Using Ipe Hardwood for Your Deck or Dock Includes Several Design Advantages

Building a deck or boat dock requires choosing materials able to withstand various types of weather conditions, wetness, and insects. There are a variety of woods you could use, including Garapa, Cedar, Cumaru, Massaranduba, Apitong, Cypress, and Ipe hardwood. Evaluating your options includes weighing the various benefits each kind of wood provides.

For instance, Ipe hardwood has several design advantages including:

  • Low maintenance
  • Service life over 50 years
  • Environmental friendliness
  • Scratch resistance
  • Fire resistance
  • Termite resistance
  • Mold and fungus resistance

Ipe or Brazilian Walnut is olive brown to black in color, which frequently has variegated striping. It is one of the hardest natural woods available on the market today, and is a viable alternative used by many people, in place of composite decking materials. The wood does not have to be sealed or finished, prior to installation, due to its natural resistance. However, some people prefer to keep the original color, so they will use a UV protectant on the wood before putting together their deck or dock. If you do not use a UV protectant, the wood does change in color, over time, from exposure to the UV rays of the sun, to a silver-gray patina.

When purchasing Brazilian Walnut, you should obtain your wood from responsible suppliers, like ABS Wood. All of our Brazilian hardwoods are harvested from managed forests designed to be a renewable resource, without impacting the environment. Further, we follow and abide by all rules and regulations as outlined in the Lacey Act.