Bamboo Poles - FAQS

We almost all use Chinese traditional pegged /rabbet joint to ensure stable and long lasting construction, and will last as long or longer than any conventional wood framed products. In china, bamboo structures have a history of lasting 1000 years. In some country’s bamboo structures built with untreated bamboo poles of the same species used in their buildings are over 50 years old. These poles are used for telephone and power lines.

Not at all. The species of bamboo used as food primarily by the Giant Panda (but also in Asian cuisine) is Gelidocalamus fangianus found mixed within pine forests. Bamboo is harvested from bamboo forests which develop mainly on mountains. Very small areas are selectively harvested leaving much of the bamboo to continue propagating itself and providing habitat to native species. Since bamboo only takes a year to fully mature, but a typical harvesting rotation around a mountain takes five to six years, the forest is able to grow, thrive, and be harvested without disturbing the ecological balance or aesthetics' of the forest.

Never push bamboo through a saw or it will shred. To get a clean cut, use a fine toothed blade and roll the bamboo through the saw scoring the outer skin first. No special tools are required. Table saws, hack saws, or band saws will work just fine.

They are as straight as the kiln-drying process can make them. Remember, man is the creator of straight lines. As per our store policy, the poles are nominally straight, and nominally of the measurements listed. Also, being a rapidly growing plant, the poles will most likely taper toward the top end. Bamboo is a naturally irregular product, so normally it will not be uniform in diameter. This depends somewhat on the species but especially on the length of the pole in question. As a rule you should expect some variation in taper.

Yes, but bamboo has a very resistant shell. Oil based stains work best. Bamboo can be stained and colorized but it all depends on what type of bamboo you are working with. We recommend rough sanding to remove some of the silica surface. Applying a gel stain will produce a novel effect and texture. Another option is to add a tint to polyurethane which works well to enhance and protect the bamboo.

Wipe the bamboo clean of dust and debris with a microfiber cloth. Soak a clean microfiber cloth in room-temperature soapy water and wring it out thoroughly. Scrub the entire surface of the bamboo clean, in the direction of the wood grain. Scrub any visible mildew until it disappears or you no longer make any progress in removing it.

Rinse the bamboo with a clean microfiber cloth and clear water to remove any residual soap. Clean any remaining mildew stains with a bleach solution.

Fill a spray bottle with a mild bleach solution: 3 tbsp. bleach mixed with 1 cup of water. Spray the mildew stains.

Allow the bleach to sit on the stain for five minutes. Then scrub away the stain with a moist microfiber cloth, working in the direction of the bamboo's grain. Once the stain is gone, wipe the surface clean with a moist, clean microfiber cloth to remove any residual bleach.

All of our bamboo materials are treated in a variety of safe and natural ways to prevent any insect infestation.

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Bamboo is prone to slight cracking or checking in zero-moisture cold conditions. Once split or drilled, bamboo will not crack. Bamboo fencing has been known to last up to 20 years in cold, winter conditions.

With proper maintenance bamboo can retain its original beauty for many years. Of course outdoor placement will require more frequent maintenance than indoor placement. Maintenance consists of annual refresh of UV top coats.