8 Reasons Why IPE Is The Best Premium Hardwood

Building a new deck can create a whole new, beautiful space for your family and friends. Plus, the deck will quickly add value to your property. If you are looking for the best hardwood for indoor or outdoor construction projects, there is a perfect choice: IPE lumber. This amazing hardwood, sometimes called Brazilian Walnut, comes from South America and is the hardest tropical wood. Terraces, cladding, pillars, and any other road structures are made of it. What makes IPE truly remarkable lumber and the perfect decking material is its durability, quality, and weather resistance.

Although wood is not the only material for decking, it is the best option, especially if we refer to Ipe, which has the following main characteristics:

• Toughness
• Durability
• Weather resistance
• Won’t be damaged by insects 
• Versatile
• A1 fire rating
• Does not heat up in the sun
• Scratch-resistant
• High coefficient of friction (non-slippery)

All these characteristics make Ipe the star wood of Brazilian Lumber.

When choosing the perfect decking material there are other aspects to take into account, such as the climatic conditions of your home, the size of the platform you want to build and what is your budget for the project. For all these factors, Ipe wood remains the solution, and these are the main reasons why:

1. Ipe´s durability and hardness

Ipe wood is considered the most effective choice of wood decking on earth due to its hardness, which is generally compared to iron. That’s why it’s often used on boardwalks and other high-traffic decks.  Ipe is incredibly strong because of the tropical environment where the tree grows, called Tabebuia, as well as the natural oils it is made of, which guarantee the durability of at least fifty years.

Moreover, thanks to its density, Ipe hardwood can withstand all kinds of threats such as extreme weather, sun, and, because of its high phenol content, it will not rot, mildew, or be damaged by insects.

2. Ipe is a sustainable hardwood

Ipe lumber is biodegradable, renewable, and recyclable. Since it is a durable material, it does not need to be replaced for decades.  In addition, Ipe is naturally dense and resilient, which means that, unlike soft or domestic woods, it does not have to be chemically treated to be resistant to the environment, which in turn means it doesn’t have pollutants, toxins, or chemicals that are a hazard to the environment.

Also, tropical hardwoods such as Ipe hardwood are among the few renewable resources in nature that can be replenished twice or more in the course of our lives. But, it is not enough that the resource itself is sustainable, the process must also guarantee it, as we do here at Brazilian Lumber, where Ipe lumber comes from responsible and sustainable forestry.

3. Ipe hardwood add value and beauty to your home

An Ipe deck is an architecturally interesting object that increases the attractiveness of a house. It will help expand the living area to the outside by creating a space for relaxing and entertaining. Plus, its consistent and smooth texture will highlight the beauty of the new area. This premium material can be found in all major luxury resorts, from the Maldives all the way to the Turks and Caicos Islands.

4. Ipe weather resistance

Ipe wood’s density and natural oils make it virtually impenetrable to insects, and it does not scratch or splinter easily or heats up in the sun, so walking barefoot is not a problem. These characteristics make it the perfect material for interior and exterior projects. It also has a high coefficient of friction, making it safe, so people don’t slip. 

Since Ipe lumber can naturally store less heat, it stays cool in the summer months and also in direct sunlight,  making it a better material than composite and plastic. 

5. Ipe is available in a variety of lengths and sizes

With Ipe wood, you can choose the length, width, and thickness of the board. Many carpenters and decking installers complain that they are limited when working with composite decks because some of them do not cut well and are only available in standard sizes. In contrast, Ipe is available in every imaginable size and can be milled as required. 

Ipe lumber can be used for decks, docks, pergolas, cladding, siding, handrails, and joists. It is sometimes referred to as ironwood, that’s how strong it is. Brazilian lumber also offers Ipe in 2×2, 4×4, 6×6 and other sizes for fencing poles, structural elements, and beautiful beams. 

6. Ipe is low maintenance

Ipe wood is perfect for decking. It has great aesthetic value, high efficiency, and incredible stability. However, without proper maintenance, it can deteriorate faster than it should. 

Luckily, the best thing about Ipe decking is that it doesn’t require a lot of work to keep it in perfect condition. All you need to do is clean it and regularly apply a hardwood oil base. So to achieve this, we give you three simple recommendations:

1. Sweep it daily to remove dirt, pollen, and leaves 
2. Wash it and let it dry well for at least 24 hours
3. Then oil it with proper products like the ones we sell here at Brazilian Lumber

7. The fire resistance of Ipe

Ipe wood has a class A fire resistance, which makes it a very safe material for grilling due to its density, surface roughness, and natural moisture content of the wood. It’s also a great choice for drought- and fire-prone areas, as it creates some insulation for the house.

8. Ipe hardwood is versatile

Ipe’s versatility makes it ideal for several indoor and outdoor projects. Explore these 5 smart uses of this great hardwood:

• Decking: It is perfect for long-term residential, commercial or public use. It is the ideal material for different types of decks such as pool deck, wraparound deck, multi-tier deck, or two-story deck, rooftop deck, etc.

Outside structures: The same properties that make Ipe lumber the ideal wood for decking, also make it an excellent choice for durable exterior construction. It is widely used in pergolas, decks, sidewalks, and fences.

• Siding: Ipe lumber has become a popular choice for traditional cladding and as a natural element in modern architecture. The use of this tropical hardwood allows for a mix of textures and colors on the façade of a house, creating a very interesting visual effect.
• Furniture: Ipe furniture is a great choice for your terrace or outdoor space. For example, Ipe lumber benches are very popular because of their durability and strength.

To sum up, Ipe lumber is the most popular decking option because of its durability, beauty, quality, and its specific properties and natural components that make it the highest quality hardwood on the market. Therefore, if this is your choice, you will have many years of entertainment, relaxation, and interaction with nature.