I posted a photo a while back about the new roofing tile on our earthbag roundhouse. The exterior looks great, and the roofing tile won’t take any maintenance for 20-30 years. But like I said in that blog post the ceiling is unfinished. The thatch roof that was on it before made a gorgeous ceiling, but the upkeep was too much since thatch here only lasts about three years. It occurred to me that bamboo would look really good on the ceiling. One option is golden or yellow bamboo as shown in these images.
The first photo shows small diameter bamboo nailed to the roof framing. The second image shows how you can score the bamboo and press it flat into sheets. Bamboo mat is another good option, because it’s readily available, fairly low cost and easy to install. The main goal here of course is to use natural materials and do-it-yourself to save money.
From Wiki: Golden bamboo may refer to one of at least two species in the Bambusoideae subfamily of the Poaceae (grasses) family of plants: Bambusa vulgaris, Phyllostachys aurea
Image source: Blogspot.com
Image source: Blogspot.com
I have access to plenty of bamboo here in NC. I’ve just never found how to cure it…get it ready for use.
There are lots of websites that explain various curing methods. Soaking freshly cut bamboo in borate solution, curing in the shade and smoking are three good methods.