Residential bamboo fencing

Traditional wood fencing has been used for centuries and remains a popular choice today because of its classic, traditional look. The vast majority of wood fences today are made from red cedar or pressure-treated pine. Other popular woods include spruce, fir, redwood, and white cedar. But with growing concern about the damage done by logging and the length of time it takes to replace a forest, many consumers are looking at the environmental advantages offered by bamboo fencing.

Why bamboo?

Bamboo is not a wood at all, but actually a fast-growing, woody variety of grass. When it is harvested, the root system remains intact, and the plant quickly sprouts a new shoot, without replanting. A bamboo forest can yield about 20 times more usable building material than a hardwood forest, and can be harvested and reharvested without environmental damage. Although it is a grass, thick bamboo poles are two to three times as strong as timber.

Besides its environmental benefits, bamboo is valued for its unique texture and exotic beauty. It can be stained a wide variety of colors or simply allowed to age naturally from a light tan to a silvery gray.

One disadvantage of bamboo is that it is not very rot-resistant. Studies have found that bamboo is much more difficult to treat for decay-resistance than pine. To extend its life, care must be taken that a bamboo fence not come into contact with the ground.

Bamboo fencing styles

There are dozens of different types of fences that can be built from bamboo, and such fences are staples in Asian and Asian-style gardens. Fences can be as simple as versatile connected panels of bamboo poles strung or wired together (the type of bamboo fencing most available commercially) or extremely complex works of art. Traditional bamboo fences use “shuro nawa,” a dark twine, as ties to hold the smaller poles together. Here are a few of the most common types of bamboo fencing:

Kenninji. The kenninji-style fence is a classic screening fence with no gaps. It consists of panels of bamboo poles supported by several half-round rails attached with the classic shuro nawa ties.

Misu. The misu is another ideal screening fence. It uses horizontal bamboo poles as slats, supported by broad vertical support posts on both sides of the fence and attached with dark ties.

Otsu. An otsu fence uses broad bamboo poles as posts and narrower ones as rails. It has bamboo slats woven gently in and out of the rails, creating a more open look.

Yotsume. An open-style garden fence, yotsume fencing consists of several broad, horizontal rails held up by pickets on alternate sides. The appearance of this fence changes depending on what angle you look at it.

Ryoanji. A ryoanji fence is an open, shorter fence well-suited for gardens. It is made of a lattice of narrower bamboo shoots connected to broad top and bottom rails and supported by posts.

Twig fence. A twig fence is made up of bundles of bamboo twigs supported by horizontal or vertical poles, providing a casual and very tropical look.

Some bamboo species used for fences

More than 1,000 species of bamboo have been identified, ranging from bushy ground cover to treelike varieties more than 100 feet tall. The fastest-growing of these can grow up to four feet in one day, but although it reaches its full height quickly, bamboo needs several years to mature before it can be used as a fencing material. Here are a few of the many possibilities for bamboo fencing:

Moso. Moso bamboo was introduced in the United States in the 1920s and is the type most often used for construction. It grows well in the American South, and its splits are often used for fencing there. It grows to heights of more than 40 feet, and the diameter at the base can exceed six inches.

Tonkin cane. Tonkin cane bamboo is high-quality species imported from China that grows to heights of up to 50 feet and diameters of up to about 2.5 inches. Besides fencing, this type of bamboo is also commonly used for fishing rods.

Guadua. Perhaps the most widespread species of bamboo, guadua grows in Central and South America. It is a very tough bamboo, which grows to diameters of 2 to 5 inches and normally has a wall thickness of greater than a half-inch. The skin of guadua is somewhat mottled and dented, and it is a less popular fencing choice in the United States.

Black bamboo. This species comes in a range of dark colors, ranging all the way to a dark ebony. It will grow in the United States, but it is a delicate species that requires protection from the cold and wind. Because of its unusual coloring, it is a favorite ornamental in both Asia and the United States and is more expensive than other types. Black bamboo can reach up to 30 feet in height in some climates with a diameter of 2 inches.

Taiwan bamboo. Taiwan bamboo, which does not always come from that region, has prominent nodes and a waxy surface but relatively thin walls. It is the most common species used for fencing in Japan and China, but it also will grow in the United States. Pole diameters can reach up to 5 inches but are usually smaller.

Iron bamboo. Iron bamboo is an extremely strong variety that grows in the Yucatan. It will not split easily and is used primarily where great strength is required, such as in safety rails. With its prominent nodes and many buds and branches, it tends to provide a more natural, rustic look. Diameters reach up to 2½ inches.

Installing a bamboo fence

Bamboo fencing can be purchased commercially in easy-to-install rolls. These bamboo canes are held together with a wire strung through the insides so that it is not visible but provides flexibility and support.

A rigid structure is needed to support this type of fence. One way to do this is to attach it to an existing wood or chain link fence with galvanized wire or stainless steel staples. If there is no pre-existing structure, the homeowner can simply install hardwood posts with top and bottom rails to support the bamboo fence.

Maintaining a bamboo fence

To prevent rot, it’s important to make sure a bamboo fence avoids direct contact with the ground. Bamboo should retain its strength for many years, but it will fade in color and can sometimes crack. To prevent this, it’s a good idea to coat the bamboo fence with several layers of varnish when it is first installed (if that has not been done already) and to coat it again with a UV-resistant varnish at least once a year. Ties can be replaced as needed. With proper maintenance, a bamboo fence should last 20 years.

Bamboo Fence.

Bamboo Fencing.