What Is Ipe
Often described as one of the hardest woods in use, Ipe outlasts most other decking material, and its rich, warm appearance is the reason it is specified as often as its durability is.
Ipe, also known as ironwood, is one of many commercial names for the imposing Lapacho group of trees drawn from the various species of Tabebuia. The trees generally grow from 140 to 150 feet, and some reach 200 feet. Other common names for trees in this group include bethabara and lapacho, along with a host of names used in the countries where the trees grow. They are found mostly in Brazil, and throughout Central and South America and some of the Lesser Antilles.
Why it is used outdoors
The strong, tough, resilient properties of Ipe make it an effective material and an increasingly common choice for commercial and residential decking and for outdoor furniture. It is valued for stability, durability, strength and natural resistance to decay, wet conditions and infestation by termites and borers. It is available in long lengths and is relatively easy to season. Ipe carries a Class A fire rating, the same rating given to concrete and steel.
Colour and working characteristics
The heartwood is olive brown to black and usually features striping. The sapwood is much lighter, usually white or yellow. Its extreme density makes it difficult to cut and to plane. High quality carbide tipped blades are recommended when cutting, and pre-drilling is strongly recommended when surface fastening in order to minimise checking.
Grade and origin
Lumber is not brokered from another supplier's drop shipment and is not bought on the open market. A procurement office in Belem, Para, in northern Brazil, works with a small number of selected mills, and those mills separate the production by grade at the factory rather than shipping a single mixed grade. Where a whole production run is mixed into one grade, as with the FAS and FEQ designations, the result sits below a premium first grade.
Ipe harvested from the northern region of Brazil is the dark, extremely dense material. Ipe originating in the Mato Grosso and Rondonia states tends to be lighter in colour, less dense, and much wider in colour variation. When a quotation does not publish the lumber grade or quality, the material behind it may be a select grade, seconds or liquidation stock.