## 4 Future Research Directions  
In this study, laminated woven bamboo mat boards bonded with PF resin could be used for exterior applications. However, when exposed to the elements, bamboo-based products are easily attacked by molds, termites, and decaying fungi, reducing their strength. Furthermore, direct sunlight causes discoloration of the laminated woven bamboo mat boards, reducing their service life. Although PF resin can help improve board durability, it causes uneven sizing and poor continuity of the adhesive/bamboo interface due to its high surface tension and low permeability. As a result, thermal treatment of laminated woven bamboo mat boards could be an excellent option for improving the boards' weather resistance [26]. [PERSON] et al. [27] discovered that bamboo treated at 180 \({}^{\circ}\)C under saturated steam has a significant impact on the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of the bamboo. Some benefits include increased biological durability and dimensional stability of thermally treated bamboo. Unfortunately, there are some flaws associated with the thermal treatment, such as decreased wettability of the bamboo surface, which will inevitably affect the spreading of the PF resin during consolidation. Furthermore, thermally treated bamboo is weaker and more prone to cracking. As a result, [PERSON] et al. [28] proposed another method for addressing the aforementioned issues through the use of nano-scaled inorganic materials. The nano-Fe\({}_{3}\)O\({}_{4}\) decorated bamboo bundles were created by combining iron/alkali liquid impregnation, nanocrystalline in situ crystallization, and hot pressing at high temperatures. The nano-Fe\({}_{3}\)O\({}_{4}\)/bamboo bundles/phenolic resin-oriented recombination ternary composite boards demonstrated improved hydrophobicity, satisfactory compressive properties, dimensional stability, and mildew resistance. It is worth noting that the nano-Fe\({}_{3}\)O\({}_{4}\) used in the study is only a member of the inorganic material family; thus, the potential of inorganic materials is still enormous and well worth investigating.  
Bamboo flattening technology, on the other hand, could be used in conjunction with the bamboo recombination technique reported in this study to develop bamboo-based structural materials with improved performance. Bamboo flattening is a high-efficiency utilization technology that ensures a higher utilization rate of bamboo resources as well as reducing the amount of adhesive and increasing the added value of the bamboo [29]. [PERSON] et al. [7] also confirmed that flattening V-grooved bamboo has an astounding 82% recovery. Aside from that, flattened bamboo boards frequently have higher bending strength, which could be advantageous when converted into recombined bamboo-based products [30]. According to [PERSON] et al. [31], bamboo flattening technology enables the efficient and value-added utilization of bamboo in the manufacture of furniture and engineered composites. As a result, combining bamboo flattening technology with current bamboo recombination technology is a promising future direction that can increase bamboo utilization effectiveness.  
Figure 11: The cross section of (**A**) 5-ply, (**B**) 7-ply and (**C**) 9-ply of laminated woven bamboo mat boards after flammability test.