Solid bamboo
cladding and decking

What is solid bamboo cladding and decking?

The densified solid bamboo in Ootouch's outdoor range is made from compressed Moso bamboo strips. The strips are heated to between 130 and 140 °C for the Ceylon shade and to 200 °C for Espresso, then subjected to high pressure: the grass becomes a solid, dense material, at 1,150 to 1,220 kg/m³ for the decking board, depending on the shade.

This density accounts for its mechanical performance. The DeckooTouch® board has a Brinell hardness of around 9.5 kg/mm², a bending strength of 87 N/mm² and a modulus of elasticity of 18,700 N/mm². It is rated biological durability class 1 to EN 350 and use class 4 to EN 335.

Like wood, solid bamboo responds to its environment. Ceylon gradually turns grey; cycles of moisture and heat can roughen the surface and open small cracks, with no effect on the strength or durability of the board. Maintenance with oil keeps the original shade for longer.

The same bamboo has two uses. As decking, DeckooTouch® boards come in light Ceylon or dark Espresso, 18 or 20 mm thick, single-sided with a smooth face or double-sided, with a reaction to fire of Bfl-s1. On facades, BambooTouch® Outdoor Massif cladding, in interlocking profiled boards, is installed as a ventilated facade; it is made to order, with a lead time of about twelve weeks.

The bamboo is processed in China and shipped by sea. The decking is guaranteed for up to 25 years when installation follows Ootouch's instructions, with its original accessories.

Installation & uses

For decking, installation follows local rules: the NITs in Belgium, DTU 51.4 in France. The boards rest on a suitably sized substructure of pedestals and joists, ventilated over at least 1% of the area. Ootouch recommends its solid bamboo joists, at 40 to 50 cm centres on a ventilated base, or its composite joists, at 33 cm centres; its recycled polypropylene pedestals adjust in height from 30 to 230 mm.

The boards, tongued at the ends, are fixed with the manufacturer's clips and screws, the only fixings covered by the guarantee, along with its boards and joists. They are stored flat, out of the rain, in a ventilated place. A first maintenance coat of WOCA oil is due three to six months after installation, then once or twice a year, more often in very hot conditions.

On facades, the cladding follows NIT 243 in Belgium or DTU 41.2 in France. Battens are fixed perpendicular to the boards at 40 to 50 cm centres, behind an air cavity of at least 1.5 cm, ventilated at the base and at the top through openings of 50 to 100 cm² per linear metre. The first board is screwed at the base after pre-drilling; the following boards interlock and are fixed with clips, with stainless steel screws.