Image: Brazilian Wood Depot
The company that sells ipe wood is called Brazilian Wood Depot. As I mentioned above, they are located in the Atlanta area and offer a variety of woods to choose from not just improving your deck but other wood areas as well. For those interested in learning more about ipe wood, it’s a world-renowned product due to its superior characteristics and properties. It’s one of the hardest woods which makes it incredibly durable! It's also naturally resistant to insect attack, rot, fire, mold, and decay. The color is what drew our attention with its rich brown and amber hues. It has a fine texture and interlocking grain, it also is a superior slip-resistant.
What are some other benefits of Ipe wood? Ipe is able to last many decades even in extreme weather conditions. Natural resistance to water penetration and rot is also a contributing factor to its longevity. The forest from where Ipe is evolved experiences around 100-400 inches of rain per year which is about 8-10 times more than anywhere in the United States. This makes it resistant to mold, rot, and decay!
Another great benefit is board replacement. Many consider board replacement to be a huge obstacle when looking for materials. If you were to drop items from a hot grill and it damages the boards, it’s beyond repair at that point. If wood needs to get replaced, it will stand out from others dramatically. Your boards continue to fade over time so new boards will stand out from the rest. With tropical hardwoods, no one will be able to tell the new boards from the original ones. This is a huge appeal to many homeowners as replacing boards can be a common problem.
Fires can be a huge concern for those that live in the southern states and are a huge factor when it comes to a material decision. Ipe is the most flame resistant decking material hands down according to the staff at Brazilian Wood Depot, aside from steel and concrete. There is a great video on their website that shows a demonstration of this if you are interested in seeing it in action. Sometimes believers are seers and this is something you don’t want to miss.
Image: Brazilian Wood Depot
As far as oiling your deck goes the choice is up to you! If you don’t want to oil, your boards will go to a soft grey and if you do oil, it’ll help to maintain those gorgeous brown and red tones in color. If you do want to oil use a UV oil. Ipe has natural colors. There are many deck stains to consider but the Messmers Ipe Hardwood Deck stain comes highly recommended. This helps to protect the natural colors of Ipe and tropical hardwoods for the last 10 years. This pigment absorbs the UV radiation and allows visible light to pass through it. The staining results you’ll get are a finish that highlights the natural beauty that the ipe wood has.
Lastly, the cost can also play a huge factor when deciding on what type of deck wood you want to invest in. Contrary to popular belief, Ipe wood is not more expensive than other alternatives you might think. Plastic and composite boards will typically begin to fade and deteriorate within a few years as I mentioned above. Usually, you have about 8 years before it becomes unattractive to you and your guests. Alternatively, Ipe is known to last from 40-75 years, depending on the environment. The front end cost of Ipe decking is generally the same as the mid-grade composites and lower than the high-end composites. However, you’ll replace your boards five times in the life of just one Ipe deck so it is more cost-effective decking? Yes, for the short term but worth it in the long run.
Image: Brazilian Wood Depot
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