Ipe Decking Compared to Pressure Treated Pine Decking
Ipe hardwood decking and pressure treated pine decking are at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of quality, durability, performance and price. Pressure treated lumber is a well known structural deck framing material that can span great distances, affordably. As a deck framing material, pressure treated makes a lot of sense. Pressure treated decking, on the other hand, does not perform very well as a decking material for very long in most decking installations. Don’t get me wrong; if price is the most important criteria for your decking material, pressure treated decking is the cheapest decking material available in terms of up-front decking material cost. With an annual coat of paint or stain, pressure treated decking can perform reasonably well in many decking applications.
While Ipe decking and pressure treated decking are both wood materials, appearance-wise, they are as different as night and day. Ipe decking has a full range of light brown, olive brown and dark brown tones with beautiful figured graining, earning Ipe the nickname, “Brazilian Walnut”. Pressure treated decking is greenish in color and typically shows a lot of flat-graining, which may tend to splinter after continued exposure to sunlight. Depending on the price, pressure treated may also have lots of knots and sapwood. If allowing your deck to silver out over time is the look you are trying to achieve, Ipe decking can be allowed to weather naturally to a silver gray patina without sacrificing any of its famous strength and resistance to the elements.
It's not too late to fix a bad decking material decision. The pressure treated decking material shown above was replaced quickly with new Ipe decking. The pressure treated framing material was still in great condition.
From a wood species performance standpoint, Ipe hardwood decking has some terrific characteristics including; stability, resistance to insects, resistance to moulds and rotting, low splintering and more. When left laying flat and exposed to the sun, pressure treated decking has a lot of flaws that may become problematic; splitting, checking, cupping, warping and splintering to name a few.
Ipe decking lasts significantly longer and performs far better than pressure treated decking. It’s not even a fair fight. Every measurable performance criteria of Ipe decking, including; strength, durability, hardness, resistance to scratching, density and span capacity is far better than pressure treated decking. Also, Ipe decking’s natural Class A fire rating and natural slip resistance is achieved without any additives or chemicals. The one and only point where pressure treated decking earns the nod over Ipe decking is initial decking costs. Life cycle cost analyses, however, quickly show that Ipe is the lower cost decking material over the lifetime of the decking project.
Check out the 3 minute YouTube video on the right to 
see the amazing performance of Ipe decking versus many other commonly used wood decking materials, including pressure treated decking. See Ipe decking versus pressure treated decking after 15 years of exposure in actual conditions.
For additional information about Ipe decking and other decking material options, please follow any of the links below:
Ipe Hardwood Decking
Ipe Decking compared to other Wood Decking materials
Mechanical Properties of Ipe Decking and Pressure Treated Decking
Decking Material Price Comparison
Care and Maintenance Options OF Ipe Decking
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Is Cumaru the New Ipe?
Cumaru decking is so versatile; it certainly has been causing quite a stir in the design and construction communities. As a high density tropical hardwood, Cumaru has many qualities and characteristics that are similar to Ipe hardwood. Whether it is for a residential or commercial decking project, Cumaru hardwood is a tremendous decking option to consider. The amazing density, strength, durability and hardness of Cumaru are four performance characteristics where Cumaru hardwood has earned very favorable comparisons to Ipe. There are many areas where Ipe and Cumaru are very similar and a few where they have some differences. Now that Cumaru is in the mainstream discussions about the best decking material options, we thought you might want to see some comparative information about these two remarkable high density hardwood decking and siding species.
Similarities of Cumaru and Ipe Hardwood
- Cumaru hardwood has a Janka hardness of 3,340 and Ipe has a hardness of 3,680. The Janka hardness test is the so-called “high heel test”. A .444” steel ball is placed under enough pressure to imbed it halfway into a piece of wood. Ipe and Cumaru are so amazingly hard, it takes over 3,000 lbs of pressure per square inch to make this happen! That is more than twice as hard as red oak or white oak.
Cumaru decking in commercial and residential decking settings
- Ipe and Cumaru are incredibly scratch resistant and are often selected for high traffic decking areas from boardwalks and walkways to backyard decks.
