There are numerous advantages of the exotic Brazilian walnut popularly known as Ipé from South America.

It has super properties like the ability to withstand compression forces of up to 3600lbs and blending forces of 22,560 lbs. If you want to buy efficient decking materials, it comes highly recommend, and you’re purchasing something that will last a lifetime.

Robustness

Durability is a well noted Ipe advantage. This wood is so dense when that it can potentially last for 100 years without rot or attack from the elements. It can withstand termite attacks. This property makes it a suitable material for exterior decking. Other hardwoods like cedar or Oak can’t match its strength and long life.

Low Maintenance

You don’t need artificial substances to maintain and protect the wood. You can just allow it to age and become grey, which is also appealing to many homeowners.

For those who prefer natural, vibrant colors oiling is an option. After installation, you can occasionally clean the deck with Penofin hardwood oil. Though it actively resists decay or absorption, weather sealing the deck can make it last longer.

Delivers Cool Surfaces

Ipe absorbs less heat during the summer making it better than plastic decking. It cannot crack due to expansion and contraction to form splinters; therefore, it is safer than other hardwoods.

Comparison with other Hardwood Decking Materials

Compared to other decking options the Brazilian Walnut remains superior.

Pine

Has a hardness resistance of 690lbs and it must be pressure treated before use. Chemicals are used to give the wood a dusty yellow color are toxic.

Western Cedar:

It has a hardness resistance of 580lbs compared to Ipe’s 3600lbs. Although it’s more durable than other woods, it is soft and can decay when exposed to the environment. Treatment is not a must but recommended. You have to do regular staining to keep it looking natural. It will last for only 20 years and has a lower fire rating.

Philippine Mahogany (Shorea)

In regards to hardness, it can resist only 760lbs significantly lower than that of the Brazilian Walnut; hence, will not last under harsh conditions of use. Although, Shorea is more sustainable than cedar, redwood, and pine you are better offer with the Brazilian Walnut.

Composite Decking

Composite decking refers to synthetic or plastic decking materials delivered from petroleum. It comes with a guarantee of only 10 years.

It can soften and droops with temperature changes, and once scratches develop they cannot be removed. Also, they are non-recyclable and are non-biodegradable. Composite decking fade quickly and lack a fire rating found in Ipe wood.

Camaru Hardwood

Camaru or Brazilian Teak is an also an exotic hardwood that has similar properties to the Brazilian Walnut. It has a hardness of about 3.542 and can last for over 25 years. The grain on Camaru is coarser than in Brazilian Walnut, but both have the same fire rating. However, it is prone to warping and turning and must be dried carefully.

Final Thought

No wood product comes close to the Brazilian Walnut in all measures making it the best decking material in the world.

Ipe wood comes from Tabebuia tree which largely found in South America. The wood is the hardest among the ironwoods from the American tropics and subtropics. This property is largely attributed to the harsh environmental conditions of the tropic regions where it is sourced. It has natural oils which act as treating agents which make the wood highly durable. These two properties make Ipe wood the best decking material. The timber color ranges from olive brown, dark brown, and in some cases almost black. It is free of virtual defects such as twisting and splitting. The woods high natural resistivity results in durability and easy maintenance of the decks aesthetic which is referred to as the Ipe advantage.

Ipe Wood Advantages

Unlike other deck building material Ipe gains a silvery color as it ages. This maintains the aesthetic of the wood over a long period. The wood has a high density attributed to the tight fibers and natural oils. This leads to variation in the wood grain which achieves a striking appearance of the structures built form it. This also gives the wood an exceptional smooth touch. The natural oils of the wood also make it insect and fungus resistant. The woods natural treatment by Ipe wood oils gives it a long life of up to 75 years and guarantees service for more than 45 years. The building materials high density makes it hard and strong resulting to firm structures. The combination of the fine properties of Ipe wood makes the maintenance of decks and other structures low. Finally, the building material is fire resistant which makes it the best building material for a deck.

