rivals exotic hardwoods New bamboo decking

gle-grooved profiles are also available.

The company also offers residential deck tiles that click together for easy installation on any flat, level surface. Other divisions produce siding, lumber, veneer and panels, and flooringall constructed of fused bamboo.

"We just had our first head-to-head with ip6 on a specification and came out on top," says Kelly. "The project is replacement of the deck of the village band shell in Lake Placid, N.Y."

In Atlanta, Ga., 1,800 sq. ft. of the decking was installed at the new residence/office/studio of TAC Studioswhich helped the project earn the LEED silver rating for environmental sustainability. The project was also featured in the city's annual Parade of Homes, for two years in a row.

A NEw cArEcony of decking comla,bines the sustainability of bamboo with the beauty and durability of exotic hardwoods.

Dasso XTR is manufactured with strand woven technology-a patented process in China, Australia and Russia, and patent-pending in the U.S.-that fuses carbonized bamboo to make it suitable for exterior use.

"Unlike the process used to create strand-woven bamboo flooring, our process incorporates several proprietary steps that make our product exterior grade," says president Brett Kelly, who is based in Pennsauken, N.J.

Another difference is that Dasso XTR is 877o bamboo and l3%o phenolic resin, not a composite of reclaimed bamboo fibers and recycled plastics, as can be the case with other brands.

The reversible boards can be installed smooth side up or reeded side up-or a combination of the two, for unique designs. Each 6-ft. board is side-grooved for hidden fastening and end-matched for installation on joists, 12" or 16" on center. Double- and sin-

According to Kelly, Dasso XTR is a unique product that looks and acts like premium tropical hardwood decking, but: o is more stable is Class A fire-rated is environmentally friendly . is available prefinished with a natural oil or can be stained onsite

The product is also very durable. In China, where the company is based, Dasso XTR was used to construct a two-mile walkway in the Houtan Park Expo in Shanghai. "The expo saw traffic of more than 70 million people during the fair," says Kelly. "Yet three years later, all original boards are still down and there have been no notable issues with the product."

For the Wuxi Theater in Jiangsu, China-which was designed by Finnish architect Pekka Salminen to rival Australia's Sydney Opera House-Dasso supplied 802,000 sq. ft. of its bamboo products: exterior decking and architectural-grade bamboo panels specially constructed for the entire interior.

By Carla Waldemar