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| Plank Style Bamboo Countertops |
If you are thinking of a countertop replacement or counters for your new home, take a look at bamboo and all the reasons you should install them.
Why Use Bamboo Countertops?
For several reasons, bamboo has emerged as a great green product. Presently, bamboo is being used for flooring, counters, cabinets, furniture, clothing, and bedding.
It's green since it is extremely renewable. Bamboo is considered the ideal option to it's much slower growing counterpart the tree, and because of this, it is extremely eco-friendly.
Durability Characteristics of Bamboo:
Another little known fact is that bamboo is a really durable building material. It is equal to the durability of many hardwoods and is even harder than some other hardwoods. This is quite amazing, since bamboo is actually a grass!
With these strength characteristics, you can expect that your bamboo countertops will have a very long life cycle. Because of the long-lasting character of bamboo, it makes it even more environmentally friendly than most other countertop products that need replacing every few years.
Bamboo is Recyclable:
Another eco-friendly attribute of bamboo is that it is recyclable. If a product is recycled after it has outlived it's life cycle period, it is considered a much greener product than those that must be tossed into the landfills.
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| Laminated Plank Style Bamboo Countertops |
There are a couple of different techniques employed to make bamboo countertops. Which one you will ultimately decide on will depend predominately on your personal preference.
The initial type of bamboo countertops are actually a form of laminate. One of the most popular manufacturers of this type of countertop is Totally Bamboo. To produce their eco-friendly product, they start through making cross-brand laminates that they call multilam.
Planks are made up of small strips of bamboo that are glued together. Once the planks are finished, they are put together with an adhesive that is non-toxic and formaldehyde-free.
Most often these counters are delivered to the job-site in an unfinished state and will need a finish sealer applied as the final step. Apply a low VOC sealer to the bamboo countertops to keep your project as green as possible.
End Grain Bamboo Countertops:
End-Grain bamboo is an alternative method of manufacturing countertops. Just like the planks, they are glued together. However, instead of creating long planks, the companies that create counters from end-grain, do so through taking rectangular pieces of the end-grain bamboo. These pieces are glued together and a finish sealer is then applied.
Bamboo Countertop Cost:
When compared to Granite, Solid Surface, or other common high-end countertops, bamboo is very inexpensive. The plank-type counters start at about $35 psf for material only, and the end-grain types of counters cost right around $22 psf, material only.
If you are extremely handy, and have construction experience, you can attempt to install the counters. Otherwise employ the services of an expert installer. Countertop installation often requires many specialized cuts and specialized tools to make these cuts, and that is a job that is most beneficially left for the professionals.
How to Care for Bamboo Countertops:
It is very simple to care for bamboo countertops. To keep these eco-friendly countertops in tip-top shape, just clean them with a solution of mild soap and warm water. Since bamboo countertops have a finish applied to them, care should be taken not to set hot items on them without protection.
Because bamboo is basically a wood product, you should avoid cutting directly on the counter surface. Both the finish and the counter surface can be damage with knives.
With it's green properties, and reasonable cost, it's hard not to love the beauty of a bamboo countertop. If you like the look of wood, be sure to check out bamboo as one of your choices for new countertops!
LEED Certification:
Bamboo Countertops additionally can qualify for certain LEED Credits.
Bamboo Countertops can contribute to certification under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Rating System™ MR Credit 6: Rapidly Renewable Materials. They also may qualify under LEED EQ Credit 4.4.
To learn more about Bamboo Countertops, visit our article Bamboo Countertops.
Another addressing sustainable countertops choices is Recycled Glass Countertops.
Additionally for green living tips, visit our site Green Living Made Easy.