Guides While Ipe Decking

During the installation of a deck, one should observe the safety measures first by following the building codes, use of proper equipment and gear. Ipe wood is very heavy, thus extra care should be taken when handling the decking material. The dust from got from sawing the hardwood is irritable to people who are allergic, hence, the use of a mask is advisable. Once the decking material is delivered, it is advisable to arrange it the respective order to avoid cumbersome movement of the material during decking. While putting together the deck one should consider ventilations between the decking boards in regular intervals which allow for expansion and establish a pattern of the deck’s design. To avoid wastage of the timber, building using 12-inch spans is advisable. Additionally, standard spanning results in minimal reflection of the deck surface.

Ipe Efficiency in Deck Building

Ipe wood has the highest efficiency while building a classic deck. First, the wood has a long lifespan (75 years). The wood required minimal management with the woods exceptional natural resistance to, decay, insects and fungus attack. The wood ages with grace acquiring a silvery glow, unlike all other woods. The wood’s hardness and density guarantee the safety of the deck in case of harsh climatic conditions. The color ranges of the wood are exceptional uniform and merge evenly with the environs of the house. Therefore, it is justifiable that Ipe wood is the best decking material.

Any wood buyer considering the best material for wood decking must be persuaded to choose Ipe wood. Despite the cost, the Ipe advantage in deck building is undeniable.

When it comes to building a deck, you will end up feeling stressed if you have no idea about your preference. There are composite, Ipe wood, iroko, cumaru, balau, and cedar. Perhaps two of the most popular choices would be ipe and cedar. Cedar is a quality wood that is highly resistant against insect attacks, decay, and rot. However, it still requires regular maintenance in order to maintain its flawless feature. Ipe, on the other hand, is a hardwood that is not only resistant against rot, insect attacks, and decay but also to fire.

Choosing Between Cedar and Ipe Wood

Both decking materials come with their own advantages. To make an informed decision, you need to analyze the level of maintenance needed, strength of materials and their grain.

Maintenance

Softwood decking materials such as cedar will need sealing, painting and staining annually especially if you want it to last a lifetime. Ipe Wood has a high level of resistance against outdoor elements and weather conditions. In case you are someone who prefers low maintenance, Ipe will definitely provide you with the best choice. Despite of the fact that it is virtually maintenance-free, we still recommend you to conduct a periodic maintenance of your deck.

Strength

Ipe is also known as ironwood due to its unprecedented strength. The strength of the material is crucial in terms of deck building. Cedar has a good resistance against rot and decay but will require regular maintenance. Ipe wood has an excellent resistance against weather elements, rots, and decay. In case you noticed, most of the backyard decks and the boardwalks are made from this hardwood material. It is at least 5 times denser compared to the pressure-treated cedar.

Appearance

Ipe Wood is available in an array of tropical shades, brown, black and light tones. It has a unique figuring that adds to the natural appeal and character of the hardwood. Cedar is also available in a range of color but with a limited figuring. If you are looking for decking materials that has the premium look, ipe will be your best solution. It is also offered in long lengths that will create a seamless and consistent appearance.

Graining

Usually, the grain of the cedar is unremarkable and regular, whereas the Ipe wood has exotic grains that create that natural and authentic charm.

Ipe can last more than 40 years depending on some circumstances such as weather condition and maintenance. In contrast, Cedar wood has a lifespan of more than 10 years even if it is maintained regularly. The initial cost of cedar may be less compared to the Ipe wood, but with the recurring cost of maintenance you will end up paying more. If you want to improve the value of your property, you need to choose the premium decking material. There is no question that Ipe will provide a better value of your investment. There is just no way to compare hardwood and cedars with regards to its durability.

Decking is the perfect way for you to make your front yard or any other location in your house look amazing. The Ipe advantage is that it always has the finest quality and the best Ipe wood that you can find. Pick out an Ipe decking that can be water resistant and will not decay in the next decade. You can keep this decking for the next 20 years, and it will still be spotless and amazing.

