Is bamboo wood good? Interesting facts you definitely don’t know about the bamboo
What's the origin of the Word "Bamboo"
Just in case you are interested, the origin of the word comes from the national Indonesian and Malaysian language – Malay. There is the word “Mambu” which, as you might notice, sounds pretty similar to Bamboo. Another idea is that “Bamboo” comes from the word “Bambu” - it describes the sound of bamboo which explodes in the fire.
Where does bamboo grow
As many of us live in cities, we may think that bamboo is extremely rare. However, it grows almost everywhere, except for Europe and Antarctica. You can see bamboo in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the southern regions of the United States. It also grows in Patagonia, central China, and northern Australia. Bamboo is usually found as secondary vegetation. However, in some places, it is a dominant vegetation type. For instance, in northeast India bamboo covers thousands of square kilometers. Bamboo can adjust to conditions that would be disastrous for most plants. Some species grow just fine even at temperatures as low as -20°C.
Does bamboo conduct electricity
Less than a year after Thomas Edison created the first light bulb, he designed an advanced model that had almost all the features of a modern light bulb. The hardest task was to find a good material for the filament - the part of the bulb that gloves when an electric current passes through it. Edison tested everything you can think of. Coconut fiber, fishing line, and even his worker’s hair! However, he couldn’t find the perfect material. Then Edison decided to try bamboo fiber. And it worked! Just the right filament. Edison discovered later that carbonized bamboo has the capacity to conduct electricity. It turned out that the bamboo charcoal is a natural “nanotube”. It was also surprising that its filament lasted for 1200 hours - more than any other material at the time.
Flowers of bamboo are rarely seen. Some species of bamboo develop flowers after 65 or 120 years. An interesting fact about flowering is that all plants of one bamboo species develop flowers at the same time, no matter where they are located in the world.
The air from bamboo
Bamboo releases 30% more oxygen into the atmosphere and absorbs more carbon dioxide compared to other plants. Because of these features, bamboo greatly decreases the number of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and cleans the air.
What else can be made from it
It’s not only furniture or cutting board that can be created from bamboo. Xuan Lai villagers create almost everything from smoked bamboo. What started centuries ago making things for daily life (like baskets, small beds, and chairs) has become a large-scale production effort and a promising business project. Now you can basically refurbish your house with bamboo from the bottom to the top! Tables, dining sets, chairs, beds, and sofas - and everything is ecological and good-looking. Xuan Lai handicrafters have a special technique for crafting items from smoked bamboo. They soak bamboo in water, then trim its nodes, and finish smoking it in a straw-burning stove. The process is very hard work, but it is worth the effort. Bamboo furniture from Xuan Lai is popular all over Europe and the United States. Did you know that furniture and cutting boards are not the only thing that can be created from bamboo? Here is another example – a fantastic kite that was built in Japan on one of the most spectacular kite festivals, the Sagami Giant Kite Festival. These giant kites can measure up to 14.5 meters in length and width and weigh 4 tons! Interesting to know: the longest flight of a traditional large kite was in 2001. It stayed in the air for 6 hours, 7 minutes, and 55 seconds. Can you imagine this? It is a breathtaking sight to see these enormous artistic creations flying about the sky.
Everyone has probably heard that bamboo is an ecological and good-looking wood. However, it might be news that bamboo is also a natural deodorizer. That’s why it is used to make baby diapers. If you search for “bamboo deodorizer” on Amazon, you will be surprised by how many deodorizers exist on the market. How does it work? Bamboo absorbs the bad odors thanks to charcoal. Unlike traditional deodorizers which just mask the bad odors by covering them with, bamboo deodorizers actually eliminate the bad smell. Another awesome fact about bamboo deodorizers is that they last a lot longer than any traditional deodorizer.