- Cumaru has a density of 1.07 g/cm³ and Ipe hardwood has a density of 1.04 g/cm³. Both of these species are so dense they are classified as high density hardwoods. Their high density and natural impermeability are why they are so resistant to fungus and decay.
- Cumaru has been tested to have a fiber bending strength of 22,400 psi and Ipe hardwood has a fiber bending strength of 23,360 psi. Both of these incredibly high test results are proof that Cumaru decking and Ipe decking can out span any domestic North American wood species and also synthetic decking materials such as Trex and others.
- Both Cumaru decking and Ipe decking have outstanding natural resistances to insect infestation from termites and other insects
- Cumaru and Ipe decking have remarkable natural resistance to decay and rot. It is not uncommon for these species to last forty years and longer in harsh outdoor conditions
- Because they last so long, Ipe and Cumaru are two of the highest rated species in terms of low long term costs. Life cycle cost analyses show that these two species are the lowest overall cost decking material options over the project lifetime.
Differences between Cumaru Hardwood and Ipe Hardwood
- While both Cumaru and Ipe have a wide range of exotic colors and graining, Cumaru decking and hardwood tends to range in the yellow-brown to reddish brown range color earning Cumaru the nickname “Brazilian Teak”. Ipe hardwood ranges from tan to olive brown to darker browns to occasionally nearly black, earning Ipe the nickname “Brazilian Walnut”.
Ipe decking in commercial and residential decking projects
- From a graining standpoint, both species exhibit a wide variety of beautiful exotic graining and figuring. Ipe is typically finer grained in appearance while Cumaru has coarser graining.
- As far as initial pricing, Cumaru is usually about 20-30% less costly than comparable sizes of Ipe hardwood
- While testing from the US Forest Product Laboratory shows Cumaru hardwood to move very little after kiln drying, Ipe is considered a more stable hardwood species.
- If Ipe decking is considered the "king of decking materials", then Cumaru decking is surely at least a prince.
For additional information about these magnificent hardwood decking material options and other decking options, please follow any of the helpful links below:
Cumaru Decking
Cumaru Project Ideas
Compare Cumaru to Synthetic Decking
Ipe Decking
Ipe Project Ideas
Compare Ipe to Synthetic Decking
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Ipe Decking Compared to Douglas Fir Decking
Ipe hardwood decking and Douglas fir decking are two all-natural wood decking options for decking and porch flooring. Douglas fir is a softwood species and has been used often as a porch flooring material (painted to protect it) for covered and partially covered porch areas. I love the look of Douglas fir but I was shocked to learn that some people are using fir as a decking material for uncovered decks. It doesn’t make sense to me to use this material fully exposed outdoors for a number of reasons; fir decking must be maintained annually to prevent it from rotting, any cost savings are negated very quickly because you would need to use a clear vertical grain grade (which is more costly) and there are many better decking material options to choose from.
Using fir decking for porch flooring? No argument here. Using Douglas fir as an exposed decking material? In my opinion, you’re asking for trouble and you will probably be disappointed with the results in a fairly short period of time. Ipe decking, on the other hand, can be used nearly anywhere outdoors with very little concern about its performance and durability.
Douglas Fir softwood decking (painted) Ipe hardwood decking
Ipe decking outlasts and outperforms fir decking in every measurable criteria including; strength, stability, durability, density, hardness, scratch resistance and span capacity. Additionally, Ipe decking has a Class A fire rating and has natural resistance to termites, decay and slipping without any chemicals or additives. The only area where fir decking seems to have a comparative edge over Ipe decking is in the initial price of the decking. However, life cycle cost analyses conclude that Ipe decking is a lower cost long-term decking material option, by a significant amount.
From an appearance perspective, Ipe decking ranges from light brown to dark brown and has magnificent figuring and exotic graining variation. If maintaining the initial color of the Ipe decking is your goal, putting a coat of oil finish on it periodically will show the rich graining and colors of the Ipe hardwood. If you would like to let your ipe decking ‘silver out’ over time, it will not affect the performance or the incredible lifetime of this amazing hardwood decking material. If you plan to use Douglas fir as a decking material outdoors, it really needs to be painted or protected if you expect to get a decent usable lifetime from your deck. If you paint the Douglas fir, you lose the ability to see the beauty of the wood itself.
