Bamboo Cabinetry/Millwork/Lumber

Historical Use and growth of industry:

Bamboo cabinetry has been in the market ever since the initial sales of the bamboo flooring products. It started initially with carpenters taking the flooring planks and gluing them together into a slab panel, and then eventually the “furniture panel” and plywood industry began to take hold. Initially, ¾” material was main stay, and then as differentiation and product development started to take off, other thicknesses, including thin veneers came onto the market. Now there is a thriving manufacturing segment focusing solely on the panel and millwork products designed for use in cabinetry, furniture manufacturing and other interior decorative applications.

Different options/types:

The bamboo panel and millwork options mimic the flooring styles in grain and color, but there is a much greater product line offering due to the different required thickness needs used in the all the varying applications. To mimic standard North American panel size dimensions, manufacturers have adopted the 4’x8’ dimensions. In recent years, the maximum length of 8’ has been redefined, and now traditional bamboo panels can be found in 10’ and 12’ lengths. One thing is clear, is that if there is a market for a certain product and/or dimension that shows enough sales potential there is surely a manufacturer willing to make it for you (ie: the market). The beauty of bamboo is that it is made of component pieces, and so size is more a function of convenience than it is a function of possibility. One manufacturer has perfected (and patented) finger-joining bamboo dimensional stock, which enables the production of almost any length. Though currently this is more applicable to decking and engineered structural beams, we may find it has certain application with more decorative, interior materials.

The panel and millwork products are available in 3 main grain patterns: horizontal, vertical, and strand, one more rare pattern: end-grain, and 2 colors: natural and carbonized. The horizontal grain tends to have an Asian feel, while the vertical tends to hedge more towards modern. The strand has an exotic look, lacking the consistency found the others. The end-grain has a powerful feel, and typically used relatively sparingly. The natural color is quite light and bright, and the darker, carbonized is a light brown. The carbonized color comes when the bamboo fibers are put into high pressure steam tank, and the starches in the bamboo convert to sugar, changing the natural color to the brown.

Comparison to traditional products:

In comparison to traditional millwork and lumber items, bamboo is quite similar in how it can be used and what can be made from it. A bamboo panel made completely of bamboo could be compared to a solid piece of hardwood lumber in a 4’ by 8’ dimension in the same thickness as the bamboo comparable, as opposed to a standard or veneer backed plywood sheet. They are completely different, which justifies the cost differential. A bamboo panel compared to an equal sized solid hardwood lumber panel would be a fraction of the cost of the hardwood version.

The bamboo tends to be more stable compared to traditional woods, mainly because it is heavily engineered, being made of strips or strands as opposed to big pieces. Generally speaking, the bigger the piece of wood (or cellulosic material), the more expansion and contraction it has. Bamboo being made of either strips (horizontal or vertical) or strands is miniature as compared to a single piece of wood of a comparable cumulative size, therefore more stable.
Bamboo can be cut, sawn, and clear coated like any traditional wood. Staining it is a more difficult process due to the cellular structure of the bamboo fibers. The parallel cellular fibers tend to take the stain differently based upon the microscopic cross-section visible at the depth of sanded – the aesthetic at a nano-scale is very linear. Typically, stain will suck up at the ends of the boards and appear more bold and darker there. The node lines also break the visual consistency as there is a minor density difference between the node sections and the rest of the pole.

NOTE: It is important that one understands that bamboo is a raw material, and it can be treated in different ways (different glues, different manufacturing methods, different levels of drying, etc.) with the outcome of producing completely different products. “Not all bamboo is equal” – so, it is critical to pre-qualify the material used on the project

Insider Knowledge:

There are a couple things to consider and vet when you are planning on using bamboo plywood or buying millwork products or furniture: what glues and components are used, and are they bad for you. This would be true for any product that contains glue, such as plywood, but worth mentioning regardless. For the glues, the main concern is toxicity, and the release of toxins in the air. Any bamboo product with a ‘glue line’ can potentially be a concern. It is recommended to ask the supplier for a product test report showing formaldehyde emissions, and whether it is phenolic based or urea based. Phenolic tends to be considered relatively inert, while urea is a known carcinogen, and something to avoid. In addition, you should ask for a Material Data Safety Sheet (MSDS) for the glue used.

Possible Certifications (and what they mean):

Available in FSC- certified, NAUF (No added Urea Formaldehyde), and low-VOC options.