I'll be purchasing a house in the next 12 months and one of the most important upgrade will be a deck that fits my needs (my smoking deck if you will). I plan on using cedar, but I'm very interest in IPE. A friend of mine built a deck with this wood last year and it is amazing.
The wood is so dense that it sinks in water. The color is beautiful and the wood doesn't check, bend or buckle over time.
I'm just wondering if anyone has long term exprience with that material. I think its worth the extra price, but I'd like to hear from anyone who has an IPE deck or knows someone who used this material for a deck and how it is holding up.
Thanks for any responses.
Posts: 1540 | Location: Boston | Registered: February 28, 2003
I don't have any personal experience..yet, but I spoke with a friend who builds decks about building one myself. He swears by it. He is extremely knowledgable and trustworthy.
Posts: 644 | Location: Tucson, AZ | Registered: August 12, 2002
I have seen some patio furniture that was 10 years old built from IPE (sometimes referred to as Brazilian Ironwood or incorecctly, Tropical Mahogany) that looked great. It was left out seasonally from spring to fall and then brought in for the winter months. It aged nicely and showed no signs of rot where it makes ground contact, a typical area for rot on wooden patio furniture. The only drawback that I can see is that it costs about 5 times the price of comparable PT decking and about twice that of cedar. Keep in mind though that is just the decking portion. You can still use PT for joists, posts and beams below deck to save $$$.
My friend is a contractor and he used Ipe to build his deck. He swears by it, and his deck is now 7 years old and is beautiful. As stated earlier it is costly but worth it. Labor costs to build the deck would be higher also because I think he said you have to drill the holes in the decking instead of just using a nailgun.
yes, it seems this stuff does have a great reputation. It is expensive but rated to last 25 years, which is the highest ratings, but i've seen several reports on the 'net that it acutally lasts longer. The other thing that blows my mind is that it has an A fire rating, which is the same as concrete and steel.
BDSD, I would use PT for the supporting structure although i would be concerned about the ipe outlasting the supports. I'll have to look into that more.
Above all this, i really love the look of it. my friend has his deck natural and it looks amazing, but he has a pitch book on ipe that shows ipe with various treatments and some look like a hard wood floor.
aszar, if a deckbuilder swear by it, it must be worth the extra cash. thanks fellas.
Posts: 1540 | Location: Boston | Registered: February 28, 2003
IPE is awesome for constructing decks or any outdoor application. As others have written, it is tough as nails and weathers extremely well.
The only drawback is price, but if that's not an issue, go for it. Many people would be thrilled to have an IPE deck. I would, but I'll probably never be in the position to buy such a thing.
It may also be extra $$ to install, because of its hardness.
~ masher
B.A.S.E. #0004 <(O)>
Posts: 267 | Location: Denver, Colorado, USA | Registered: June 08, 2004
Mash, no question it is expensive and maybe be slightly out of my reach, but doable, i guess that's why i'm trying to do so much research.
as far as installation, i know the wood must be predrilled and then screwed, but i've seen a couple installation kits that have no visiable screws, kind of a tongue and groove idea. http://www.advantagelumber.com/ipeclip.htm I've seen a lot of good feedback on this system, although i wouldn't use it if it wasn't solid, so i'll keep digging for info. thanks again.
Posts: 1540 | Location: Boston | Registered: February 28, 2003
One of my businesses is building decks. That wood is tough as steel to work with, and wears like iron. It's beautiful when done. It is very labor intensive to build with it. It wears out tools like crazy. The clip system is cosmetically good. You have to use a router or busciut joiner to use the clips, unless you get pre-milled wood. The wood just eats router bits and drill bits. Even carbide blades take a beating. So, if time and $$$ are no object, go for it. For my own decks I just go with PT. I use the 40yr rated stuff. The cost was way out there for my 28X16 deck, if I was to use IPE.
"Life is not separate from death. It only looks that way."
Posts: 3544 | Location: Tombstone, AZ | Registered: October 24, 2002
My lumber guy told me that you have to be careful who you get it from as there are only a few true IPE distributers. If you get true IPE it is straight as an arrow. However, the companies that are selling the seconds do not live up to the same standards.You also need to wax the ends of the lumber to protect the end grain from becoming 2 brittle.
good luck.
Jerry
You are what you repeatedly do, Therefore excellence is not an act but a habit.
Posts: 261 | Location: Auburn, CA | Registered: January 23, 2004
If money is no object and you are worried about the PT rotting out, just go to a higher rated PT. Standard is .40 CCA (Copper Chromate Arsenic) but they make a .60 and 2.5 CCA.
They are doing away with CCA, but there are still plenty of yards stocking it. The new process is CBA (Copper Boron Azole) and ACQ (Ammonia Copper Quaternary.) These are safer but not much is known about their durability over years.