Click on the picture to the right t watch this 3 minute YouTube video to see for yourself how Ipe decking, Douglas fir decking and several other wood decking species perform after 15 years of exposure in actual test conditions.
For additional information about Ipe decking and other decking material options, please follow any of the links below:
Ipe Hardwood Decking
Ipe Decking compared to other Wood Decking materials
Mechanical Properties of Ipe Decking and Douglas Fir
Decking Material Price Comparisons
Care and Maintenance Options for Ipe Decking
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Ipe Decking Compared to “Mahogany” Decking
Ipe decking and “mahogany” decking are both very beautiful natural wood decking species. Before we get started, I think it’s important to clear up a common misunderstanding; “mahogany” decking is not actual mahogany at all. The decking material commonly sold in the US market as “mahogany” is actually “Shorea” wood species, sometimes also called Luan mahogany or Philippine mahogany. In all, there are over forty different Shorea subspecies and their colors, characteristics and performance are as different as night and day. The common thread between all the Shorea subspecies is; they are hardwoods, they have beautiful graining patterns, similar in appearance to genuine mahogany, and they are typically in the brown color ranges. Ipe hardwood decking is from the Tabebuia species and is one of the finest and longest lasting decking materials found on earth.
From a color and appearance standpoint, Ipe decking and Shorea mahogany decking are both in the brown color range and exhibit some tropical graining. Ipe decking is mostly in the medium brown range but also has some beautiful variations from light brown, olive brown to darker brown and almost black, earning Ipe the nickname “Brazilian Walnut”. Ipe hardwood is also prized for its exotic “figuring’ and tropical grain variations. These grain variations tend to mellow out over time as the decking material matures and ages gracefully to a silvery gray patina. Shorea mahogany decking shows a little bit of exotic graining, but depending on the subspecies, the colors may range anywhere from light pinks and tans to dark reds or browns.
Shorea "mahogany" decking Ipe hardwood decking
Ipe hardwood decking categorically outperforms all Shorea “mahogany” decking subspecies in terms of measurable characteristics such as; density, scratch resistance, hardness, structural strength, fire resistance, decay resistance, natural slip resistance and termite resistance. These are just a few of the reasons why Ipe decking has become so popular in the US and Canada and throughout the rest of the world. Ipe decking is an outstanding decking material option for any exposed deck application, as it will last a long time, naturally and beautifully. Shorea mahogany is not made to withstand this type of harsh exposure and will neither last long nor behave well if installed in an uncovered or unprotected environment. That’s why Shorea mahogany is used mostly for porch flooring in covered areas and partially covered areas where it won’t be exposed too much.
Maintenance options for Ipe decking is pretty straightforward while “mahogany” decking depends on where the decking will be used and which subspecies you have. No matter what type of decking material you select, an annual cleaning is highly recommended. With Ipe decking, the two most common maintenance options are using an oil finish to darken and enrich the colors or to simply allow the Ipe decking to mellow out to a silvery gray “seaside” type of weathered appearance. Allowing your Ipe decking to silver out will not affect its performance or remarkable long-lasting durability. For the best performance of any of the Shorea decking species, it is essential to coat the decking material with a sealer or some type of paint or stain to protect it from weathering and possibly rotting and decay. Click on the picture below to watch this 3 minute YouTube video to see for yourself how Ipe decking, mahogany decking and other wood species perform after 15 years of exposure.
For additional information about Ipe decking and other decking material options, please follow any of the links below:
Ipe Hardwood Decking
Ipe Decking compared to other Wood Decking materials
Mechanical Properties of Ipe Decking and “Mahogany” Decking
Care and Maintenance Options for Ipe Decking
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Compare Ipe Hardwood Decking to Redwood Decking
Ipe decking and redwood decking are two of the most beautiful wood decking species that you will ever see. Both of these beautiful natural decking material options are real wood species, the performance and maintenance of Ipe decking and Redwood decking are at different ends of the spectrum. Ipe decking is a high density tropical hardwood with amazing durability and resistance to the elements while red cedar decking is a softwood species that is not as durable as Ipe.
