Smart Lumber Buying: Determining the Right Size Ipe To Buy
Perhaps you’re likely to balk at the price of Ipe and are having a hard time deciding whether it’s worthwhile to spring for Ipe. Even so, there’s really no debate when it comes to the fact that Ipe is the most durable option when it comes to tropical hardwood decking species. You’ll have to replace and repair decks made from other materials many times over before you’ll have to spend another penny on your Ipe deck. Pressure-treated Pine, other tropical hardwood species, and composite products all pale in comparison to this premier species.
When it comes to that initial purchase, though, Ipe can be a bit steep. However, if you know the right time to buy, you can really save. And you can save even more if you also know the right size to buy.
Buying Odd Lengths
There is generally no shortage of Ipe in our inventory, especially at the beginning of the deck-building season. However, there are certain sizes that most customers prefer, so we can easily end up with a surplus of odd-length boards and short boards that sell for a much lower price per linear foot. The concept of even-length boards’ superiority to odd-length boards is simply an American trend.
Because our Brazilian sources supply lumber to a global market, they include all lengths of boards in what they ship to us. Since many customers are bent on 8, 10, or 12-foot boards, we’re left with some perfectly good 7 and 9-foot boards no one seems to want. Sure, we can chop off a foot and make them even (as can Brazilian mills), but the customer would still pay for that extra foot. Instead, you can essentially save money by receiving every board foot you’re paying for and accepting odd-length boards for your deck.
Buying “Short” Boards
Another way to save on Ipe is by buying “short” boards or at least alternating some shorts with longer lengths. This concept is not limited to Ipe but applies to many other tropical hardwood lumber species. Because the lumber is prepared with a global market in view, we receive shipments that include between 5 and 20% short boards – i.e. boards shorter than 8 feet long. While the amount of savings varies between 10 and 30%, depending on species, Ipe shorts can be as much as $1.50 less per linear foot than standard-sized boards. Both short and odd-length boards are considered by-products of the highly sought-after lengths of Ipe, allowing them to be priced to sell.
At our lumber yard, we typically have a large overstock of 4 to 5-foot long 5/4×6 and 1/6 Ipe boards. To find out how much stock we presently have and the discount prices we can offer, contact us today toll free at (800) 638-9100. We ship nationwide.
