Bamboo buiilds a green fan base

Bamboo flooring is harder yet cheaper than alternatives such as oak, say its supporters. Photo / Dean Purcell.

Increasing awareness of environmentally friendly building products has resulted in growing interest in bamboo flooring. Examples of the flooring material are on display at the Autumn Home Show at the ASB Showgrounds in Greenlane this weekend. Paul Blomfield, a publicist for the home show, said he was noticing more outlets emphasising the environmentally friendly aspects of their products or operations. "They are trying to think how they can demonstrate their eco-awareness.

Mansfield Lam, a bamboo flooring wholesaler, said the product was harder and cheaper than hardwoods such as oak. Mr Lam said bamboo was a renewable resource with a high usable biomass, and grew to a mature size for harvesting in only five years. That compared with hardwood trees, which took about 40 years or pines which took about 20 years. At $80 a sq m, it was also cheaper than hardwoods, which sold for about $100 a sq m. The bamboo was imported from Asia, where it was in plentiful supply and converted into flooring using new German technology.

The flooring had been available in New Zealand for two years. It was mostly used in homes but was also increasingly used in commercial buildings because of its ability to handle heavy foot traffic. Bamboo's attractive grain also made it useful for feature walls.Mr Lam said it was a good material to build with as it was very stable and did not contract or expand as wood could.