Summertime is just around the corner, which means it’s time to start getting your outdoor space ready for entertaining.
When it comes to decorating your property’s exterior fixtures, earthy elements can help you achieve a unique look, such as a Tiki theme or island-style aesthetic. Creating a tropical-themed space is easy when you incorporate naturalbamboo materials into your exterior decor. With a few touches of bamboo, you can transform your outdoor space into a lush destination.
Bamboo accessories are beautiful and functional at the same time.You can give your space a tropical aesthetic with products that are relatively easy to install and simple to replace. Bamboo is sustainable, durable and convenient in backyards, residential homes, hotels, resorts, restaurants and other commercial spaces.
You can install bamboo fencing or slats almost anywhere from a deck or patio to a bar or seating area. It will refresh your property with a natural element that is attractive and sustainable.
Over time, harsh weather can diminish the topical flair of bamboo fencing and accessories. With proper care, your island-themed backyard can last for years to come. Bring your bamboo accessories back to life with a few quick fixes. This guide will explain everything to protect and maintain your bamboo decor to give your space some beachy vibes all summer long.
How Long Does Bamboo Fencing Last?
Bamboo is incredibly strong. In fact, it’s one of the most durable material options available. Bamboo is hardwearing, with more resistance to splitting or breaking under tension compared to steel. That means when you maintain it well with regular cleaning, sealing and staining, it’s likely to last 20 years and beyond. There’s no better material to adorn your home or business in terms of durability, cost-efficiency and quality.
Constant UV exposure and rain will cause exterior fencing to fade. However, this fading can be reversed with attentive care and maintenance. Cleaning and staining your bamboo seasonally will reinforce your fence’s natural durability and restore its original color and appeal. Giving your fence some extra attention for a few hours each year will ensure that it lasts for years to come.
Preventive Bamboo Protection and Upkeep
Bamboo fencing, poles and paneling are easy to install, versatile and simple to maintain. It only takes a few hours to perform certain periodical tasks to maintain their appearance and quality. Whether you have your bamboo in an interior or exterior area, cleaning your bamboo and staining it are important parts of maintaining your paneling or fencing for optimal quality. Here are some answers to common questions about proper cleaning and upkeep:
1. When Should I Clean My Bamboo Fencing?
Cleaning your bamboo fencing has an immediate effect on your space. Removing the old dust and grime will make your bamboo appear newer and more polished. The ideal cleaning schedule depends on several factors, like the weather in your area, the location of your fencing and the type of sealant on your bamboo.
A good rule of thumb is to clean your bamboo when it looks worn or is covered with excess debris. If your fencing is piled up with leaves, the excess moisture could cause rot. Keeping your bamboo fencing clean and dry will help extend its life. A sealant will help protect your fence from moisture and weather damage. Always clean your fence thoroughly before applying a fresh coat of stain.
2. What Materials Should I Use for Cleaning the Fencing?
Bamboo fencing is easy to clean with materials that you might already have on hand. You can create a homemade solution with water and bleach. If you’d rather use a store-bought solution, you can find an environmentally safe wood cleaner from your local hardware store. Either method will work to remove dirt and grime from your bamboo fencing.
When you’re ready to clean, apply the solution of your choice to the fencing and let it soak in for at least 15 minutes. This allows the cleaner to penetrate the debris that has been dried on by the sun. A nylon bristle brush is tough enough to scrub away old dust and gentle enough to preserve the outer layer of the bamboo. After you’ve scoured the fence, rinse off any remaining soap to reveal a freshly washed fence.
If your exterior fencing contains tough, caked-on debris, using a power washer with a pressurized spray will help eliminate the residue that can be challenging to remove by hand.
3. What About Cleaning Small Areas?
If you’re too busy to give your fence a deep clean or you notice a small mess appear, it helps to spot-clean every once in a while. Instead of lugging out special equipment and cleaning supplies, you can spot-clean the areas where you see dirt, debris or stains. You can just use water and mild dish detergent for a less harsh, safer cleaner that takes only a few seconds to stir together.
4. How Should I Clean Bamboo in Interior Spaces?
If your bamboo accessories are located indoors, a power washer would probably make a huge mess. Luckily, since the interior of your home is protected from extreme weather and harsh sun, it’s much easier to clean bamboo that is kept indoors.
For interior cleaning of bamboo paneling or blinds, your main focus is removing small amounts of dust and dander. You can use a soft scrub brush or non-abrasive cloth to remove the dirt and a bucket of clean water for a gentle rinse. Apply your cleaning solution with a spray bottle before scrubbing and rinsing.
It takes only a few minutes to clean your interior bamboo decor for a space that looks and smells refreshed.
