Are you looking for a high-end look to enhance your property and standard of living? Are you presently worried about chemically treated lumber and/or perhaps you are living by the water? if you happen to answer yes to both questions then you should consider IPE wood as a decking material when you build your deck.
IPE WOOD comes from Central and South America and is also referred to as Ironwood and or Brazilian Walnut.
IPE is considered to be nature’s answer to outdoor living as IPE’s natural properties make it the hardest and longest lasting patio decking material known to man and is well-known for its extraordinary qualities and properties. It’s an exotic hardwood that is incredibly dense and tight grained, which gives it its strength, IPE WOOD carries a janka hardness over 3600 as opposed to California Redwood at 420, IPE wood is so dense that it will sink when placed in water.
IPE’s natural oils give it the best rating for resistance against insects, in particular termites. Additionally it is naturally immune to rot and decay, like mould and fungi. It stands up under extreme traffic and heavy use and resists scrapes and scratches. The only real treatment you might need to provide is the UV inhibitor to extend the life span of your deck over A century and to greatly enhance and keep the warm brown tones.
One more excellent reason why modern day architects and designers choose IPE wood is due to the richness of its color. Depending on the application and the designer’s stylistic vision, IPE wood can be allowed to mature seamlessly into a silvery patina. This weathered look makes outdoor areas appear regal and yet still very sharp. It has a natural rich color of brown with some pieces displaying red and amber hues. Nothing keeps its integrity or lasts as long as IPE wood decking. It has been known to last up to 100+ years without preservatives. Not only will your IPE wood deck easily stand up to harsh climates, it will do so with minimal maintenance. Due to these factors, people across the world consistently use IPE wood in many decking projects. These qualities make IPE wood the ideal choice for decking.
Remember, the characteristics of IPE wood; density, tight grain, and natural oils. This combination keeps IPE wood from having knots and slivers. So, while the wood ages, it maintains that sharp appeal. Also, if a modern home’s design uses a lot of metals, a silver IPE wood deck would be a nice and fitting compliment. Allowing IPE wood to age isn’t the only choice.
For decking in slippery areas, IPE wood also soars above the competition. IPE wood is the primary product of choice for outdoor applications such as piers and decks and also this is an important consideration when thinking about what decking to use around swimming pools and hot tubs.
Another interesting fact about IPE is that IPE wood carries a class A fire score, which is the same rating as concrete and steel.
IPE wood is an excellent option for a very high end decking work and should be seriously considered if money is not an issue and quality is the only concern. Yes, you will get a great lasting deck using cedar materials or even using composite resin materials such as TREX but they are certainly not going to have the impact and beauty that IPE wood has.
Call us today for a FREE consultation and we would love to show you the several decks we built in Toronto using IPE wood.