Bamboo: the ultimate stronger than still alternative house construction material

Locally known as mabanda in Luganda or Mianzi in Kiswahili, bamboo plants are an incredible building material that is slowly replacing hard wood for construction purposes.

Belonging to a type of grass, Bamboo can grow and multiply fast which makes it readily available and making it a cheaper option for building other than wood.

a simple house built almost entirely with Bamboo

Mostly used in Asia, some parts of japan and the Philippines, bamboo, which is a good natural building material with a high strength-to-weight ratio can be used in the construction of houses.

Bamboo is preferred to make house constructions especially as celling, floor or walls of a building due to its beautifully looking stems. Alternatively bamboo can act as a supplement to steel when making pillars due to its strength and height of atleast 12 meters high.

since the stems are so tall, one can use them as poles on a house

Fences can also be constructed using the plant which will not only add beauty to it but also add a natural feeling and tradition to it.

alternatively, one can use bamboo for doors and windows as a replacement of wood.

In the Philippines, Bamboo is used to build rafts when people want to sail on water or as a means of transport and in some cases, houses are also build using the stems to enable them float on water.

ADVANTAGES OF USING BAMBOO FOR CONSTRUCTION

Known for its ability to withstand fires up to 400 degrees Celsius, bamboo takes longer to burn down to the ground rather than wood which burns at 300 degrees Celsius meaning that with bamboo you may be able to save something if your house is on fire.
one can easily make curves out of it which can not be the case to wood

DISADVANTAGES OF USING BAMBOO FOR CONSTRUCTION

with an advantage comes a disadvantage so we break down some of the disadvantages of using bamboo for your construction

like every wood, bamboo is prone to termites. without treating it, one may find that termites or other fungus have started to eat up the stem which cuts on its longevity.
Rooting. if untreated, bamboo can rot when used in wet areas so you should be careful on where you are using it.
short life span. it is estimated that constructions with bamboo last up to at least five years before it starts to weaken which means that one would have to renovate thier house every after a couple of years.

All said, Bamboo is good for construction due to its beautiful stems which make structures admirable and the fact that they are affordable, easy to carry and strong.