What is ipe wood?
Ipe (spelled ipe and pronounced “ee-pay”), also called Brazilian walnut, is a beautiful exotic wood from South America. Ipe wood structures are hard, strong, and naturally resistant to rot, abrasion, weather, and insects.
What is the color of IPE?
Ipe (Handroanthus spp.) Color/Appearance: Heartwood can vary in color from reddish brown, to a more yellowish olive brown or darker blackish brown; sometimes with contrasting darker brown/black stripes.
What are the disadvantages of ipe wood?
Ipe wood has a mild scent when cut. Ipe wood may cause skin, eye and respiratory irritation as well as headaches, asthma-like symptoms, and disturbance of vision if you have wood allergies. Extra precautions like wearing face masks, goggles and working gloves are important when you are working with this hardwood.
What is so different about IPE decking?
What is so Different about Ipe Decking? Unlike almost every other wood, it does not contain almost any knots. Even when compared to composites it lasts longer and has less maintenance. Great around water, such as pools and docks as it is so dense water does not penetrate it.
What does Ipe stand for wood?
Ipe is not an abbreviation. Rather, it's the common name of Tabebuia serratifolia, a tropical hardwood lumber specie. The correct pronunciation is “EE-pay”. Other common names for ipe include Brazilian walnut and ironwood.
Is Ipe the same as mahogany?
Both genuine mahogany and ipe wood have classic and recognizable wood colours. The colour of genuine mahogany is usually a pink to reddish-brown or reddish-orange colour. In contrast, ipe varies from a dark, blaskish-brown, to a reddish-brown, and even sometimes a yellowish- olive brown colour.
What is another name for ipe wood?
Brazilian WalnutIpe, also called Brazilian Walnut or Lapacho, is a dense and resilient wood that comes from the forests of Central and South America. Like other tropical woods, Ipe bears some unique characteristics. It's a particularly durable wood that weathers fantastically and looks beautiful.
Is Ipe the strongest wood?
Ipe wood is harvested legally in tropical America as the toughest wood species. It is over 2.7 times harder than even white oak.
Is ipe more expensive than mahogany?
Mahogany lumber is about 20 to 30% less costly than ipe.
What is more expensive ipe or mahogany?
The Price of Genuine Mahogany and Ipe Depending on the supplier and the volume of lumber you are ordering, ipe wood is about 20-30% more than genuine mahogany. That is just the cost of the wood on it's own. It is important to remember that you will have to pay for freight and labour costs for the wood you select.
What is the hardest wood in the world?
Australian Buloke1. Australian Buloke – 5,060 IBF. An ironwood tree that is native to Australia, this wood comes from a species of tree occurring across most of Eastern and Southern Australia. Known as the hardest wood in the world, this particular type has a Janka hardness of 5,060 lbf.
Is Ipe the same as teak?
Capable of reaching a height of 140 feet and spanning up to 6 feet in diameter, Ipe is one of the tallest trees in the Amazon region. When compared to teak, Ipe has nearly four times the hardness and is so dense that it actually sinks in water. Concrete and steel have a class 1 fire rating—and so does Ipe.
Does ipe wood crack?
Ipe Decking dries and contracts, leaving tiny cracks in the face or at the ends of the boards. These tiny cracks are known as checks. Face checking is a very normal and is very difficult to see. It does not affect the durability, longevity or water-resistant benefits.
Do termites eat Ipe?
Do termites like Ipe decking? Surprisingly, enough termites and other insects from Brazil and the United States tend to stay away from Ipe Decking. Not because Ipe decking isn't delicious, but because this material is extremely dense. Ipe is so impervious that insects, including termites, don't stand a chance.
Does ipe wood float in water?
Ipe is one of the densest hardwoods available. It is one of the densest hardwoods available, three times harder than cedar. Ipe has the same fire rating as concrete and steel, meaning it resists flames much longer than softer woods, and is so dense that it doesn't float in water.
Can you pressure wash Ipe?
