Decking Maintenance

Ipe Decking Maintenance – How to Remove Ice & Snow from a Wood Deck

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I received a great question from Bob K. (thanks, Bob!) about how to remove ice and snow from an ipe deck. This is a wonderful question not just because it’s winter, but because it’s just not a good idea to scrape ice off your deck using a snow shovel. How do you remove ice off …

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Decking Defects to Look Out For

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When buying decking, it’s important that you are aware of some natural occurring defects that plague other species as well as pressure-treated decking. Some of the more common defects that you can run into are checks, knots, and splits. If you’ve ever stepped on a chemically treated wood decks, you most definitely have seen all …

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How Much Snow Can Ipe Decking Handle?

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Ipe Deck and Snow Load
This hot tub and Japanese style pagoda were made of Ipe because of its high strength capabilities.

With Winter right around the corner, many people are asking us about ipe decking’s capacity for snow load.

Since no two decks are the same, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly how much snow per square feet it would take to actually distress a deck to the point of breaking. BUT, what we can say for sure is that ipe decking has been ASTM-D143 tested. Ipe wood decking has a maximum bending strength of 22,560 psi (Pounds per square inch)!  your ipe deck might even be stronger  than the frame that supports it!

Or, to put it more simply: The result of these tests reveal that ipe decking is 3 times more durable than cedar decking.

If you already own an ipe deck, you’re probably not even sweating the upcoming winter. And, for good reason. With ipe wood’s high density, tight, interlocking grain, and natural oils, it dries fast and weathers well. Also, when you follow the recommended finishing schedule, (using a deck finish product like Ipe Oil™) you can also have peace of mind knowing that your deck surface will be able to repel water even better than it already does!

When you buy ipe decking from us, you will also get premium grade ipe from the Lapacho species. What does this mean for you? Well, it’s simple:

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Ipe Oil™ – The Best Deck Oil For Hardwood Decking

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Recently, the Ipe Clip® Company unveiled a new deck finish product called Ipe Oil™. This premium decking oil, finished hardwood decks made from durable, and some would say stubborn, hardwoods like ipe. Ipe Oil™ offers deck builders and homeowners who are installing an ipe deck with: Superior protection from both: U.V. rays Water A low …

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Ipe Decking & Fire – What You Need to Know

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One feature of ipe decking that I most often forget to mention is how ipe handles fire. This kind of information is important to know because many deck owners use tiki torches, grills, and firepits on their deck. While we all try to be careful, there is always the chance, however remote, that one of those things could tip over and spark a fire.

There have been many instances where a dog bumped into a charcoal grill and spilled over some briquettes, or a guest tips over a seemingly put out tiki torch and a fire gets started. In those situations, you must react quickly to properly put out the fire before it spreads to the rest of your deck.

If you have a deck made of ipe, or are considering building an ipe deck, you need to know that ipe has a fire spread rating that is the same as concrete! What does this mean? Unlike other hardwoods that spread fire rapidly, fire tends to remain isolated around its point of origin. In this way, the damage that the fire has made is contained in a much smaller region on your deck. Of course, calling the proper authorities and attempting to put out the fire right away is absolutely critical and recommended.

Interestingly enough, ipe wood has up to a Class A fire rating for flame spread. Here is a table that shows the ratings given to ipe decking from the National Fire Protection Agency (Note, there are other third party certification companies that show similar results. Results will vary based on the moisture content, origin, and species).

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Ipe Decking is Safer than Composite Decking

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Many people settle for composite decking due to the fact that composite wood and materials are cheaper than more high-quality exotic hardwoods like ipe. However, while the cost may be appealing, the long term viability of the materials is suspect at best. If you do a simple Google search for “composite decking complaints” or “composite decking lawsuit” you will see that, while people and businesses may have saved some money initially, they took a great risk in choosing an inferior product.

Here’s a simple ipe decking versus composite decking comparison chart:

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