Bamboo Benefits-Hurricanes, earthquakes and termites. Oh my.Our green homes are the first and only bamboo dwellings in the world that have achieved ICC-ES certification from the International Code Council. This means that they have passed and surpassed all conventional tests and can be permitted anywhere in the world. In addition, the engineering for our homes recently surpassed the strictest hurricane codes by Florida’s Dade County compliances. Understanding the full benefits of using bamboo requires an open mind, imagination and a bit of re-education. We are sometimes asked, “Is a bamboo house strong enough to hold up a heavy roof as well as solar and hot water panels?” Our answer is a resounding ABSOLUTELY. Bamboo is an extremely strong fiber. It has twice the compression strength of concrete and roughly the same strength-to-weight ratio of steel. Bamboo Living Homes are made with a special “Timber” bamboo species. The poles used in the houses are 3 ½ inches in diameter and the wall of the bamboo pole is ¾ inch in thickness. The hollow tube shape gives a strength factor of 1.9 times more than an equivalent solid wood beam. The exceptionally strong and flexible poles are able to withstand the extreme forces imposed on a house during hurricanes and earthquakes. Bamboo Living Homes withstood 3 hurricanes with winds at 173m.p.h. in the Cook Islands in Polynesia in 2005. Meanwhile, most of the wood frame houses on the island were damaged beyond repair. All of the twenty bamboo houses built for the National Bamboo Foundation survived a 7.5 Richter scale earthquake in Costa Rica in April 1991. An earthquake in Colombia in January 1999 also destroyed 75 percent of the buildings in the region, however, the bamboo structures survived uniformly unscathed. On top of being engineered to withstand hurricanes and earthquakes, Bamboo Living green homes are designed to be weather, termite and mold resistant. The exterior siding, overhangs and porches on our green homes are coated with the highest quality water resistance finishes. All joints are completely sealed to keep out insects, air, wind, and rain. Our bamboo poles are pressure treated with non-toxic borates to prevent termite and powder post beetle infestations as well as decaying fungi. Non-toxic IPBC is added to the pressure treatment solution to prevent any future mold growth. The pressure treatment process is also monitored by third party inspectors from the International Code Council (ICC). Borates have been used internationally for the past 60 years as a safe and effective treatment to stop insects and decay, quickly replacing copper treatments as a safer alternative. Are you living in the strongest and safest home possible? |