How to Choose Your Wholesale Decking

When you go out to choose your ideal Ipe decking you have to make sure you fill in all of your criteria. The outdoor location can be really serious in terms of the right material. It has to be cozy, comfortable and strong at the same time. If you go with a natural wood, you should know that it is very sensitive to humidity.

Therefore, you cannot use it in your outdoor pool patio. You have to truly consider the time and money that you can invest on the decking materials as well as the specific maintenance that your Ipe decking will be needed.

Building a Deck with Ipe

If you want to choose an Ipe, you should know that it has some excellent features and a high resistant level. You can use it to all patio decking, pool patios, bathroom, veranda or sauna. Make sure the decking you will choose can resist water and humidity. This way you can enjoy your new deck building at all times, no matter how cold or how humid the air is.

Pros of Ipe Decking

All the professionals claim that Ipe decking materials are the ideal solution and that we should also consider them for our outdoor needs. There are so many different options to choose from, cumaru, tigerwood, teak or garapa. Exotic Ipe materials will offer you the best quality possible.

Ipe decking will offer you an amazing range of benefits that you will find very useful. The best and most important Ipe advantage is that it has a high durability. It can last from 20 all the way to 50 years, depending on the maintenance needs. The Ipe will not crack; scratch or get stains all over it.

It is ideal for all the people who want to create an awesome Ipe wood for their family and friends. This Ipe has highly anti-slip properties so that it can keep you safe at all times. No matter how wet you may be from your pool, your patio will help you stay safe and steady.

Go Online

Go online and find the best options for your Ipe decking. You will see that there are many interesting choices for you, at the best possible rates and quality. Once you start building a deck, you will see how beautifully can match with your house or any other space. Pick the best for you and you will cherish it for many years to come.

It’s a hardwood that comes from Brazil and grows in tropical South to Central America. Recognized as the most durable and hardest species of timber, it is the most preferred wood for deck building.

The wood color varies from olive brown to blackish hue and has an oily appearance. The texture ranges from fine to medium and grain can be straight to irregular. The tree can grow to over 140 feet, with a diameter of 6 feet. It’s one of the tallest trees in the Amazon rainforest.

Properties

Ipe wood has lower maintenance costs than other types of wood. It’s available in long lengths with minimum warp and twist. Wood ‘warp’ refers to the unevenness in a flat surface of timber caused by shrinkage and stress when drying. It is undesirable; fortunately, its timber has minimum warping during manufacture and use.

Compared to Oak, it is three times harder and is so thick that is sinks in water. It has the same fire rating such as steel and concrete -Class A1.

Workability

When working with Ipe, remember that it is very hard. You will need high-quality, durable tools. Have multiple drill bits for drilling before inserting nails and screws. Working with hand tools will be challenging. You can groove the sides and add fasteners. Drying the wood may be required, and the level of drying will depend on your area.

Uses

You can install the wood in an area, which has high traffic due to the high shock resistance is required. It is also suitable for installation in harsh environments like near the beach. More application includes in industries, railway crossties, making tool handles and in heavy construction.

Ipe Decking

This is the most common use of the Brazilian Walnut. It is done in some easy steps. Before installing the desk plan the layout. Using the design source of materials – ensure that you add 5% of the total material to compensate for loss during cutting and trimming.

After getting the Ipe wood, don’t expose to direct sunlight but leave it outside for air drying. Shrinkages will happen during this process, also known as acclimation. When working with the Brazilian walnut, ensure; that you have carbide-tipped cutters, and carry out pre-drilling before inserting any nails or screws. Cutting the wood should be done slowly for smooth cuts.

The best practice is to ensure that there is air beneath you decks for proper ventilation. It should have no obstructions. Slight spaces between the planks are required for drainage purposes. Have a bow wrench when building a deck for clamping to the desired positions.

There are two primary methods of fastening the deck; the first involves pre-drilling holes, second, using fasteners that prevent the appearance of screws on the surface.

The final step of installing the deck involves sanding and coating with oil sealer such as Penofin. Alternatively, you can skip this step and let the Ipe wood to naturally age into a silver color.

