Tiger Bamboo Rectangular Cutting Board

Like the idea of bamboo, but looking for something with a little more grain?  Strand woven bamboo is for you!

Strand woven bamboo is made from the strands of the entire bamboo stalk, in contrast to the process of slicing thin rectangular pieces from the bamboo, which is done for most prefinished floors, molding, and furniture.  Once the bamboo is sliced into long strands, it is twisted (woven) together.  An adhesive is added, then the bamboo goes through a heating process.  After it hardens, the material is then cut into small planks and milled into flooring, large planks or moulding.

The result of this process is a bamboo product that sports a contemporary, natural look.  It resembles a wood grain, though still has the characteristic of bamboo.  The bamboo nodes are visible within the grain, for example.

Strand woven bamboo is denser and has a higher concentration of adhesives then "normal" bamboo.  It weighs almost 30% more.  Many of the characteristics of strand woven bamboo are similar to "normal" bamboo.  It remains very strong, very durable, ecologically friendly and quite beautiful.  As a rapidly renewable resource, it may qualify for LEED credits when used as a building material.

At JmxBamboo, we offer strand woven bamboo in natural or carbonized colors.  We also offer a blended strand woven, or "tiger" strand woven bamboo, which is basically a combination of the natural and carbonized colors.  Though the strand woven option is not available in all mouldings, it is offered for most.  It is also available in our stair treads, butcher blocks, and select furniture.

For a sample of strand woven or other bamboo options, please give us a call at Eco Friendly, 888-248-8256.  We'll be happy to assist you with information, answers, samples and assistance in placing your order.

Ecological bamboo furniture, bamboo stairs and bamboo moldings may be LEED credit eligible. Bamboo is a rapidly renewable environmentally friendly material, defined by its harvest cycle of fewer than ten years. As such, bamboo interiors may contribute toward gaining LEED points, especially Commercial Interiors.  Typically, the category that bamboo interiors can contribute towards is 1 point – MR Credit 6 Rapidly Renewable Materials.

JMX Bamboo molding, furniture, and other bamboo products are ecologically friendly. Many companies can claim that their products are environmentally friendly, but our bamboo is certified as such, listed with BuildingGreen's GreenSpec.

BuildingGreen, Inc. is an independent company committed to providing accurate, unbiased, and timely information designed to help building-industry professionals and policy makers improve the environmental performance, and reduce the adverse impacts, of buildings.

BuildingGreen offers both print and electronic resources to help professionals design and build construction projects from a whole-systems perspective and take an integrated design approach that minimizes ecological impact and maximizes economic performance.
 
They are the publishers of Environmental Building News and GreenSpec.

Our GreenSpec listing gives you the confidence that when you buy bamboo molding from JMX Bamboo, you're buying bamboo that has passed the rigorous credentialing process of a respected third party.

Bamboo is one of the most beautiful, long-lasting, environmentally friendly and unique products in the market today. Every day more people are discovering the seemingly endless benefits of bamboo molding because of its durability, stability, exotic appearance and environmentally friendly nature.

Eco Friendly Digs pre-finished bamboo molding has many enduring qualities:

• Factory applied multi-coat aluminum oxide finish
• Easy to maintain and clean—never needs waxing
• Lifetime structure/ 10-year finish warranty
• Natural, elegant and beautiful
• Ecologically friendly
• Easy to install (nail or glue)
• Competitively priced
• 25% harder than Red Oak, 12% harder than Rock Maple
• More dimensionally stable than commonly used wood, including oak and maple
• High quality, tongue and groove, precision-milled

Our bamboo pre-finished molding not only protects the environment but also provides beautiful products that rival the tensile strength of steel. Bamboo is attractive as a building material because it is very hard and strong. Bamboo is more dimensionally stable (less expansion and contraction) than many commonly used wood flooring options, including oak and maple.

Bamboo's long life makes it a Chinese symbol of long life, while in India it is a symbol of friendship. Its rare blossoming has led to the flowers' being regarded as a sign of impending famine. Several Asian cultures, including that of the Andaman Islands, believe that humanity emerged from a bamboo stem. Malaysian legends include the story of a man who dreams of a beautiful woman while sleeping under a bamboo plant; he wakes up and breaks the bamboo stem, discovering the woman inside. In the Philippines, bamboo crosses are used as a good luck charm by farmers. In Japan, a bamboo forest sometimes surrounds a Shinto shrine as part of a sacred barrier against evils. Also, bamboo is considered second in the rank in the order of "Matsu (pine wood), Take (bamboo), Ume (plum)" and this order is used when ordering a sushi course or getting a room in a traditional Ryokan inn. Hawaiian bamboo ('ohe) is a kinolau or body form of the Polynesian creator god Kane.

In Chinese culture, the bamboo (竹), along with plums (梅), orchids (蘭), and chrysanthemum (菊) are all held in high esteem and are collectively referred as the "the four of great nobility" (四君子). Each plant represents a particular aspect of a noble person in Confucian ideology.

Ecological Benefits of Bamboo

Along with bamboo being the most stylish alternative to traditional materials, the decision to purchase bamboo products is an ecologically responsible choice. It is the most environmentally sound plant, used for the production of various products, in the world.

Bamboo is a grass and not a product derived from forestry. It has a short growth cycle of approximately five years, depending on the variety. As a result, bamboo is considered a highly renewable and sustainable product that saves our ever-dwindling hardwood forest.

Bamboo stalks can grow to be as high as 50 feet and several inches thick. Due to the interconnected root system, bamboo groves fully regenerate at a faster rate than timber. Such a process promotes the extension of bamboo roots and the growth of new canes. This characteristic differentiates bamboo from timber in development and utilization projects in that it benefits the ecological balance and preserves forest reserves. Replanting is not needed and the forest continues to flourish.

Bamboo can be harvested and replenished with virtually no impact to the environment, as well as grown in soil damaged by overgrazing or poor agricultural techniques. Unlike most trees, improper harvesting does not kill the bamboo plant, which allows for the topsoil to stay in place. Additionally, because of its dense litter on the forest floor, it actually feeds the topsoil over time. This plant's rapid growth produces a yield 25 times higher than that of timber and, with selective annual harvesting, has the capability of complete regeneration without a need to replant. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on earth, growing over 30% faster than the fastest growing tree.

JMX Bamboo is GreenSpec listed. LEED Credits are MR Credit 6 - Rapidly Renewable Materials. Our formaldehyde emissions are less than .5%, surpassing E1 standards.

JMX is a member of the USGBC.