5. How Can I Protect My Bamboo Fencing From Weather?
Mother nature is a powerful force. High winds, heavy rains, harsh sun and other inclement weather can make a major impact on the appearance of your bamboo fencing. However, there are ways to protect your fence from extreme weather.
The foundation of a resilient bamboo fence is proper installation. Whether you choose to install your fence on a wood or metal frame, you should secure it tightly with zip ties or screws. This will prevent heavy winds from damaging your fence.
Leave a gap at the bottom of the fence to keep your bamboo at a comfortable distance from any excessive moisture.Install a spacer for your fence to rest on, such as a piece of pressure-treated lumber. If you have foliage growing around the bottom of the bamboo fence, you should also trim it regularly to prevent moisture from the leaves.
Applying a sealant or stain will help seal out moisture from rain and humidity. Choose one with UV protection to help shield your bamboo from fading. Following these steps will ensure that your fence is protected from all of the elements.
6. How Can I Protect My Fencing From Pests?
If your bamboo accessories are installed externally, they are prone to all of nature’s creatures. From fungi to termites, the outdoors are filled with pests that would love to make a home inside your bamboo fencing.
The key to fighting pests is discovering them early. Inspect your bamboo often and look for unwelcomed guests. Pesticides and fungicides are effective for treating small colonies of insects or fungi. If the problem worsens, you should call an exterminator right away to prevent the infestation from spreading to your home. It also helps to keep plants trimmed back that could transfer spores and insect larvae to your fence.
Cleaning and sealing your fence every few years will preserve your bamboo’s appearance and structural integrity.
7. How Can I Maximize the Lifespan of My Bamboo Fencing?
Bamboo is a strong and durable material that can last for decades. The way you care for your bamboo fencing has a major impact on the lifespan of your fence. With a small amount of effort, you can ensure your fence will last for summer parties and holiday picnics for many years to come.
It takes only a few hours every year to inspect, clean and seal your bamboo. Stains can revive the color of your bamboo and provide a protective seal for extra strength. When the job is finished, you can sit back and enjoy your revitalized fencing.
How to Restore Your Bamboo Fence’s Natural Color
As a natural, attractive, affordable addition to your home or business, your bamboo fence or paneling enhances your property and adds a tropical flair. Adding a stain will keep it looking and feeling fresh and new for years. With its sealant properties and rich, natural shades, bamboo stain will accentuate your bamboo’s original color and bring out its shine for an enhanced, bright, beautiful appearance.
With a rich, oil-based stain, you can bring out the best in your bamboo, restoring its natural color while increasing the length of its lifespan. Total Wood Protectant (TWP) is the best bamboo sealant to revitalize your fencing and accentuate its natural color. TWP is perfect for staining and sealing bamboo fencing beautifully. With various colors to suit your style and bring out your bamboo’s original appearance again, TWP restores and protects your bamboo while drawing out the natural bamboo patina for better color. Depending on the original color of your bamboo fencing, you may want to pick different colors to bring out the natural color of your bamboo type.
If your property contains natural-colored bamboo fencing, Light Cedar might be your best option. Light Cedar is a mellow stain with a pale yellow-tan shade that will enhance and enrich light and medium shades of natural bamboo, restoring them to their original light shade and taking away any fade. Light Cedar looks like a suntanned version of Natural Bamboo. This natural shade will bring back your bamboo’s original color, accentuate the definition of each pole or panel and give your fencing new life.
If you’re hoping to restore natural black bamboo fencing, Black Walnut will work to accentuate darker bamboo colors and restore your bamboo’s luster and luminous shine with its deep brown stain. Regain your bamboo’s original color and revitalize it with a new natural, nourished, healthy appearance for a property that stands out stunningly.
A popular color that is no longer readily available is mahogany. If you are looking for a reddish mahogany tone, the closest option is to apply a minimum of three coats of Dark Oak on natural bamboo fencing.
Bamboo stains provide an option to customize or change your bamboo’s appearance and color dramatically — as well as to reinforce your bamboo’s strength, protect it against the elements, restore a rich, replenished shade of color and sometimes add a slightly different tone to lighter bamboo. With your stain applied properly, you’ll be delighted with the strong performance, enhanced aesthetic and natural, restored bamboo color.
How to Stain Your Bamboo Fence
After a year or more, your bamboo fence has likely gotten some wear. When your fence starts to age, it’s time to inspect, maintain and restore the material with cleaning, staining and sealing. You can thoroughly clean and scrub your bamboo and apply your stain properly to restore its original color and reinforce its strength. Here are the right steps for preparing and staining your bamboo.
Preparing Your Fence
Prepare your fence with these steps:
- Prepare the solution:Start by preparing your cleaning solution consisting of detergent and water, bleach and water or bamboo fence cleaner. If necessary, mix your solution and then pour it into a spray bottle to make the application simple. Spray a liberal amount of cleaner on your bamboo material and let it soak in for roughly 15 minutes.