The wood is appropriate for other uses such as the construction of walkways, and docks, and in for support in construction. Investing in Ipe ensures that you never have to think about replacing decks or maintaining them in your lifetime.

Are you looking for the best decking material on the market today? Then you should consider Ipe wood. It is an exotic wood from South America that is also known as Brazilian Walnut. Its properties make it the perfect material for your deck.

Ipe wood comes from the Tabebuia Tree that is native to the subtropics of Central America and South America. Part of the reason for its toughness is the tropical environment where it grows. It has oils and natural hardness which results to a naturally treated wood that can last for a long time no matter where it is installed.

Don’t settle for synthetic decking materials when you can have authentic wooden deck that’s more durable and weatherproof. Below are some of the advantages of using Ipe wood for your deck.

Durability

Ipe decking is durable because the material is one of the densest wood species on the planet. Not only that, it is sustainable and eco-friendly. The surface of the wood is naturally resistant to mildew, insect damage, and fire, even without any treatment. Its fire rating is Class A, which is the same class as steel and concrete. It contracts and expands less compared to other materials. Because of these properties, building a deck using Ipe wood will give you a surface that looks good and lasts for more than 50 years.

Looks Good

Another Ipe advantage over other materials is that it looks beautiful with its uniform and smooth texture. Its grains are wavy and straight with very fine texture. It doesn’t need sealing, and maintenance work is as easy as cleaning stain and mopping. It is recommended to apply oil to the wood to increase its ability to repel UV rays and water. Oil will also allow the wood to keep its reddish-brown color.

Wide Range of Sizes

When it comes to wholesale decking, you will find Ipe wood in different sizes. They can be used for decking boards, treads, posts, hand rails, skirting, and joists. They also come as heavy timber that’s ideal for boardwalks and other structural applications. Ipe decking is typically air dried, but they are also available in kiln dried. You can also get Ipe wood pre-grooved and with tongue-and-groove.

Downside of Ipe Wood

Because of its density, it is a very hard and heavy wood. You will need special tools during the installation process. You also need to do some pre-drilling before screwing it down. Regular oiling is required if you want to maintain its natural color. It is also a bit expensive due to its popularity and high demand. But that’s the price you have to pay in order to get the best decking material on the market today.

However, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Ipe wood is the most popular decking solution because of its durability, beauty, and availability. It comes in dark brown to olive brown. There are even some Ipe wood that are almost black in color. It also has different grain variations, which is why designers love using it.

Now that we are near the end of the Summer, many people are wondering if they should take the opportunity to build their own ipe deck considering that the ipe prices are looking attractive right now.

The truth is that you can definitely take advantage of such a deal. Even though ipe is now a lot more affordable than it was just a couple of years back, the truth is that you never know how the price is going to be tomorrow.

However, when you are building a deck, there are some things that you need to consider. These things will not only allow the installation of the new deck to be simpler and easier as well as it will ensure that your ipe decking will look amazing and strong now as well as in the future.

#1: Before you immediately start cutting the ipe decking as soon as it gets to your home, just let it adapt to your humidity levels and immediate environment. As a rule of thumb, let the ipe bundles be there between 3 to 5 days.

#2: One of the reasons why a lot of people chooses ipe deckings is because ipe is naturally resistant to mold. However, if even in this situation you are concerned about the wet leaves covering your ipe wood or about the excess moisture, you can always build a simple canopy over the wood. While you could also use a tarp to cover it up, the truth is that a canopy works a lot better because it allows the air circulation and it also is a time-saving solution.

#3: You probably already heard that you should apply deck oil finish. However, make sure that you only apply it once the ipe wood has acclimated as well as after you install the ipe decking. If you apply the Ipe Oil before you finish the installation, you may end up with some scratched ipe boards. Even though they can be fixed, this means more time and energy spent.

#4: The best time to apply an ipe end sealer is immediately after you cut the decking. Please note that this is a critical step to ensure the health of your deck boards. If you end up waiting for one hour or more, this can be enough for the ipe to end up with split or check ends.

