WHAT MAKES IPE WOOD AN ULTIMATE DECKING MATERIAL?

Posted by ABS Wood on August 21st, 2017

When it comes to their homes, people want the very best of everything – be it the roofing, the flooring, the fittings or the interiors. So why not desire for the decking in your house to be the best too? Why not crave for the wood you use in outdoor patios to be one that doesn’t require constant attention and maintenance? Why not imagine yourself living in that picture perfect setting where a beautiful wooden deck awaits you at home where you can relax and unwind after a long hard day at work? Ipe wood decking promises you just that! This fantastic hardwood has several common names, including Brazilian Walnut, Cortez, and Amapa. Wish to know what makes Ipe wood the most ultimate decking material? Read this article and find out. 

When considering to install a wood decking in outdoors, your first concern would be to use a wood type that is both durable and does not burn a hole in the pocket. What would be better than Ipe wood to serve this purpose? Do you know that when they needed to replace the famous boardwalk in Atlantic City, Ipe wood was chosen? The boardwalk at the Treasure Island Resort in Las Vegas was also built using the Ipe wood. In fact, according to the US Naval Research Laboratory, this wood can be expected to last around 40 years when left untreated and a remarkable 100+ years, if regularly treated and maintained with deck oil. This wood is extremely dense and tight-grained - a characteristic that forms the reason behind its longevity. This is a wood type that is trusted by the world for all kinds of outdoor creations and heavy duty installations. Surely, the deck in your backyard would be perfect if made from Ipe Wood, right? 

Ipe wood is an exotic hardwood found throughout South America, which is 

• Incredibly resistant to rot

• Resistant to mold and fungi

• Cannot be infested easily

• Doesn’t splinter

• Is slip resistant (offers static coefficient of friction in wet environment)

• Has amazing fire resistance as well 

When you choose to use Ipe wood, you are being environment friendly as well. Ipe wood sold in the United States is usually grown in managed forests that have been officially approved by the Forest Stewardship council. When the trees are taken from managed forests, it simply means that sustainable forestry practices are in use. Thus, it would not be wrong to say that Ipe wood is a renewable wood product, and the use of Ipe instead of Mahogany or Teak leads to practices of environmentally responsible forestry in sensitive rain forest environments. And when you consider affordability, you will be happy to know that Ipe Wood is only a tiny proportion of the cost of Teak. 

So why would you choose any other option! 

About the Author: 

This article is written by Bruce Master. He gained an interest in woodworking at an early age. Bruce Master started working with contractors in the 1970s as a salesman at Ace Hardware in Miami. Over the years, he discovered and fell in love with Brazilian woods. He has built decks, docks and specialty items using many of the Brazilian woods. Today, Bruce loves his job as Operations Manager for ABS Wood, a Brazilian wood retailer.

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ABS Wood
Joined: June 22nd, 2015
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