Using a pressure washer isn't recommended for regular cleaning of Ipe decking. Power washers use high pressure which can damage and roughen the surface of the wood. Use a shop vac to remove debris and dirt from between planks, a soft-bristle broom to sweep it off, or just a regular garden hose.
What is ipe wood?
Ipe (spelled ipe and pronounced “ee-pay”), also called Brazilian walnut, is a beautiful exotic wood from South America. Ipe wood structures are hard, strong, and naturally resistant to rot, abrasion, weather, and insects. It is almost twice as dense as most woods and up to five times harder. It is medium to darker brown in color, like ...
How long does ipe lumber last?
Its has a extremely long life in the outdoors. It can last up to 75 years and will last more than 40years in almost all applications. That is 4-7 times as long as most pressure treated woods.
Why is wood so tough?
Part of the reason for woods toughness is the Tropical Environment that it exists in. It has natural hardness and oils that make it a naturally treated wood which will last a long time in all environments.
Is a mahogany wood hard?
It is almost twice as dense as most woods and up to five times harder. It is medium to darker brown in color, like a mahogany, so not only lasts a long time but has the beauty of a fine interior wood.
Can Ipe wood be used as a teak?
Ipe wood lumber has become a very popular and inexpensive alternative to teak lumber.
Ipe wood characteristics
Ipe (pronounced “ee-pay”) is also called Brazilian walnut. This is a beautiful and exotic wood that is native to South America. Ipe wood is hard, strong and is naturally resistant to rot, abrasion, weathering and also to pests. Ipe wood comes from the Tabebuia Tree a tree that is native to the
Conclusion
They say, if you want to build something to last for a long time, Ipe wood should be your building material. Ipe wood is naturally lovely, strong and will have a beauty and strength that will last for a long time. If you are looking for Ipe wood, buy only from reputable dealers and suppliers.
What is IPE wood used for?
Common Uses: Flooring, decking, exterior lumber, veneer, tool handles, and other turned objects. Comments: Ipe is a wood of extremes: extremely dense and durable, as well as extremely difficult to work. Its incredible hardness and strength make it well suited for flooring applications, ...
When did IPE move to Handroanthus?
Formerly placed in the Tabebuia genus, species of Ipe (H. guayacan, H. impetiginosus, H. serratifolius) were moved to the Handroanthus genus in 2007 based on genetic studies .
What color is heartwood?
Color/Appearance: Heartwood can vary in color from reddish brown, to a more yellowish olive brown or darker blackish brown; sometimes with contrasting darker brown/black stripes. In certain species, there are powdery yellow deposits within the wood.
Does ipe have a smell?
Odor: Ipe has a mild scent while being worked. Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Ipe has been reported to cause skin, eye, and respiratory irritation, as well as other effects such as headaches, asthma-like symptoms, and/or disturbance of vision.
Is IPE a threatened species?
Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. However, Ipe species grow in very low densities, with mature trees only occurring once per 300,000 to 1,000,000 square feet (3 to 10 hectares) of forest area.
Can Ipe be used to glue wood?
Also, Ipe can be difficult to glue properly, and surface preparation prior to gluing is recommended. Straight-grained wood turns well, though the natural powdery yellow deposits can sometimes interfere with polishing or finishing the wood. Odor: Ipe has a mild scent while being worked.
What is ipe decking?
Ipe decking boards are a natural product that will have variations and inconsistencies, just like any wooden deck. Over time, some wood grain will lift and there will be some checking -- or lengthwise cracking -- in the boards. Ipe decking boards also expand and contract with temperature and moisture variations, so the decking will become even less uniform as the seasons pass.
How often should I oil an ipe deck?
To keep that rich walnut-brown color, you’ll need to oil your ipe deck as often as twice a year in sunny locations. I don’t recommend staining the wood to preserve it longer. It’s like your teak furniture or a wood cutting board -- you need to treat it with oil or the wood will degrade. It’s the same concept with ipe decks, but with the added demand that being outdoors all day, every day, in every sort of weather adds to it.
