Why does the bamboo decking fade? Bamboo decking is placed outdoors, no matter whether the color of the bamboo decking is brown or black, it may take a long time or a short time, but finally, the color of the bamboo decking will become gray. The exterior climate is an important factor in determining that the bamboo decking turns gray.
In addition to the outdoor temperature and humidity will affect the bamboo decking, light is also an important factor. In high humidity and high-temperature environment, wood-rot fungi are easily active, and pests also follow. Although bamboo decking has strong resistance to rot and insects, it can’t escape the degradation effect of "light". bamboo decking has been placed outdoors for a long time or has been exposed to light for a long time.
Bamboo has a gray surface due to the influence of climate, which is a sign of deterioration, that is, the result of tissue damage. Bamboo is not a single-component polymer, mainly composed of lignin, hemicellulose, and cellulose. Light has a certain influence on biological tissue, and the same is true for bamboo. Among them, the wavelength below 300nm is called ultraviolet rays, which have a huge impact on the bamboo tissue. The penetration power of ultraviolet rays to the bamboo floor tissue is about 60-90um depth.
The effect of ultraviolet rays on bamboo tissue, the "degradation effect" of light is that ultraviolet rays destroy the tissue and generate a large number of free radicals. These free radicals are very unstable and may combine with water or react with oxygen to form carboxyl (-COOH) and carbonyl (C=O), and carbonyl can absorb ultraviolet light again and generate new white free radicals. The vicious cycle continues, and the wood surface is continuously degraded.
Among the three components, lignin is the most easily degraded. Large molecules are degraded into smaller ones, which easily peel off the wood surface and gray appears. Because relatively cellulose is not easily degraded, when the lignin is continuously lost, the surface of the remaining cellulose appears particularly rough. That is to say, when the wood is degraded, in addition to the material being damaged and turning gray, the surface loss also causes the surface to be uneven.
For the degradation of light, ultraviolet light is the main catalyst, but the coordination of oxygen is also required. Although there is oxygen in the bamboo tissue, it is mainly obtained from the atmosphere. One of the functions of paint protection is to block contact with the outside world. At present, there are also anti-UV paints, which can effectively reduce the degradation rate of ultraviolet rays on wood.
But REBO bamboo panels are treated with high-temperature carbonization and hot pressing, which make them more stable and durable, and has better weather resistance, rot resistance, and insect resistance. And even fade, the surface of bamboo decking is more smooth than some hardwoods, and color after maintenance is more beautiful than some hardwoods. How to refresh the outdoor decking? General maintenance is enough, including clearing, oiling, and drying. The color will become light brown and new.