Redwood decking Ipe decking
From an appearance standpoint, Ipe decking and redwood decking are both in the brown color range. Ipe decking has colors ranging from tan and olive browns to very dark almost black tones with lots of many brown tones and shades in between. As a tropical hardwood, Ipe decking shows exotic figuring and interesting graining patterns which add to its natural appearance. Redwood decking also shows full range of colors from almost white to medium reddish brown with very little graining character. Higher grades of all heartwood Redwood decking are very difficult to find and, while beautiful, can be extremely expensive. More commonly, redwood decking has some knots and lighter colored wood (sapwood). The lower the grade of redwood decking, the more sapwood and knots you will find.
Maintenance options for Ipe decking and Redwood decking vary considerably. An annual cleaning is a great idea for any decking material, whether the decking is natural wood or synthetic decking. It is a very good idea to stain, paint or seal redwood decking every year or more if needed. Otherwise, the redwood decking is subject to rotting and deterioration, particularly the sapwood and areas around the knots. If a silvery gray decking color is your ultimate goal, no sealers or stains are required for Ipe decking. Boardwalks and other high traffic Ipe decking installations have lasted for fifty years and longer with no maintenance at all. Click on the picture to see a 3 minute YouTube video showing Ipe decking, redowood decking and other wood decking after 15 years of actual exoposure to the elements.
Ipe decking is a sustainably harvested high density hardwood decking material and is also one of the toughest decking materials on earth. Ipe decking is extremely hard and resistant to scratching and is so strong and dense that it has a Class A fire rating. Conversely, redwood decking is a softwood decking species and is apt to scratch and show abrasion in higher traffic areas or from pets. Ipe decking outperforms all other wood decking materials, including redwood decking, in nearly every measurable mechanical property.
For additional information about Ipe decking and other decking material options, please follow any of the links below:
Ipe Hardwood Decking
Ipe Decking compared to other Wood Decking materials
Mechanical Properties of Ipe Decking and Redwood Decking
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Compare Ipe Decking to Red Cedar Decking
Ipe decking and Western Red Cedar decking are two beautiful and natural wood decking species that exhibit color ranges from light to dark brown. While both of these beautiful natural decking material options are real wood species, the performance and maintenance of Ipe decking and Red Cedar decking are worlds apart. Ipe decking is a high density tropical hardwood with amazing durability and resistance to the elements while red cedar decking is a softwood species that is nowhere as durable as Ipe.
From an appearance standpoint, Ipe decking 
shows colors from light tans to olive browns to nearly black tones with many shades of brown for a full range of tropical color variations. Ipe decking also shows exotic graining and figuring, adding to its character and natural variations. Red cedar decking also shows color ranges from tan to darker browns but with a lot less graining variation. Higher grades of Red Cedar decking are available as ‘clear’ and have very few knots, while lower grades of red cedar decking have lots of knots and a very rustic appearance.
Maintaining softwood decking species like red cedar decking with a stain, paint or sealer every year or as needed is very important if you want your decking to last and not rot or deteriorate. On the other hand, Ipe decking can last for decades and decades with no maintenance whatsoever. That’s one reason why Ipe decking is so popular for projects from boardwalks and walkways to backyard decks. Check out the video below to see how well Ipe decking performs compared to red cedar decking.
Ipe decking is a high density hardwood decking material that can span great distances at a very high strength level. Ipe is also naturally resistant to splintering, fire, insects and decay without any chemicals or additives. In contrast, red cedar decking is a softwood decking material that requires regular maintenance to keep it looking good and not rot. Cedar decking is not resistant to insects, fire or splintering.
Learn more about Ipe decking and other decking material options by following any of the links below:
Ipe Hardwood Decking
Ipe Decking compared to other Wood Decking materials
Ipe Decking compared to Synthetic Decking materials
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Our hearts go out to all those who have been affected by the devastation created by Hurricane Sandy. The cleanup and repair efforts continue for homeowners and entire communities as well, particularly on the coast, where winds and ocean waves ravaged homes, marinas, docks, boardwalks and more. While home builders and remodelers are dealing with the heavy casualties of homes and buildings, the marine construction industry is fully engaged in the repair of coastal structures including docks, piers and boardwalks.
