New Ipe decking arrived - prep advice?

[Tim K 14]

I have read about every thread on every forum about Ipe....at least those I could find (most forum search engines won't let you search for words with only 3 letters!).

I realize that there are a million different opinions on which stain/sealer to use and whether to screw, screw and plug or use hidden fasteners. I will make that decision based on what I have read. My question is, how should I pre-treat this brand new Ipe assuming I am going to stain it at some point?

I was considering prepping and staining right away but now I am considering letting it weather before staining. I've seen suggestions ranging from stripping with Oxalic or Citric and then neutralizing and then staining....to letting it weather for 6 months and then stripping/cleaning and staining.

My other question is about the "fuzzy" texture of the surface. I am used to seeing the smooth dark surface of treated Ipe and I am wondering if sanding is in order here and if I should do it after install or after letting it weather (if that is the path).

Edited April 28, 2009 by Tim K
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[acegot 14]

Tim K please add your signiture. I would recommend not doing anything for 6 mo. then clean with HD 80 or F-18 then neutralize with oxalic.

For fasteners, I recommend using Stainless steel torx drive colored head trim screws. The reason why is this: I've seen to many Hardwood decks esp IPE, that when everthing shrinks the boards get loose & start to cup. When you use IPE clip, screw with plug, you can't go back & tighten them. Then you have a deck with loose boards & cupped, then In my opinion you just wasted a bunch of money for IPE. Yesterday I just washed a two year old IPE deck that is screwed from the top, but they put the screws too far in from the edge of the board & didnt retighten the screws every 3months( thats what I do ) so the board stays tight & doesnt have the opportunity to cup. Ive seen so many IPe decks that are a mess from improper installation & follow up maintenance. Hope this helps. I'll post a pic after tomorrow when I go back to seal thie IPE deck & show you what not to do.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Tim,

Are you a home owner? Please go to your MY CONTROLS and add a signature.

Beth

[RPetry 564]

Tim,

One of the best constructed ipe' decks I have seen, we restored earlier this Spring. The builder did his own custom routing and installed metal hidden fasteners, not the plastic.

What was nice about the design was the pattern of 4" wide, 6" wide, 5/4" boards on the floor. Broke up the boring same dimension pattern and really looked nice. Pre preparation picture attached.

[PressurePros 248]

Tim, I am in your market and I restore and treat a good majority of the ipe in this part of the state. If this is something you want to have professionally handled, feel free to contact me. You can contact me whichever way you decide to go and I will set you on the right path.

[Tim K 14]

Ken,

I had actually looked at your Restore-a-deck products as I read about them in another forum. However, it seemed like neither RAD nor the woodzotic products are available for purchase on the website anymore. What's the story there?

At this point I am leaning towards installing as-is and letting it weather for a few months, then cleaning and staining in the fall. In your experience, do you think the natural weathering process allows more of the stain to get into the wood? Is it better than just stripping the raw wood and trying to stain it right away? Quite frankly, the idea of cleaning and staining after all of the building is less appealing than waiting!

As for the deck, its not a large deck and I plan to do all the work myself....though if anyone wants to volunteer to help me carry 500 LF of Ipe up 3 flights of stairs I may take you up on that offer!!!

[RPetry 564]

... At this point I am leaning towards installing as-is and letting it weather for a few months, then cleaning and staining in the fall. In your experience, do you think the natural weathering process allows more of the stain to get into the wood? Is it better than just stripping the raw wood and trying to stain it right away? Quite frankly, the idea of cleaning and staining after all of the building is less appealing than waiting! ...

Tim,

Why not wait for prepping and staining next spring? Ipe' is damned near indestructible, weathering is not going to harm it and will help to leach out some of the natural extractives from the wood.

Next spring, use a sodium percarbonate based wood cleaner, and lightly pressure wash. The rinse water will look like diluted blood, even after a year of exposure. Neutralize / brighten with oxalic acid diluted at 6 oz. per gal. and rinse well. Use your stain of choice, the first time you will probably not get a year before the wood needs a cleaning and restaining for appearance. But don't worry about it, its winter! Dependent on the stain, its either a strip or cleaning and re-oiling every single year. Its just the nature of the wood, I know as I own an ipe' deck.

Just got some finished pictures of the ipe' deck above in this thread from the owner. Never did get final shots as the stain was still wet when we left the job site. Bleached off built up mold/mildew and dirt, stripped off some remaining old WoodTux stain and applied 2 separate oilings of Ready Seal medium red. It will have to be cleaned and re-oiled next spring.

There is a saying with ipe' owners, it's "e-pay" or more accurate, "u-pay".

[Tim K 14]

Rick, I don't mind the gray look at all....but when I see an Ipe deck out in the rain I just want it to look like that all the time! I know my wife will too and that's what really matters!

What about the roughness of the wood? I expected it the surface to be much smoother but I guess I am used to seeing finished samples. Any thoughts on hitting it with an orbital sander to really smooth out the surface? (Its not bad, don't get me wrong). Would sanding dull the color faster or right away? Will it help? If so, any grit recommendations?

[RPetry 564]

Tim,

It depends on the stain you are going to use, and how you prepare the wood the first time.

Ipe' has a lot of natural oils and extractives in the wood. Spray water on any wood, cedar, redwood, pressure treated southern yellow pine, it all looks great when wet. It would take a physicist to say why, but it is an observable fact.

With ipe', if you really want to stain it, you are going to have to remove the natural oils / extractives from the first few mils of the wood. To do this, it is either a sodium percarbonate wash or a more aggressive sodium hydroxide wash.

Both will "fir" up the wood. A very light sanding with a R.O. sander and 60 grit will make a difference in the final look of the finish. But it is temporary. It has no effect on stain adhesion, only the look of the finished wood.

If you are going to stain your ipe', you are going to do it each and every year. It is the nature of the wood.

[Tim K 14]

Rick, I know that I would have to stain it every year to maintain the look. I'm ok with it. What I couldn't stand was my old deck which cracked and splintered like crazy and needed to be cleaned and sealed every year to keep it from falling apart! At least with Ipe if I get lazy and don't stain it the deck will be fine.

[RPetry 564]

Rick, I know that I would have to stain it every year to maintain the look. I'm ok with it. What I couldn't stand was my old deck which cracked and splintered like crazy and needed to be cleaned and sealed every year to keep it from falling apart! At least with Ipe if I get lazy and don't stain it the deck will be fine.

Tim,

Exactly. Ipe' is near indestructible. It laughs at weather, wood stains, owners and contractors.

Get lazy for five years, and let it go. You can bring the wood back without penalty. Ipe' is way more maintenance free than any so called composite rip off.