One of the many uses for ipe wood is dock construction. There are many reasons why professional dock builders throughout the country use this premium hardwood.
- Ipe is not porous like composite decking or other inferior docking materials
- You can build a dock with confidence knowing that it requires very little maintenance
- Ipe docks have very high tolerance to mold, mildew, and fungus thanks to this exotic hardwood’s natural oils and extreme density
- Ipe / Brazilian Walnut is, by far, one of the strongest wood materials
- An ipe dock can take a pounding like no other docking material out there
Need proof?
Take a look at this marina located in Biloxi Mississippi…
This picture was taken days after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005. The images from those days were catastrophic. However, this marina made it through with, what looks like, not one single board out of place. Not surprisingly, this massive marina was made of ipe.
Even the source of this image, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said, “It’s hard to imagine how this wooden structure survived intact.”
Frankly, it is a testament to the architects who designed this dock and decided to use ipe hardwood. If a dock this size can take a pounding as bad as Hurricane Katrina and still survive with barely a scratch, doesn’t it make sense to use the same wood docking materials? If you are planning on building a dock, or are a dock builder yourself and need to find premium docking material, contact the leader in ipe, Advantage Lumber.
At AdvantageLumber.com, we have a full compliment of ipe hardwood, tools, and accessories to make dock building with ipe simple and easy and efficient.
It’s good to know that ipe wood is not porous, and therefore is good for constructing boat docks. My brother wants to build a boat dock on his lake. I’ll pass this information along to him so that he is more aware of the materials that he can use for it.