All that remains of many buildings and a small section of the Atlantic City boardwalk are foundations and framework. Many coastal communities, especially in New Jersey, rely heavily on tourism for their income and tax base. The loss of boardwalks effects their very economic survival. Some proactive communities, including Belmar, refuse to take "no" for an answer and are already hard at work to replace the entire boardwalk structure that was lost to the super-storm. Other communities that lost some or all of their boardwalk are reportedly considering their options.
Some of the devastated communities are considering materials other than wood boards for their boardwalks, such as concrete and plastic decking, which has 
prompted some to wonder if they will have to change the name of the Drifter's famous song, "Under the Boardwalk" to "Under the Sidewalk" or "Under the Plastic Walk". Despite the high cost of concrete, it appears that concrete will be used to replace an older section of the Coney Island Boardwalk in Rockaway, NY, despite the fact that the sections of the boardwalk that were recently rebuilt with sustainably harvested Cumaru hardwood decking weathered the storm remarkably well.
On boardwalks and other high traffic areas where plastic decking has been attempted, the performance of the synthetic products has been extraordinarily poor. Plastics and other synthetic decking simply cannot handle the abrasion of the relentless foot traffic in high pedestrian traffic areas such as boardwalks. Based on low life expectancy of the synthetic decking alone, plastics don't appear to make sense for this type of an application. Synthetic plastic decking also retains significant amounts of heat making it very uncomfortable on bare feet. The extremely low fiber strength of synthetic decking requires joist spacing to be so close together the number of joists and screws required is nearly double that of smarter decking alternatives such as high density hardwoods. The pricing is higher than other decking options and the performance is lower.
There are many reasons why high density hardwood options like Ipe decking and Cumaru decking make so much sense for boardwalks, marine construction and other high traffic areas. Here are a few:
- Ipe decking has a high coefficient of friction, making it a reasonable choice for wet areas.
- Ipe decking and Cumaru hardwood decking are both extremely high density decking materials, making them highly resistant to insects and decay, naturally and without chemicals.
- The hardness of both Ipe and Cumaru decking is so high, they have an amazing resistance to abrasion, even with sand and extremely high traffic
- Eco-friendly high density hardwoods, including Ipe decking and Cumaru decking, are responsibly harvested by sustainable yield forestry methods.
- Ipe and Cumaru hardwood are all natural, renewable resources that look great and require little or no maintenance over the years.
- Ipe and Cumaru are rated 'highly durable' by the US Forest Products Laboratory, meaning they are expected to last longer than 25 years in an outdoor environment. Both species commonly last significantly longer than 25 years in real project applications.
For additional information on high density hardwoods such as Ipe decking and Cumaru decking, options for boardwalks and marine construction, please follow any of the links below:
Ipe Decking
Cumaru Decking
Compare Ipe Decking to Synthetic Decking
Marine Construction
Marine Construction Gallery
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A client of ours recently asked if you could shovel snow off of an Ipe deck without scratching it. This great question really got me thinking about snow removal, ice removal and snow loads on decks. While the short answer to his question is yes, you can shovel snow from Ipe decking without scratching it, what if someone starts pounding away on decking boards with an ice chopper? In general, it is a very good idea to remove heavy snow from any deck surface. Some deck structures cannot handle the additional weight load. Some decking materials themselves could also be affected. Also, when the snow melts you don't want the runoff draining near (or into) your house.
A few years ago, someone I know (OK, it was my lovely and youngest daughter Emma) 'went to town' with
an ice chopper on a section of cedar decking in our backyard. (She's a field hockey and lacrosse goalie, so she can be very aggressive.) She removed a lot of the ice and also gouged the soft cedar decking severely. Some of the gouges were nearly 3/16" deep. It took careful sanding to remove the gouges, yet they were so deep, you could still see the shadow of the gouge marks even after sanding them thoroughly. Softwood decking materials gouge easily.
Synthetic decking materials also gouge easily and if we had plastic decking, composite decking or plastic coated composite decking, we would not have been able to sand out or remove these gouges. However, if the decking had been a high density hardwood such as Ipe, the hardness of the Ipe wood would have eliminated or blunted any gouges to begin with and the sanding would be much easier.
