Ipe As A Deck Wood? .......pros and cons
of ipe deck material???
Should you use
Ipe as a deck wood?
Ipe, as a deck wood is next to perfect, a beautiful exotic
wood from S.America. Ipe decks and all ipe wood decking structures
are hard, strong, and naturally resistant to rot, abrasion
& weather. Ipe lumber is almost twice as dense as most
woods and up to 5 times harder. What's not to like?
 On
top of all that ipe wood decking has the highest, Class A
fire rating,.... the same rating given to concrete & steel.
Ipe wood is dark brown in color, like a mahogany, so not only
lasts a long time but has the beauty of a fine interior wood....
Thus looking at the pros and cons of ipe
deck material, we have to believe that ipe wood decking is
as close to perfect as we can get.
Why use Ipe wood?
Why not just stick to Cedar & Pressure Treated Lumber?
Cedar, not ipe lumber, has been the traditional exterior
deck wood of choice. It has come to our attention though,
that a number of these installations, are starting to rot!
Why? To answer that question, we contacted a number of forestry/wood
specialists. Their information is what follows.... Ipe as
a deck wood, was our solution ... I hope the information is
of value.
Why is cedar not
lasting?
Traditionally, i.e.. a generation ago, most of the cedar coming
out of the west coast, was large in size, and usually "first
growth" trees. The heartwood
of these trees, was/is known to be very
decay & insect resistant, able to last 30 years+.
Today, most of the
cedar lumber sold, is from much smaller logs, and often
second growth plantation trees, that are mostly
sapwood. Research from various departments of Forestry
(including the Wood Processing Specialist at the University
of Wisconsin-Madison) have found that the level
of decay resistance in these trees is significantly less then
that found in old growth heartwood.
The US forest lab in Madison WI, conducted
a 22 year study in this area, and found the life expectancy
of old growth heartwood cedar to be greater than 30 years,
vs the life expectancy of sapwood cedar to be less than 11
years .
If you would like to know the pros and cons
of ipe deck material relative to other "options"
i.e.. western red cedar, pressure treated, Douglas Fir ....
click here.... Ipe as a deck
wood: rot resistance & physical features, pros and cons
of ipe deck material..
Ipe lumber comes in long lengths and is virtually
knot free, with very little to no warping. It ages to a nice
light gray with exposure to the weather. The colour can be
protected with the periodic application of UV protective coatings.
If allowed to age, colour can be brought back to its original
shade, with the use of a pressure washer... click
here: some suggestion on Ipe deck cleaning
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US Forest Research Lab - 22 year study.
"found the life expectancy of old growth heartwood
cedar to be greater than 30 years, & the life expectancy
of sapwood cedar to be less than 11 years"
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| "the
level of decay resistance in red cedar (sapwood) trees
is significantly less then that found in old growth
heartwood logs of years ago" |
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Products, specifications, and techniques shown
are meant as a guide to better understanding for the designer, builder,
and/or homeowner.
Owners of this site assume no liability for and
makes no claim to the suitability of any products or information
shown, other than to report history of usage, and sharing of knowledge
from others.
It is the sole responsibility of the owner or installer
to adequately test for product suitability and application method
for a particular installation.
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