- Scrub the surface: Using your nylon bristle brush, cloth or cleaning tool, scrub and scour your bamboo’s surface thoroughly to remove all residue, oil and dirt.
- Let it dry: let your bamboo fencing air-dry for two days or more before applying your stain or sealant — the bamboo must be completely moisture-free, so in addition to air-drying following cleaning, you should also make sure your exterior bamboo fencing doesn’t come into contact with intense humidity, wet weather or rain for a few days before staining. When your bamboo fencing is dry, it accepts oil stain best.
- Sand the surface: Giving your bamboo fencing a light sanding can help your stain adhere better and remove any bumps or imperfections for a smooth finish. You can use a fine-grit sandpaper or sanding hand pad to buff the entire surface. Be sure to wipe away the shavings with a clean cloth or rag before painting the bamboo.
Sealing and Staining
If you are applying sealant and stain, consider Total Wood Protectant stain. With Total Wood Protectant stain, you don’t need to worry about the additional protective step — because this stain provides both sealing and staining qualities for your bamboo’s best life and appearance. Before you apply your sealant and stain, check for ideal conditions. The temperature should not be below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and the weather cannot be overly humid, as this will affect the absorption of the stain. Make sure the forecast doesn’t predict rain for the next two days because your stained bamboo also must be allowed to dry and air out properly.
Before application, mix your bamboo stain thoroughly. Keeping the fencing upright, apply your stain gently in an up and down motion with your stain brush, sponge or cloth. Another option is to use a small turbine or spray gun to apply. If you choose to use a turbine, please refer to the instructions for diluting the material before using it. While staining, make sure to dress in older clothing or a smock and try to keep the stain from touching fabrics, as it will not wash out. You can re-apply your Total Wood Protectant bamboo stain in as many as three coats — just make sure to scruff each dried layer with a bristle brush between applications to encourage better drying and absorption.
When you’re finished, allow your stain to air-dry for multiple days and avoid extreme moisture or humidity in surrounding conditions when drying. Your first coat of stain should take roughly three days to completely dry, and you should give an extra day or two between applications of subsequent stain coats. Double-check to make sure your bamboo is thoroughly dry before staining again. After your final application, your bamboo will look beautifully lustrous and restored to its natural color.
Why Seal to Restore Bamboo?
If you don’t mind the silvery-gray weathered color, no maintenance is technically required for a bamboo fence to last multiple seasons, given correct installation and appropriate climate. However, sealing and staining your bamboo poles and fences regularly can make your bamboo last for years and years while providing numerous other benefits for the appearance and life of your bamboo.
If you’re unsure if the benefits are worth the effort, consider these reasons to seal bamboo fencing:
- Weather Resistance: If you don’t seal your bamboo fencing, it loses layers of protection and can wear and fade more quickly. When you seal and stain with a product like TWP, you provide a barrier of protection against numerous elements, including UV rays, water, weather and other exterior exposures. Our Total Wood Protectant sealant is the only stain available that offers UV protection, making it a great choice for the long-term protection of your bamboo.
- Color Enhancement: Because of normal wear and sun exposure, bamboo will lose color over time, becoming silvery-gray and less lustrous. With stain and sealant, you reverse the effects of the drained color and return your bamboo to its natural shade while also nourishing and replenishing the material for additional attractiveness and wear resistance.
- Longevity: With better care comes a longer life, and sealant is a big part of that. When you periodically inspect, clean and maintain your bamboo by sealing and staining, you contribute to better quality material and a significantly longer life for your fencing.
- Reinforcement: Besides protecting from elements, exposure, dirt, and wear and tear, sealant also adds an extra layer of protection from direct damage to the bamboo, ensuring your fencing or paneling stays in top shape at all times.
Restore Your Bamboo Fence With Forever Bamboo
Whether you’re installing new bamboo fencing or paneling to make your property pop, looking for materials to maintain your bamboo or searching for the best stain and sealant to preserve bamboo fencing, Forever Bamboo is proud to provide everything you need to make your bamboo beautiful and long-lasting. As the country’s top source for tropical decor and the only tropical decor company serving locations on both the West and East coasts, we cater to your love of bamboo’s natural look and enhancing qualities.
With gorgeous natural and artificial bamboo fencing panels and high-quality stain options to enhance the look and life of your bamboo fences, we’re dedicated to helping you make the most of bamboo decor on your property. Our friendly, qualified, passionate professionals are available to assist you seven days a week, so browse our beautiful collection of products and place an order online or contact us today. We can’t wait to be a part of your bamboo vision.