Ipe decking (and other high density hardwood decking materials) are so hard and impact resistant, it is very unlikely that shoveling snow off the surface of high density hardwood decking will leave any scratches or scratch marks. Snow plows are often used on Ipe boardwalks in places like Coney Island and Atlantic City. Obviously, this would not be the case with other decking materials like softwood decking (cedar, redwood and yellow pine) and certainly not any synthetic decking materials such as plastic decking or composite decking. These softer decking materials do not fare well with the impact of shovels. The softer the decking material, the easier the decking is to scratch. High density hardwoods like Ipe decking are the most impact resistant decking materials.
Decking Material Hardness Chart:
Janka Hardness testing is a commonly used rating method to measure how hard a decking or flooring material is. The Janka test is a measure of how many pounds of pressure it takes to embed a .444" inch steel ball half its depth into a piece of decking or flooring material. The higher the Janka hardness, the more difficult it is to gouge or scratch decking or flooring. Ipe decking is the hardest decking material available. Other high density hardwood decking species have very impressive measurements, too; Cumaru decking, Machiche decking and Garapa are all significantly tougher than oak.
For more information about Ipe hardwood decking and other decking material options, please follow any of the helpful links below:
Learn more about hardwood decking species
Compare all decking material options
Ipe decking
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Ipe hardwood decking was selected at the Point 
Judith Country Club located in beautiful Narragansett, Rhode Island for its recent improvements to the exterior porches of this historic Donald Ross links style course. The club was established in 1894 and is one of Rhode Island’s premier and exclusive tracks with the famous landscape architect's signature design features visible everywhere.
Long time General Manager Scott Barlow made the decision to choose Ipe decking based on the extreme durability and wear value of this high density hardwood decking species. The Ipe deck has been down for two full seasons and has proved itself to withstand the heavy outside dining activity along with the constant foot traffic with golf shoes. For years the club struggled with the annual painting and constant maintenance required for the wear and tear on the original oak planking. The Ipe decking has required absolutely no maintenance so far, nor is it expected to for many years to come. The membership has also taken notice with many familiar faces choosing Ipe decking for their private residences for its beauty and durability.
Since installing the Ipe decking nearly three years ago, Mr. Barlow has inquired about the beautiful accent pieces including Ipe porch furniture, planters and tables also constructed of sustainable Ipe hardwood. Ipe outdoor furniture is available for a fraction of the price of teak outdoor furniture and ipe wood is known to last far longer than teak with very little maintenance.
Please follow any of the links below for additional information about Ipe decking and Ipe outdoor furniture:
Information about Ipe Decking
Check out Ipe Outdoor Furniture
Ipe Outdoor Project Ideas
Ipe Projects - Picture Gallery
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If you are unhappy with your decking surface, you may not have to rebuild a whole new deck. If your joists, supports and framing attachments are in good condition, you might be able to simply replace your decking boards. Over the years we have had lots of clients who were very unhappy with the decomposition of their composite decking and pressure treated decking. In many cases, they were able to bring new life into an old deck by replacing the deck boards with a better quality decking material such as Ipe or Cumaru.
The pressure treated decking on this deck was loaded with mold and decay. When the decking was removed, however, the deck joists were in nearly new condition. Structurally, this deck was in great shape; the piers were sound and the all important attachments to the house were in excellent shape. The homeowner was not happy with the decking and railing system, so new decking material was selected.
For a new all natural look, this client selected Ipe hardwood decking and a new railing system. First the old deck railings and benches 
were uninstalled. Next, the old pressure treated deck boards were removed. the entire structure beneath was in top notch condition. New pressure treated 4x4 posts were then installed. Next came the Ipe boards around the perimeter for a "picture frame" look. With that step completed, the new Ipe deck boards were installed. The client did not want to see screw heads on the decking, so pre-grooved Ipe decking was used and installed with hidden deck fasteners. For a finishing touch, vinyl rail sleeves were slipped over the pressure treated posts and a traditional railing system was installed.
For additional information about Ipe hardwood and Ipe decking, please follow any of the links below:
Learn More about Ipe Hardwood Decking
Ipe Picture Gallery
Ipe Hardwood Decking vs. Composite Decking
Compare Ipe to other Wood Decking Materials
Ipe Decking Installation Options
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