Saturday, August 28, 2010

Bamboo Bus.

Well, after being in the RV park for a just over a month and a half, I am finally settled in enough to begin rebuilding the inside of the bus and to try to make it more "me". I have lots of time, if not money, as great jobs seem to be non-existent. While the original builder certainly created something that 'works', it is in no way pretty, nor does is suit any standard of aesthetics I might enjoy. While I have always preferred function over form, I think that both can be had with some careful planning. In it's present form, the bus is entirely functional, hopefully I will be able to retain that quality, improve upon it, and even make it greener by default.

I love Bamboo. As a product, it is perhaps the greenest plant growing, (it is really a grass) as it can sequester enormous amounts of CO2 and can replenish itself in a fraction of the time it takes wood to do the same thing. It grows so fast that you can almost see it happen (up to four feet a day when its young) and it has a better strength to weight ratio than steel. I also enjoy oriental design, and hope to combine the clean, uncluttered aspects of this Zen approach with my love of Bamboo in the rebuild.

I have always thought that any project is best started with a strong foundation, so I will be starting at the floor. Right now, it is blue, commercial carpet...ugh. I am ripping out all of the old bus seats, counters, tables etc. Hopefully in the next month it will be transformed into a beautiful Strand Woven Bamboo floor, natural in color which is 100% stable and 150% HARDER than Oak. I am hoping to continue the theme up and will be using the same product to rebuild the kitchen counters and back splash.

I will of course post before and after photos along the way. I am always open to thoughts and suggestions anyone might have.