Ipe Wood is the Best All-Around Wood. Period.
Yes, better than Cumaru, Massaranduba, TigerWood, Purpleheart, Angelim Pedra, Southern Yellow Pine, California Redwood, Cambara, Bankirai, Yellow Balau, Western Red Cedar, and any other wood!
- Class A fire-resistant
- Can have an outdoor life of 75+ years.
- More than 2.7 times harder than even White Oak.
- So dense it sinks in water.
- Resistant to scratching.
- Harvested legally and in a sustainable fashion.
- Life is so long, wood is so strong and so resistant to decay and rot that it is used for railroad ties.
- Splinter-resistant.
- Does not require any treatment (untreated it turns a beautiful grey)
Don’t take our word for it here are the facts!
Strength and Durability Characteristics of Typical Residential and Commercial Decking Woods
| SPECIES | Approximate Weight per MBF at 10% MC | Modulus of Rupture (psi) | Modulus of Elasticity (1000 psi) | Maximum Crushing Strength (psi) | Side Hardness (lbs) | Shear (psi) |
| Ipe | 6,400 | 25,400 | 3,140 | 13,010 | 3,680 | 2,060 |
| Cumaru | 6,300 | 24,800 | 3,050 | 12,200 | 3,200 | 1,980 |
| Massaranduba | 6,400 | 27,300 | 3,450 | 11,640 | 3,190 | 2,500 |
| TigerWood | 4,600 | 20,120 | 2,390 | 10,320 | 1,850 | 1,960 |
| Purpleheart | 4,800 | 21,300 | 2,420 | 11,380 | 2,060 | 1,830 |
| Angelim Pedra | 4,400 | 17,600 | 2,050 | 8,990 | 1,720 | 2,010 |
| Southern Yellow Pine | 3,100 | 14,200 | 1,880 | 7,750 | 750 | 1,490 |
| California Redwood | 2,600 | 7,900 | 1,100 | 5,220 | 420 | 1,110 |
| Western Red Cedar | 2,500 | 7,500 | 1,110 | 4,560 | 350 | 990 |
WINNER: IPE
Moisture Related Shrinkage, Expansion and Stability
| SPECIES | Shrinkage Radial to Grain | Shrinkage Perpendicular to Grain | Differential Shrinkage | Volumetric Shrinkage | Stability Ranking |
| Ipe | 6.6% | 8.0% | 1.4% | 14.1% | #1 |
| Cumaru | 5.4% | 8.4% | 3.0% | 13.3% | #6 |
| Massaranduba | 6.3% | 9.4% | 3.1% | 15.1% | #8 |
| TigerWood | 4.0% | 7.6% | 3.6% | 11.3% | #7 |
| Garapa | 6.5% | 10.0% | 3.5% | 15.9% | #11 |
| Purpleheart | 3.2% | 6.1% | 2.9% | 9.1% | #2 |
| Angelim Pedra | 4.4% | 7.1% | 2.7% | 11.2% | #3 |
| Bankirai, Yellow Balau | 4.5% | 8.3% | 3.8% | 12.4% | #9 |
| Red Balau | 4.8% | 8.8% | 4.0% | 13.2% | #10 |
| Dark Red Meranti | 3.4% | 6.6% | 3.2% | 9.8% | #5 |
| Cambara | 4.2% | 9.1% | 4.9% | 12.9% | #14 |
| Southern Yellow Pine | 4.8% | 7.4% | 2.6% | 11.8% | #4 |
WINNER: IPE
Ipe lasts the longest of all these woods. Ipe has the best characteristics for outdoor use and is the most stable species of all iron woods. You can buy with confidence knowing Ipe is the best. For more information, visit our page on hardwood lumber for decking.