Like all materials, UV light affects Bamboo X-treme® Decking boards. A frequently asked question is therefore: how do bamboo decking boards fade? With the help of pictures, we would like to give you an idea of how the colour develops.
No loss of quality
It is important to know that the fading, or rather greying, does not affect the quality of the material. The surface of the bamboo decking becomes lighter and changes colour from dark brown through light brown to a grey brown. As does the surface also becomes slightly rougher, but the stability and hardness of the bamboo decking board remains unchanged.
It's not without reason that MOSO® gives a 25-year warranty on Bamboo X-treme® Decking boards, though colour retention is not covered by the warranty. The photo to the right pictures bamboo decking boards used as fencing around a terrace. Years after installation, the planks are still straight. Find more photos of the bamboo decking and fencing at Hotel Riberach Belesta here.
The colour change from month to month
It is not feasible to give a definite indication of the weathering, as this depends on the location of the decking boards. The degree of UV ray intensity is important: a decking board in sunny southern Spain or South Africa will grey much faster than a decking board in Scandinavia or Canada. Boards located in the shade will not grey as quickly as boards exposed to full sunlight for the entire day. These pictures show the weathering of Bamboo X-treme Decking boards, installed in the Netherlands, immediately after installation, about 3 months after installation in spring and after about a year and a half. Weathering in the Netherlands, discolouration is complete after approximately a year a half years.
These photos of the terrace at Jumbo Maritime's head office in Sliedrecht clearly show how the colour of Bamboo X-treme® evenly ages. The photo on the left was taken one month after installation and the photo on the right was taken about five years later. On our website there are plenty more pictures of this bamboo X-treme Deck..
.jpg?width=300&name=2013003%20LR%20(4).jpg)
%20Picture%20by%20Lior%20Teitler.jpg?width=300&name=2013003%20LR%20(10)%20Picture%20by%20Lior%20Teitler.jpg)
Maintaining the colour of bamboo decking
Do you prefer the warm brown shade to a greyish one? As a natural material, it is easy to maintain Bamboo X-treme® Decking. As with hardwood, maintenance will ensure that the decking is just as new again. After thorough cleaning, an oil can be applied. MOSO® recommends Woca Exterior Wood Oil in the colour teak, which is also the oil that is used in the photo below. The photos show Bamboo X-treme® Decking boards that have become dirty several years after installation, the boards after cleaning and after applying a layer of Woca Exterior Wood Oil in the colour teak. The oil and accessories are available at the better DIY stores or timber shops and, of course, at a MOSO® dealer. Watch this video of the maintenance of a Bamboo X-treme® Deck.
And how do bamboo façade boards weather?
Bamboo X-treme boards in vertical installations, such as wall cladding, do not age as quickly as boards installed for a terrace. This is mainly due to the lack of traffic (no feet on the cladding) and less direct sunlight. As cladding is not usually oiled, i.e. is installed untreated, the first signs of greying are visible more quickly but it takes longer for the bamboo to fully weather. Below are photos of a facade in Amsterdam. The left photo was taken immediately after installation and the right photo was taken about five years later. More pictures of the cladding at this school available here.
_BEW-1.jpeg?width=300&name=2016009-LR-(34)_BEW-1.jpeg)
Interested in more bamboo inspiration?
Are you convinced by the advantages of bamboo decking or cladding boards for your project? Download our MOSO® Bamboo X-treme® Brochure for more inspiration.
