New Ipe Project :)

[Celeste 341]

Here are a couple shots of an Ipe deck we start on Monday. It was sealed with Mesmer's less than 9 months ago. We're sealing the ipe floor, spindles, steps & rail system with Aussie oil....homeowner wants the pressure treated wood to match the siding color.

[RyanH 14]

Any pictures of 2 or 3 year old stain on ipe? Anyone?

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Ok Jim, I'll bite...tell us what you would seal an ipe deck with.

Mahogany is a hardwood like Ipe. Sealers will not hold up on hardwood, the way they will on softwood. Ever. Question is, on the mahogany deck you mentioned, was the deck allowed to age for 6 months or so before cleaning and sealing it, or what?

You might suggest stripping it, letting it age, and then sealing it if it didn't get a chance to age.

Beth

[JFife 14]

Rick,

DEK sikkens can be used on ipe, i've had it look good, but cannot vouch for longevity. It is a tough film, so if applied properly, I'd think it would hold. Have to pre-wipe w/ acetone.

[PressurePros 248]

I just did my own Mahogany Deck in Aussie Oil just a light oxalic wash. (it was built and coated for the first time last season). It looks fantastic. The color is much more rich. I am not convinced that building up coats on a hardwood is a bad idea.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Have seen and applied DEK to Mahogany, and it too will crack and peel over time. Have not used it on Ipe. Personally I think the maintenace is easier with the long oil alkyd (Aussie has this, so does SRD) than with the polymer resin, because when the polymer resin (Cetol DEK) fails the cracking and peeling makes for a nasty strip job.

Ken, for your deck I would have suggested waiting 6 months, then a percarb, followed by citralic (oxylic works too just fine), rinse, detail and seal. Ummm...you didn't skip the percarb did you?

Beth

[James 624]

The problem with building up coat 's is water migrate's thru the long oils. Then the mildew is every were. I gotta go

[RPetry 564]

RyanH,

Here is a pic of ipe with Mahogany Flame Aussie oil after ~ 14 months. Doubt if you will find a pic of any penetrating stain after 2 or 3 years, if its anywhere near sunlight or rain, it's gone...

Ah, can't load the same picture twice. Try ...

http://www.thegrimescene.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2057

[RPetry 564]

Ken,

I also just redid my own ipe deck (for the 2nd time) this past weekend with Aussie Oil. I stripped what was left before brightening and applying a new finish.

I don't know. I'm not all that happy with the product on my ipe or customer's mahogany.

[PressurePros 248]

Ken, for your deck I would have suggested waiting 6 months, then a percarb, followed by citralic (oxylic works too just fine), rinse, detail and seal. Ummm...you didn't skip the percarb did you?

Beth

The deck aged 3 months before I sealed it. I don't think any wood should stay exposed for six months, it's just not neccessary. It causes more damage than the small (alleged) increase in porosity. I clean it with straight percarb every 8 weeks or so. I cleaned it with percarb in the second week of May, did the oxalic bath again the beginning of June and sealed it the second week of June.

I have experienced several hardwood decks with multiple layers of penetrating sealer. They were not that faded. They were not peeling. They were not black.

And, I have a master builder that is always hollering in my ear about building up coats of TWP on ipe. His work looks fantastic and he has showed me pics of TWP decks that are five years old that have only been recoated once, but at the time they were built, multiple coats were put on. This may be a phenomenon of TWP exclusively, I honestly don't know. But the ten or so decks I have seen with Aussie Oil applied this way have held up remarkably well.

[CLASSICPW 14]

WOW, that's beautiful, how many hours for the stain/seal?

[Celeste 341]

It took 3 of us a full day - factors to consider (1) 95 degrees in the shade so lots of breaks to stay hydrated (2) additional time for the two different stains (3) we hand rubbed and brushed the whole job. But truthfully, this job was so enjoyable, it wouldn't have mattered if it took longer. It was instant gratification, the homeowners were great to us (we got POTTY use!). Thoroughly enjoyable day altogether :)

[PressurePros 248]

Celeste and Roger, that is truly one of the finest pics I have seen of a finished job. Congrats on a project well done.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Ken,

I fully understand about the effects of letting wood age. I would not suggest this on PT lumber, cedar, redwood, or just about any other wood, but I have seen success with this done on Ipe and Teak. Bottom line, the wood isn't the same, neither is the way it acts or how professionals should handle the care of it.

Anyone notice that there have been several really good ipe threads lately? Personally, I think it's cool stuff.

Beth

[James 624]

Ken how many decks have you done maint. with Aussy with ? The guy you refer to live's in Colo. ( no mildew ). Leting wood age depends what products you use and knowing how they work. TWP is simular to all penitrating oils. The 100 series colors the wood with min solid content. Same as Ready Seal redwood only. I have tried both on Mohog with bad results. You have to do multi coat's because the wood looks like crap if you don't.

There are no ill effects by letting Cedar, redwood, Doug fir, ipe , cypress age. I have a redwood thats never been treated since 1960- a doug fir 1968- and some of my best and easest jobs were cedar that sat for a couple of years before treatment. Filming these woods cause more problems than leaving them alone.

To me cedar is the biggest pain in the butt.........!

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Cedar can be a huge pain in the butt! I agree!

Beth

[PressurePros 248]

A third thumbs down for Cedar. And of course, 80% of what I do seems to be cedar.

Jim, I have about ten decks I did last year with the Aussie and have had to reseal all of them. They were all hardwoods. I followed the standard procedure with penetrating sealer. One coat applied heavy enough to shine then backbrushed or rubbed in. The decks I mentioned above were done by homeowners totally disregarding the manufacturer's directions.. wet on dry, multiple coats. The thing that amazed me was the amount of sealer left on these decks. Some were five years old and still had a fair amount of the ATO left on them with good color and minimal mold growth (that's here in PA where it is very wet and humid). It makes one wonder.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Personally, I would rather see an alkyd film build up, than deal with a failed polymer resin any day (like Cetol DEK). Your alkyd will strip more easily if need be...and that is just one point in it's favor among others.

Around here a few years ago, everyone and thier brother was building with cedar. Then, everyone started building with Trex. Now it's the new PT lumber and the Ipe, and the cedar mostly shows up on rails, but rarely on a floor on a new deck. Some of the builders I have spoken to seem to have been burned by the cedar and are moving away from that. When we built our deck last year we spoke to about 5 builder, and they all pushed hard away from cedar. The majority didn't even like it on the rails. Very interesting....

Beth