Love this deck!

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Here are some shots of an ipe and cedar deck we are currently working on. The owner had some very nice customization done, and the deck is rounded in some places with the cedar band board wrapping the deck and stairs. The lattice is also cedar, and the floor and handrails are ipe. The owner had proudly cared for it with penofin and some cwf. He washed it himself. So, it needed stripping. This first shot is from the ground on the side. The staircase is also 5 feet wide, has lighting and is rounded on the corners as well.

Beth

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

More pics....

[GymRat 14]

Beautiful deck, I want one.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Here's the floor...

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Before shots...

[JFife 14]

oohh, that is really cool! I love creative decks, there is a company I knew in Golden, CO that built really neat stuff, Decktec, (www.decktec.com), I always envied the cool jobs they got to work on. Beth, do chems affect those spindles in any way??

[seymore 90]

Sweet... :cool:

[reed 500]

Beth,

What finish did you go with? I have a Brazillian Redwood coming up the first part of May. I am going to use Cabot's Australlian Timber Oil.

The staining of Ipe and other exotics I know can be quite a pain.

I sure like the looks of the one you have above.

reed

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

The spindles are wrought iron. We have seen no ill effects on any wrought iron rails we have worked on. (we neutralize and rinse very carefully) These rails are popping up around here in places where consumers have opted away from vinyl, on high end ipeand cedar decks. Don't see them on the PT decks much. I love the wrought iron. Very elegant.

The table on this deck weighs 300 lbs too. It's stone. It was moved side to side. The staircase was build 5 feet wide to accomodate moving the furniture back up onto the deck. (currently underneath) The other furniture is teak and is beautiful. I love seeing creative decks with nice wood furniture on them. They look so sharp!

The owner is going with the Cabot's Australian Timber Oil on this. He's torn between Amberwood and Mahogany Flame right now, and we may end up installing the Mahogany flame on the ipe and the amberwood on the cedar. Too soon to tell. Rod said the owner came busting out onto the deck as he was working, basically dancing, very excited.

Beth

[mikew 14]

Very, very cool deck!

[reed 500]

I bet he was dancing. Ipe and the exotics look so good after washing you hate to stain them.

reed

[jnoden 15]

Now why would anyone want composite decking if wood can look this good? People think that wealthy people have large composite decks built but if I were wealthy and could afford to hire someone to make wood look like that, I would not ever go with a dull looking composite. Great job!

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

The part that amazed the customer was the bottom rail board had quite a bit of mildew that was not thoroughly cleaned before applying another sealer over it. He pointed it out and asked if that was going to come out...I replied devils advoactely...maybe not, it appears that the wood was not cleaned well before another sealer was put on it and the stain has been taken deep into the wood. At that point the customers face resembled one of (shoot, I knew I should have cleaned that better and grimaced), later, he came back out and saw that it was gone and the wood looked almost brand new telling me how he is on the HOA and he was going to tell everyone about our company. I thanked him for his generosity.

Its so cool when people have that reaction to your work.

I bet a number of others here have had that happen to them too! Wood Restoration is such a rewarding job.

Rod~

[Lou Beach 14]

How is the lattice work cleaned?

How is the lattice work sealed?

[RyanH 14]

***Nevermind....found good info through the link Reed provided above***

Original post:

Any info on where one can buy ipe or cedar or other hardwood lumber? I've "googled" around my area but just can't seem to find anything. Are there speciality lumber yards that service regions or is it just more available in different areas of the country? PT pine seems to be all I can find here.

[Aplus 525]

Now why would anyone want composite decking if wood can look this good?

Because someone did a great sales job. Composite decking is often represented as "maintainence free".

The #1 comment I hear from people is that they would not have built a wood deck if they had known what it takes for upkeep. These people are ripe for the taking by a smart salesman who sells them on the idea of a maintainence free deck. AKA... composite decking.

Because you asked.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

The lattice is cleaned in the same manner as the rest of the deck, apply a chem and after dwell time, rinse off.

To seal it, I have found it works well to put up plastic behind the lattice protecting the area beyond it and spraying the sealer onto it following the contour lines, then padding or brushing to ensure uniform application and catch drips.

Rod~

[newlook 265]

Looks great Beth and Rod....very elegant

[PressurePros 249]

Now why would anyone want composite decking if wood can look this good? People think that wealthy people have large composite decks built but if I were wealthy and could afford to hire someone to make wood look like that, I would not ever go with a dull looking composite. Great job!

I agree with you. I don't like plastic decks..makes me think of cheap motels down the shore. Anyone that does their homework will find that an ipe deck will cost just about the same as any of the composites, is a thousand times more beautiful and requires about as much maintenance as any decking material. I am subcontracted by one of the first composite decking manufacturers that got mass distribution to clean thier installed projects. I won't mention the name but I'm sure you can figure out whom it is. These decks after 5-7 years look horrible. Between tannin bleed, mildew growth that is sometimes hard to remove, and poor wear characteristics, most of them look pathetic. Maintenance free my buttocks. Tony is right, people looking for something touted as low maintenance or maintenance free are prime pickin's for an agressive sales person.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Ta Da! Here's one of the shots we took of the finished deck. We had a blast, the homeowner LOVES it, and he's already on the books for next year!

Beth

[Aplus 525]

Sweet!

Perfect application for two tone.

[Celeste 341]

That is gorgeous - I know you guys were proud parents when you delivered that job :)

Celeste

[reed 500]

What stains did you use? Fabulous looking.

Reed

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Aussie Oil all over. Mahogany Flame on the ipe, Amberwood on the cedar.

Beth

[R L S 14]

Beth or other wood folks what the heck is IPE? I see it in alot of threads but I still dont what it means. Any one want to share.

Thanks

Richard

[tropical wave 22]

Beth or other wood folks what the heck is IPE? I see it in alot of threads but I still dont what it means. Any one want to share.

Thanks

Richard

right off the IPE Lovers website.......for some unknown reason, I had this saved in my favorites folder..... personally, Ive never seen IPE, and if I did, I wouldn't have known it.....!!!!!!!!!

IPÊ ADVANTAGES

Why use IPÊ over

other decking materials™

IPÊ is an environmentally responsible choice which naturally resists rot, decay, insects, and mold without the use of toxic chemicals used in other decking products. It is naturally fire resistant and has been awarded an 'A1' rating.

Additionally, IPÊ is an incredibly strong, dense wood, harvested from naturally sustainable forests only. It has very high wear durability in daily use, and is resistant to splintering and checking.

It's also beautiful!

How long will my IPÊ deck last™

IPÊ has been awarded the best decay resistance rating available - "HIGH 25+ years", however it has been known to last longer, there just isn't a higher rating!

How does IPÊ weather™

Weather has little to no effect upon the structural integrity of IPÊ wood. The sun will eventually transform the wood from it's original reddish-brown to a beautiful silver patina.

Is IPÊ subject to

insect invasion and damage™

Due to the dense cell structure of IPÊ (all heart wood) it's not only naturally resistant to insects but also to decay, rot, and molds.