Gripsure has been supplying bamboo decking to the UK market for the past four years, marketing it as a sustainable alternative to composite and tropical hardwood products.
There are thousands of species of bamboo and our decking is made from the giant species called Moso. This bamboo is a woody perennial so has more characteristics in common with a timber than a grass. But being a grass, Moso poles can grow up to one metre per day in the growing season! Because of this rapid growth, bamboo takes out and stores huge amounts of carbon in the poles themselves as well as the vast root network in the forests.
Bamboo is different to trees in that each ‘mother plant’ has around a dozen poles. Each pole takes five years to reach maturity and only 20% of poles are taken from each plant each year, creating a closed circle.
The product is produced by heat treatment, which removes all the sugars and nutrients out of the cells so bacteria and insects have no interest in attacking it. The material is also pressurised, which creates a very strong, stable, durable and long lasting product. The boards have an expected service life of at least 35 years.
The boards have the same or better characteristics as marine grade tropical hardwoods, have a class one durability and also achieve a Euroclass B fire rating without the need for external fire treatment, which is a requirement in certain applications such as roof terraces and fire escapes.
A study from Delft University shows that, even taking into account the transport and manufacturing process, the product is a net carbon sink over its life span.
We are seeing strong interest in bamboo because of its long life span and its green credentials. Many tropical hardwoods imported into the UK do come with third party accreditation. However, some forests are under pressure, in some cases being removed to make way for agriculture and other human activities.
This was a concern for Edinburgh Zoo which was looking at landscape options for its new sloth house. Sloths live in South and Central America and they are seeing their numbers in the wild reduced due to the loss of their natural habitat. The team at Edinburgh Zoo didn’t want to use a product that might be associated with this.
The bamboo deck boards were really appealing as the Moso forests are increasing year-on-year and grow in poor soil and mountainous regions where nothing else can grow – so it isn’t competing for land. The zoo is also very familiar with how bamboo grows so fast as it has its own bamboo plantation in Scotland to provide food for its two giant pandas Yang Guang and Tian Tian.
Gripsure donated 60m2 of anti-slip bamboo decking, which has been used to create visitor walkways through the recently refurbished enclosure.
Staff said Gripsure decking has helped to establish the perfect environment for the new arrivals – and their fans.
“The decking featured in the main walkway flows incredibly well with the exhibit, allowing our visitors to walk right through and become immersed in the natural look and feel of the space,” said Beccy Angus, head of discovery and learning at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
Another commercial project was 120m2 of Gripsure decking for an office in Fenchurch Street in London.
The roof terrace serves as a breakout area for the office block so staff can come and relax, meet and entertain in an external setting with great views across the Thames.
The client had an existing timber deck, which had come to the end of its service life and there had been an increasing number of slips and falls on the deck, which had prompted the client to temporarily close the terrace.
Closing the terrace made the client realise the importance of the external space in this central London office block, which is next door to the Walkie Talkie building. They wanted a natural product with a similar appearance to the previous terrace decking but that was also more durable and safer.
We engaged with the client and contractor to discuss options and after taking their brief, we suggested our non-slip bamboo boards as it ticked every box they were looking for. Stylish, stable, Euroclass B fire rated and safe in all weather conditions, coupled with the sustainable credentials of the boards, everyone involved was delighted with the end results. This prompted them to also replace a footbridge earlier than expected.
It’s not just sloths and office workers that are benefiting from bamboo decking. Angus Fosten, has worked opposite our HQ in Bugle, Cornwall for the last six years and approached us when the time came to replace the existing “tatty and slippery” decking area in his garden.
He has used up to 1,000m of our dark bamboo boards. “It looks right and is in keeping with my house and the garden,” said Mr Fosten. “There are lots of trees around us and I felt that other types of decking would have jarred with the surroundings.”
He was also conscious about the safety aspect. He wanted to have a level decking area, which the family – including more elderly members – could enjoy year round.
“The old decking was very slippery,” said Mr Fosten. “I was worried about my elderly in-laws walking around on it. Having something that was non-slip was very important. I was also looking at longevity. With a project like this, you want to do it once and never again.”
