Plyboo bamboo flooring and plywood products offer endless possibilities for architects and interior designers, whether the focus is on green building or cutting-edge design. This area includes all the information needed by architects, designers, and specifiers, as well as information directly relating to the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) rating system.

Plyboo Bamboo Products Integrated Manufacturing

In April, 2008, Smith & Fong announced it had secured certification according to the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) enabling the company to produce the world's first range of FSC-certified bamboo plywood and flooring.

Since 1989, Smith & Fong Company has been an innovator and leader in the development of bamboo as an alternative building resource. PLYBOO® bamboo products-flooring, plywood, veneers and paneling-are 100% bamboo with no fillers. All are made from the Moso species of bamboo, which grows to maturity in five to six years with a height of over 40 feet and a diameter of more than six inches.

Unlike many bamboo- manufacturers in the marketplace, Smith & Fong has a direct relationship with its farmers, who insist on harvesting the culm only after it has reached maturity. The company uses low- or no-VOC adhesives in its manufacturing processes, and currently all Plyboo flooring lines are urea formaldehyde-free. Plyboo's bamboo plywood line is currently available as Plyboo Pure urea-formaldehyde free or in its original form.

Given that so much of today's bamboo is bought in China on the open market, it is very important to know how raw materials are harvested and products are manufactured. The quality of bamboo can be attributed to different factors. For instance, a lot of inexpensive bamboo found in today's marketplace has been harvested too early, resulting in a soft end product.

All Plyboo products are tested for emissions by an independent, third party lab located in the United States. In late 2007 the company began converting its plants to urea formaldehyde (UF)-free manufacturing processes, and UF-free PlybooPure flooring is now available throughout the North American market and is the heart of the Plyboo product line.

Plyboo's Environmental Statement

Smith & Fong Company was founded in 1989 out of a truly passionate affinity for bamboo and with an overarching philosophy of sustainability. The firm began as a producer of bamboo accessories and was the first U.S. company to produce bamboo flooring for the North American market.

Plyboo flooring, plywood and veneer is derived from Moso bamboo harvested from a forest that requires no irrigation or pesticides. Each year, 20 percent of the plantation's bamboo-comprised of five-year-old poles only-is cut by hand, ensuring the forest canopy is not compromised to disrupt the ecosystem. The bamboo shoots that emerge in the winter as a food source for wildlife are not harvested or affected.

The company has longstanding, direct relationships with the farmers of its Moso forests and holds tight control over its two manufacturing facilities to ensure quality control and environmentally healthy production processes. In 2007 Plyboo converted its manufacturing operations to produce no added urea-formaldehyde(PlybooPure^TM). Urea-Formaldehyde free Plyboo and Durapalm flooring and plywood is now readily available throughout North America. Plyboo products are submitted to an independent, third party lab for performance and emissions testing.

All Plyboo products already comply with the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) strictest formaldehyde regulations for composite panels, and many can contribute to the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Credits MR 6: Rapidly Renewable Materials; and EQ 4.4: No Added Urea Formaldehyde.

Types:

Neopolitan	Durapalm Woven	Durapalm Edge Grain	Edge Grain Mountain
Edge Grain Amber	Plyboo Strand Honey	Edge Grain Natural	Flat Grain Natural
Plyboo Squared Sahara	Flat Grain Amber	Durapalm Tambour	Durapalm Prefinished
Plyboo Squared Amber	Plyboo Strand Dark	Edge Grain Foundation Brown	Tambour Black
Tambour Raw Amber	Tambour Raw Green	Tambour Amber	Durapalm Ebony

For detailed information on this product line please visit the Plyboo website.

For more information or any questions you might have please call, come by our showroom, or email us.