Fake Ipe Wood Decking Alert Issued By The Largest Ipe Wood Supplier In The US, AdvantageLumber.Com®

Sarasota, FL – Feb. 6, 2020

Some composite decking manufacturers are aggressively naming their plastic products “Ipe Wood” or “Brazilian Walnut.” This deceives consumers who want natural wood decking and can cause them to purchase the wrong product.

Ipe is a common name for a type of Brazilian hardwood, much as oak is a common name for a type of hardwood in the United States. Genuine Ipe wood has been proven to last up to 75 years in exterior projects with very little maintenance. Unlike fake decking materials made of sawdust and plastic, Ipe is 100% natural wood. It is one of the most beautiful and durable decking options in the world, and has been featured in many magazines and celebrity home tours.

These factors have helped create enormous demand, but unfortunately they’ve also drawn the attention of unscrupulous marketers who want to ride the coattails of a great natural product. Some composite decking companies are trying to take advantage of Ipe’s popularity and proven performance by calling their products “Ipe” or “Brazilian Walnut.” One company goes so far as to advertise “1 in. x 6 in. Brazilian Ipe Solid Composite Decking Board[s].” It seems they are trying to fool the buyer into thinking its real Ipe wood, or that Ipe is a type of composite.

Many of these companies are also causing similar confusion over the common names of other prestigious natural hardwoods, such as teak and Brazilian cherry.

Some of these artificial products will deteriorate and crumble, compromising the structural safety of the deck as it flakes apart.

Jon Fletcher, hardwood sales manager for AdvantageLumber.com, noted, “We haven’t seen this level of deception in the wood industry since the furniture manufacturers of the early 90s tried pawning off particle board furniture as ‘solid wood.’ Thankfully, in that instance, the Federal Trade Commission jumped in and helped to set things straight, ending much of the deceptive marketing in the furniture industry.”

Dan Ivancic, director of marketing for AdvantageLumber.com, says, “As the leading supplier of Ipe wood, we’ve received numerous phone calls from confused consumers, in some cases from those who have unwittingly purchased imitation decking elsewhere only to have it flake and fall apart. Ivancic continued:

“Ipe is a real hardwood that doesn’t contain any toxic plastics and won’t deteriorate or flake apart after exposure to the sun’s UV rays.”

Some of these fake wood products come with a 20+ year warranty, but the internet is full of complaints where homeowners have found that some manufacturers don’t honor them, or that a team of lawyers wrote a warranty so complicated that no one would ever be able to collect.

Advantage Lumber encourages all homeowners to become informed before purchasing their new decking. AdvantageLumber.com is also the only US hardwood decking company with company owned factories in Brazil, and four factories strategically located throughout the US. This allows Advantage to offer direct shipments to homes and job sites worldwide. With over 680,000 square feet of company owned manufacturing space, Advantage always has an open invite for any prospective customers to tour their factories and inspect real Ipe wood before purchasing. “A short trip to one of our factories is a good investment in peace of mind,” says Ivancic. “You’ll know you’re buying from a legitimate supplier of true hardwood, not a fake.”

For more information, contact Dan Ivancic at 1-877-232-3915

Leave a Comment