With the introduction of Bamboo X-treme®, MOSO® set the standard for bamboo decking; Bamboo X-treme® turned out to perform better than any other bamboo decking. Ten years after its introduction and with a track record of millions of square metres installed around the world, MOSO® decided to extend the warranty from 10 years to 25 years. Meanwhile, new techniques were developed in the factory, in a search for possible extensions in the range. In 2021, Bamboo N-durance® Decking boards were introduced.
Bamboo X-treme® and Bamboo N-durance®, what to choose?
Most of the time Bamboo X-treme® or Bamboo N-durance® decking boards are selected because it looks great and stays beautiful while also meeting the highest requirements in terms of durability and sustainability. Based on the main advantages, we would like to explain the similarities and minor differences between Bamboo X-treme® and Bamboo N-durance®:
- Bamboo decking is an environmentally friendly alternative thanks to the fast growth and CO2 storage in bamboo, but production makes a difference
- Both bamboo decking products are extremely hard and durable
- The bamboo decking collections have a different appearance
- Bamboo X-treme® Decking requires cleaning but almost no maintenance, while Bamboo N-durance® requires some maintenance every year
- Bamboo X-treme® comes with a wider range of products which allows for more design possibilities with various profiles
Bamboo decking is an eco-friendly alternative
Thanks to its fast growth and the fact that bamboo stems can be harvested after just 4-5 years, bamboo is an eco friendly alternative to other materials. In this blog about the life cycle of bamboo decking, we discuss what makes bamboo decking environmentally friendly. There is a difference between Bamboo X-treme® and Bamboo N-durance®:
- The Thermo-Density® treatment of Bamboo X-treme® makes the material very stable. Through this treatment, the sugars in the bamboo are removed making the material insensitive to rot and surface fungi. Bamboo X-treme® consists of around 90% bamboo and 10% glue. During growth, the bamboo absorbs and stores more CO2 than the CO2 that is emitted during the production and transport of Bamboo X-treme® products.
- The Outdoor-Density® treatment of Bamboo N-durance® has a different way of strip preparation and pressing but results in the same stability. A fungicide, as found in all exterior finishes, prevents the development of surface fungi but needs to be reapplied periodically and is less environmentally friendly than the thermal modification of Bamboo X-treme®. In addition, Bamboo N-durance® consists of around 83% bamboo and 17% glue, which is also less environmentally friendly than Bamboo X-treme®. Even though Bamboo N-durance® is less eco-friendly as Bamboo X-treme®, it is still considered as a rapidly renewable and sustainable alternative to other building/decoration materials.
A bamboo deck is extremely hard and durable
Moso bamboo is, after processing the raw material into a decking board, extremely hard. The high density, 1150 kg/m³ for Bamboo X-treme® and 1200 kg/m³ for Bamboo N-durance®, ensures an extremely dense and heavy, thus durable and strong, decking board, meaning MOSO® Decking boards are produced to last a lifetime. With a warranty of 25 years and through extensive testing to prove the Durability Class 1 (according to EN350 / CEN/TS 15083-2) and Use Class 4 (according to EN335) MOSO® demonstrates how durable the decking is. The durability of Bamboo X-treme® and Bamboo N-durance® is of the same high level, taking into account the maintenance instructions.
High-quality and natural appearance
Although Bamboo X-treme® and Bamboo N-durance® look very different in the beginning, they both have a high-quality appearance and a beautiful look, which are often the main reasons to choose bamboo decking.
Due to the thermal modification, Bamboo X-treme® is very dark and Bamboo N-durance®, without this treatment, is lighter and looks more like hardwood. Bamboo X-treme® weathers quickly and will turn completely grey unless a maintenance product, such as oil, is applied. Bamboo N-durance® will mainly fade, regaining its warm brown colour after a treatment with oil. The photo depict (left Bamboo X-treme®, right Bamboo N-durance®) what the products look like, personal taste fully determines which product is preferred.
A bamboo deck requires relatively little maintenance
A deck looks great for years if the decking boards stay flat and straight, are easy to clean and keep a natural look. This is true for both Bamboo X-treme® and Bamboo N-durance®. Without maintenance, Bamboo X-treme® will fully grey and become slightly rough, but the beautiful natural look is retained. It should be noted that Bamboo N-durance® requires more maintenance.
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Bamboo N-durance® will fade and without sufficient cleaning and maintenance (applying oil) will become slightly rough and possibly develop surface fungi. By oiling Bamboo N-durance® annually, the deck remains beautiful, but this requires a bit more work than Bamboo X-treme®. Read more about the cleaning and maintenance of Bamboo N-durance®.
Bamboo decking is very stable, which allows for many design possibilities
Bamboo decking boards are remarkably stable. Unlike almost all hardwoods and many alternative materials, such as WPC, the boards remain flat and straight and there is very limited shrinkage and swelling due to temperature and humidity fluctuations. The great advantage of the stability is that practically all decking designs can be achieved with MOSO® Bamboo Decking and the boards will remain in place for many years. 
This stability is achieved with the extensive production processes that transform bamboo stems into boards and the stability of Bamboo X-treme® and Bamboo N-durance® is on the same high level. Within the wider Bamboo X-treme® range, however, there are many more different profiles available, offering more possibilities for a unique and playful design.
What are the main differences between Bamboo X-treme® and Bamboo N-durance®?
As explained above in the eco-friendliness section, the differences between the products arise during the production process. To summarise, the bamboo used for Bamboo X-treme® is heated at a higher temperature during production than Bamboo N-durance®. This results in the different colour and fungi resistance of the decking boards. Bamboo X-treme® does not need a fungicide finish after production whereas Bamboo N-durance® receives a coat in the factory, which needs to be reapplied periodically after installation.
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