Consumer Reports Rates Ipe Wood the Best Material for Decking
Ipe Decking is the ultimate material for a beautiful high end deck. The truth is synthetics are what you buy if you are not educated on decking or if you can’t afford Ipe.” — Lynn Patterson
Los Angeles, CA, USA, Consumers have spoken and anyone that has tried a cheesy synthetic deck is not surprised. The natural wood known as Ipe has won the battle of the best decking material. Teak took a respectable second but rated low because of the extremely high cost. Synthetics have taken the decking market by storm but it seems that customers that actually purchase them rate them lower than their natural counterparts. Consumer reports shows that Ipe’s nearly perfect rating of is due to the longevity, natural look, feel and finish.
The Chief Marketing Analyst of Ipe Woods USA, LLC (formerly Ipe Woods, Inc) Jerry Camden made a statement on the consumer satisfaction findings, “The difference between a real Iron Wood like Ipe and a synthetic deck is the same difference between driving a Fiat and a Ferrari. Synthetics even try to imitate natural wood, but they look cheesy, plastic and cheap. I wouldn’t want my family exposed to materials that were manufactured in a lab”
The report comes as no surprise to many in the decking industry. With the rise of synthetic decking companies over the last decade is also the knowledge of how long these materials last. The result has been multiple lawsuits that have been filed over poor quality boards that end up fading and becoming fuzzy. For instance Trex current rating on Consumer Affairs is 1.5 Stars out of 5. Prior to the last decade we didn’t really know how well these fake boards would hold up and the lawsuits are now speaking for themselves.
Ipe is known as a “Iron Wood” because it is so dense and strong. It actually has the same fire rating as steel and concrete. So why don’t more contractors recommend Ipe Decking to their customers? Simple, the synthetic companies pay commissions to companies that recommend them and the synthetic boards are easier to install. You would be hard pressed to find anyone knowledgeable about wood to argue for synthetic against Ipe. Ipe last’s longer requires little to no maintenance, is stronger and is natural.
Jerry Camden
Ipe Woods USA, LLC
844-674-4455
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