Ipe, also known as Brazilian walnut, is a type of tropical hardwood that is highly resistant to wear and tear, very strong, and beautiful.
Learning more about Ipe wood
What makes Ipe different from other wood types is its density and hardness. Its hardness rating of 3,680 lbs. is approximately three times harder than white oak. It makes it very heavy and much stronger than other materials. When dried in a kiln, Ipe has a mass of about 85 lbs/cu ft, making it resistant to dents, splinters, rotting, and even fire until it reaches certain levels.
Ipe wood Florida contains extractives such as water-repelling suberin and natural oils that make the wood unusually stable and rot-resistant. The extractives are responsible for the typical coloration of Ipe olive-brown/black with some streaking or mottling at times. Well-preserved Ipe can last for over half a century in harsh exterior environments, thus outliving most, if not all, competing woods.
Though incredibly durable for a natural wood, Ipe needs regular maintenance. If exposed outside without protection, ultraviolet radiation from the sun will cause discoloration and degradation over time. Feeding and guarding the wood should be cleaned periodically and treated with oil derived from the wood itself. Ipe decking is demanding to install due to its hardness; moreover, it rapidly dulls cutting tools, necessitating carbide-tipped blades. However, this attribute also makes Ipe last far longer than other options for decking without getting damaged under pressure or subjected to wear.
Buyers’ costs have recently increased due to restrictions on exporting wood. Despite some customers choosing less expensive types in place of Ipe, they can only compare with the quality and resilience of Ipe. Ipe premium deck material pays off its more costly initial acquisition price tag by enduring decades without significant repairs. Also, compared to wood with variable longevity measures in decades, Ipe’s durability and resilience are especially appealing as they lower maintenance costs. No other timber stands up to Ipe’s long-lasting strength, heavyweight, and ease of working at any stage, and it will grow old into olive-grey/black points as time passes.
At the end
These exceptional qualities explain why builders recommends only top-class building materials like durable, beautiful decking which stands up against harsh environmental conditions while retaining its beauty even when subjected to extreme outdoor conditions from mountain lodges towards oceanfront decks even in city parks, hence enabling generations to enjoy their unique ambiance with less maintenance while outlasting cheaper alternatives/synthetic composites.
