When it comes to decking, finding an affordable, sustainable, and aesthetically pleasing product can be a real challenge. A number of commercial and residential customers look to composite products for a supposedly “green” solution when they want to install a new deck. According … [Read more...]
Ipanema Decking: Low Cost, Eco Friendly Decking Alternative, Part 3
In our last article, we looked at the nature of Ipanema Decking as well as some of the unique advantages it has to offer. As a blend of a variety of different tropical hardwood species, this product is both environmentally friendly as well as low in cost compared to composite … [Read more...]
Ipanema Decking: Low Cost, Eco Friendly Decking Alternative, Part 2
In our first article, we made a pretty strong case in favor of organic wood decking products when compared to composite decking. Though composite decking is often marketed as environmentally friendly, we pointed out that lots of non-biodegradable composite decking will end up in … [Read more...]
Jatoba vs. Ipe, Part 2
If you’re looking at the pricing and availability issues surrounding Ipe and wondering if there’s another species that’s comparable, Jatoba may well be a good choice for your next deck. In Part 1 we considered the issues of hardness and stiffness and discovered that even though … [Read more...]
Jatoba vs. Ipe, Part 1
As Ipe pricing continues to climb and availability fluctuates seasonally, one of the top contenders as a premium decking species is Jatoba. If you like Ipe and want to know how Jatoba compares, we hope to arm you with the knowledge you need to make an informed decision about your … [Read more...]
Jatoba Decking: An Ipe Alternative (Part 3)
Jatoba vs Ipe - Considering Additional Factors. As we’ve compared Ipe and Jatoba, the numbers are interesting to consider. In Part 1, we looked at hardness and weight, and in Part 2, we looked at stiffness and stability. At the end of the day, though, do the differences really … [Read more...]
Jatoba Decking: An Ipe Alternative (Part 2)
Jatoba vs Ipe: Comparing Stiffness and Stability. In Part 1, we looked at 2 key factors in comparing Jatoba with Ipe in order to evaluate how good of an alternative it is for decking. While hardness and weight certainly bear consideration, so do stiffness and stability, unless … [Read more...]
Jatoba Decking: An Ipe Alternative (Part 1)
Jatoba vs Ipe: Comparing Hardness and Weight. As unfortunate as the current shortage of Ipe may be, one of the silver linings around this dark cloud comes in the way of formerly lesser-known species getting the attention they deserve. Although Cumaru is an excellent choice, … [Read more...]
Tigerwood: An Ipe Alternative
What makes Goncalo Alves wood an alternative to Ipe? Because Ipe is the premier decking species, hands down, all other quality decking choices can be considered Ipe alternatives, because if money were no object, we’d recommend Ipe to everyone. Since affordability is often a … [Read more...]
Teak: An Ipe Alternative
What makes Burmese Teak an excellent alternative to Ipe? Although not quite as durable as Ipe, Teak has long been appreciated by the boat-building industry because of its remarkable water-resistant nature. Of course, that same quality makes Teak an excellent choice as a … [Read more...]
Massaranduba: An Ipe Alternative
What makes Brazilian Redwood a viable alternative to Ipe? If you find its official name hard to pronounce, Massaranduba is also known as Bulletwood or Brazilian Redwood. (It’s pronounced ma-sa-ran-doo-bah.) Growing prolifically throughout both Central and South America, the … [Read more...]
Cumaru: An Ipe Alternative
What makes Brazilian Teak a viable alternative to Ipe? Also known as Brazilian Teak, this Ipe alternative hails from the same forests as the highly sought-after species. Next to Ipe and Teak, Cumaru is the most popular exotic hardwood that we sell at J. Gibson McIlvain. Cumaru … [Read more...]