#5: Since you’re planning on installing your ipe deck on fall, it means that in the next few months it will need to deal with rain, wind, and possibly snow. So, your deck will have a lot of moisture content. This is why you need to make sure that you build a deck as tight and stiff as possible because when spring and summer arrive, the boards will start to contract. So, if your ipe decking isn’t as strong as it should be, you’ll start to see some warped and loose boards.

One of the best ways that you have to assure that your deck is well built even if you’re doing it in the Fall is to pre-drill the ipe with deck screws.

When you have a deck at your home, it is crucial that you inspect it at least once a year. The best period to do it is during the Spring or beginning of the Summer since this is the time when the deck boards start to contract as well as this is the time of the year that you should spend more time enjoying it.

So, here are 5 warning signs that you need to be aware off to make sure that your deck doesn’t collapse: 

#1: Are All Your Connectors There?

While many people have decks at their homes, the truth is that most of them may not be as safe as we would think. The truth is that most of them simply use the wood, screws, and nails. However, this may not be enough to make it completely safe. You need to make sure that you are using compliant fasteners. The best ones to use (and the safest ones) are bolts. So, in case you’re not using bolts on your deck, you should really consider replacing them.

#2: Are Your Connectors Tight?

One of the things many people tend to notice when they are inspecting their decks, especially during the spring and summer, is that they have loose and wobbly boards and railings or that the ledgers aren’t as tight as they should be against your home. So, this clearly indicates that you have some loose connections that you need to fix to make sure that your deck doesn’t fall. There are many reasons why this can happen. The important thing is that you verify them and make sure that you get them fixed as soon as you notice them.

#3: Are Your Connectors or Fasteners Corroded?

As you know, your deck is always subjected to the different temperatures and weather conditions throughout the entire year. So, make sure that your fasteners and galvanized metal connectors are still in shape and not at risk of corrosion. In case they are already corroded, you need to change them because this means that the structure is weakened.

#4: Is Your Wood Staying Strong?

Since your deck is exposed to the different weather conditions, rot and decay and two possible situations that can affect your wood. So, make sure that you don’t have any weak sections or your deck may become unstable.

#5: Are There Cracks In Your Wood?

 Cracks tend to occur because the wood of your deck is exposed you the UV rays and the sun. So, make sure that you check for excessive cracking or larger cracks.

In case you’re considering building a deck at your home, this s a great news. You are increasing your property’s value and. at the same time, you are making sure that you are enjoying it at the fullest whiles you live there.

But why should you build a deck besides the fact that you can definitely enjoy some amazing times, especially in the summer, with your family and friends?

#1: One of the main reasons that has been holding a lot of people back from building a deck or simply from renovating a part of their homes relates with the costs. However, even though you may not be aware of it, building a deck is a lot more affordable now than it sed to be a few years ago.

#2: One of the factors that has a huge influence over the price of building a deck is related with the material that you use. If in some recent years most people were building composite deckings, now most people are opting for ipe deckings. And the reasons are numerous for choosing this kind of wood. The first one if the price. Ever since we started to see an increase on the oil prices, composites deckings started to also increase their prices. However, ipe decking is now a much more affordable solution. Other reasons that have been leading to more and more people choosing to build an ipe decking instead of a composite decking include:

– the price of the ipe wood has remained steady;

– the ipe decking is 100% natural wood while composite decking is made of a synthetic plastic;

– ipe is a more durable wood due to its resistance to insects, fungus, mildew, and mold, and due to its natural density. Ipe wood is a renewable resource and is 100% biodegradable.

#3: When you build a deck you are helping the overall economy and, more specifically, your community. When you decide that you want to build a deck, you are not only helping the workers who will be building it directly. You are also helping the person who is cutting the ipe wood, the person who took your order, the person who transport the ipe to your home, among so many others.

As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to start thinking about building your ipe decking today. Make sure that you check out the different companies who you can hire and just enjoy your amazing deck with your family and friends.