Beaches, resorts and water parks have a distinct tropical ambiance that’s enhanced by many accessories and features, but the shelters that stand out at these destinations are the thatch-roofed structures — palapas. Palapas are found on coastal establishments and other themed locations, and these tropical huts offer an enjoyable setting to lounge in and avoid harsh sun rays.
How to Build a Bamboo Roof
If you want to upgrade your exterior space, bamboo roofing can create a beautiful and interesting backyard look by adding tropical appeal to patios, tiki huts or umbrellas. Bamboo also provides great durability and longevity when cared for properly.
When building a roof out of bamboo, you can choose any style you want, including a bamboo frame with thatch or a bamboo tiled roof. In this guide for building a DIY bamboo roof, we will discuss a few styles of bamboo roofing and how to build a roof out of bamboo for your exterior living space.
Forever Bamboo Tutorials
In the next couple of weeks we will be producing short tutorial videos that will be available to view on our website and new YouTube page. These videos will display our thatch, bamboo fencing, paneling, bamboo poles, reed fencing, Bac Bac matting, and Lauhala matting. In each video, we will be educating our viewers about each product and ways in which you can install and enhance your home or business.
Here’s a list of topics that will be discussed in each tutorial.
Bringing Hawaii to Your Backyard
Have you ever wished to walk into your backyard and feel like you were living in a Hawaiian paradise? Tiki thatch, along with other bamboo materials, can give your home a beautiful tropical touch. Not only are bamboo products affordable, but they’re also environmentally friendly.
Creating your own personal tropical paradise is not a dream too big to come true. With a little effort and a few helpful hints, redoing your backyard, or other space, doesn’t have to be an endless, intimidating project.
Pick a Space
First off, measure and evaluate the space you have to work with. It would be a shame to buy furniture and accessories that either doesn’t fit or clutter a space. Once you know what you’re working with, establish a focal point or centerpiece. This can be inside or outside where you can add a pool, a table, and chairs for family dining, a tiki hut for cocktail hour, or a palapa to escape the sun.
Furnish Your Space
Within the focal area determined, decide exactly how much and what type of furniture and material you need. Feel like making your own furniture? Go for it! We have many helpful instructions on building anything from a tiki hut to a palapa (insert internal linking here to instructions). Once this is done, you can furnish your backyard appropriately.
How to Care for Bamboo Products
While we primarily think of bamboo’s uses outdoors, as in fencing and construction, oftentimes we forget that bamboo can just as easily transform the indoors into a tropical paradise as well. However, as with anything else, bamboo products must be cared for and maintained. Here are some simple tips to care for just about anything made of bamboo:
**Note: The word “furniture” is used to denote any bamboo construction. This can include bamboo rugs, bamboo signs and tiki masks.**
Quickly Create a Tropical Backyard Paradise
Bamboo Decor
You’ve started researching a growing market. Bamboo transcends design style guidelines because it suits many decorating projects.
Whether you are looking for an elegant theme, looking to match shades, or simply want to add texture to a room or design project, bamboo pieces have characteristics to suit a variety of choices.
Bamboo Slats on The Ceiling!
The ceiling is ironically one of the most overlooked pieces of the overall aesthetic of a room. The difference between a room that does not thoughtful ceiling decor and style and one that does is immediately striking. One material you can use to decorate your ceiling is bamboo slats. While bamboo slats are generally thought of as a wall or fence material, they actually are a wonderful and unique addition to a ceiling. Having bamboo slats on your ceiling will give your room a unique “hut” style.
How to Install Bamboo Slats on the Ceiling
The first step in installing bamboo slats on the ceiling is to measure the surface area. As the old adage goes, “measure twice, cut once.” When measuring the ceilings surface area, also keep in mind the direction you would like the slats to lay as this is an important factor in the next step, which is to calculate how many slats will be needed to cover the area.
Once you know how many slats you need, mark the measurements you recorded on the slats for cutting. Using high regard for safety, carefully cut the bamboo slat to the size of your surface area. Don’t forget to account for any fixtures that might be on your ceiling. You’ll want to custom cut holes for any ceiling fans or lights that you may have along your surface area.
After cutting the slats and customizing the necessary areas to account for ceiling fixtures, it’s time to adhere the slats to the ceiling. There are a variety of ways to do this – you can use nails, staples, or glue. Epoxy and finishing nails are a popular and sound option. To use this method, run a small bead of epoxy on the backside of the slat and place it against the ceiling. Once in place, drive a finishing nail in the center of the slat and one nail on each of the trailing ends of the slat, or every two feet. Continue the process for each slat. Keep in mind that the process will be easier if you’ve pre-cut the slats to fit the ceiling space exactly!
Finishing
To finish the installation and tie in the look of the room, you could add a custom stain to match the colors that already exist in the room if you weren’t planning on painting. Bamboo is naturally a neutral color, so you’ll find that it will be easy to stain the bamboo in a color that will complement what you already have. In addition, you can add bamboo molding to create a tasteful transition from the ceiling to the wall. Now, you can sit back and enjoy the incredible look of the ceiling that has completely transformed the look of your room!
Need Help?
If you have questions about installing bamboo slats on your ceiling, don’t worry! You can contact our customer care team and they will be happy to assist you in the proper installation of bamboo slats for a completely transformative look!