily adhere the tough outer coating of bamboo. You must sand down the outside bamboo skin and THEN varnish the bamboo pole to get a long-lasting coat. (we can varnish you poles for an additional $10.00 per pole)

Note for outdoor Bamboo usage. 
You must water seal and coat the inside of the bamboo or completely seal both ends of the bamboo. Water logged bamboo is the easiest way for bamboo to rot. Keep the bamboo poles off the ground, this will reduce the chance of water logged rotting and bug infestation. Proper sealant treatment will allow the bamboo to last indefinitely.

Couple more goodies

• Never Never nail bamboo..., it will split like the grand canyon. ALWAYS pre drill and screw the bamboo into place. Or better yet glue the bamboo in place

• Bamboo will only bend when its green.

• Bamboo will remain green only for a short time. When the chlorophyll is burnt off by the sun, it will eventually turn yellow.

• Try not to use bamboo as fence posts, they will rot in 2-3 years. Rolled Fencing is a better alternative.  Keep all the bamboo fencing off the ground, it will last longer without rotting. Flip the poles top and bottom or you will end slanted fence.

• A fine tooth hacksaw will cut bamboo well. Forget the high tech techo saws, ordinary tools will work fine.

• Use bamboo in the half round whenever possible. This will greatly reduce the chances of it splitting.

• There is little you can do to preserve your bamboo fencing, it must weather first (6mths - 1 year). It will turn into a grayish color, the skin will then absorb water sealant, oil stains or varnish.

• Bamboo has no knots or cross grains, there are no weak points for a bamboo to break.

• Bamboo is a renewable grass that can grow up to 12" in one day!

Click on pictures 
for more information on Pricing and  CloseUP's 

Tonkin Bamboo (yellow)
  Chinese Moso (golden brown)
Hollow Bamboo, straight, Taiwan-China

Burnt Tonkin Yellow Bamboo
Artificially mottled, straight, Taiwan-China

Black Bamboo
Hollow Bamboo, straight naturally dark colored



Spotted Bamboo
Hollow Bamboo, straight, naturally brown spotted

Cana Bravo Bamboo
Hollow naturally Mottled Bamboo, slight curves. Mexico

Indian Bamboo
"Solid" or "Thick walled" Bamboo, Curves, Mexico

Questions?? Chat with Us!!

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