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??
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