Tropical hardwood decking is different from many of the materials builders encounter on a typical deck project. Species such as Ipe, Cumaru, Massaranduba, and Tigerwood are exceptionally dense, durable woods, and some of the characteristics that make them desirable for exterior applications also affect the way they need to be handled and installed.
In Part 1 of our Tropical Decking Installation FAQs, we looked at surface roughness, moisture content, acclimation, ventilation, and some of the reasons even a stable hardwood can move after installation. In Part 2, we’ll address several other questions that commonly arise when builders and homeowners begin working with tropical hardwood decking.
Why Is Ipe So Hard on Drills, Bits, and Other Tools?
Density and hardness are two of the characteristics that help Ipe perform so well in demanding exterior applications, but those same characteristics make it noticeably different to machine and install than pressure-treated Pine, Cedar, or many other familiar decking materials.
With a softer wood, a screw can more easily displace and compress the surrounding fibers as it enters the board. Ipe offers considerably more resistance. Trying to force fasteners into such dense material without following the requirements of the selected fastening system can increase the possibility of damaged fasteners, split boards, broken bits, or unnecessary wear on tools.
For installations using face screws, pre-drilling and countersinking are commonly part of the process. Hidden-fastener systems may use grooved boards and have their own installation requirements, so installers should follow the recommendations provided by the fastening-system manufacturer rather than assuming that the methods used for pressure-treated decking will translate directly to Ipe.
The tools matter as well. Sharp, high-quality drill bits and saw blades are particularly important when working with dense tropical hardwood. Carbide-tipped cutting tools are generally a good choice for Ipe, and professional-grade drills and drivers are better suited to repetitive work in such hard material. Bits and blades will still wear more quickly than they would when working with a softwood, which should be considered when estimating labor, tooling, and installation time.
None of this makes Ipe unusually difficult for a contractor accustomed to working with tropical hardwood. It simply means that the density responsible for much of Ipe’s long-term performance also needs to be accounted for during installation.
Why Don’t All of My Ipe Decking Boards Match?
One of the most important things to understand about real wood is that natural variation is not something that can be completely engineered out of the product. Boards of the same species can differ in color, grain, figure, and other characteristics because they came from different trees and, in many cases, from different growing areas.
Ipe can display a particularly broad range of colors. Fresh boards may include shades of brown, reddish brown, olive brown, darker chocolate tones, and other variations. Grain can vary as well, which affects how individual boards reflect light and can make color differences appear more pronounced from certain angles.
This is quite different from a manufactured decking product designed to reproduce a controlled color or pattern. For many people, the variation is part of the reason to choose real wood in the first place. A natural Ipe deck should not necessarily be expected to resemble a uniformly colored synthetic surface.
That doesn’t mean board placement has to be completely random. Before permanently fastening a deck, it can be useful to lay out a number of boards and look at the overall distribution of color and grain. If several noticeably lighter or darker boards are present, spreading them throughout the deck can create a more intentional appearance than installing them together in one concentrated area.
It is also important not to judge the final appearance of an Ipe deck solely by the color of freshly installed lumber. Exposure to air and sunlight changes the appearance of the wood over time, and some of the initial contrasts can become less prominent as the deck weathers.
What Happens to Ipe’s Color Outdoors?
How an Ipe deck changes after installation depends largely upon whether the owner wants to preserve its brown coloration or allow the wood to weather naturally.
When Ipe is left unfinished and exposed to sunlight and weather, ultraviolet exposure gradually changes the surface color toward a silver-gray patina. This is primarily a change in the appearance of the exposed surface and should not automatically be interpreted as the wood deteriorating. One of the reasons Ipe is valued for exterior construction is that its durability does not depend upon maintaining its original brown color.
Homeowners who prefer the richer brown appearance can use an appropriate penetrating finish formulated for dense tropical hardwoods. Maintaining that appearance requires periodic cleaning and recoating because no exterior finish permanently prevents the effects of ultraviolet exposure.
The choice is therefore largely aesthetic. Some owners prefer the warm coloration of newly installed and maintained Ipe, while others intentionally allow the deck to develop a natural gray patina. Both approaches can be appropriate, provided the owner understands what to expect and uses products suitable for Ipe if a finish is applied.
It is also worth remembering that applying a finish does not transform real wood into a perfectly uniform product. Natural differences in grain, density, and color can influence how individual boards initially accept a finish, so some variation should still be expected.
Is Tropical Hardwood Decking Worth the Additional Installation Effort?
There isn’t one answer that applies to every deck. Ipe and other premium tropical hardwoods cost more than many conventional decking materials, and their density can increase the time and tooling required during installation. Anyone comparing decking options should account for those differences rather than looking only at appearance or the initial price of the boards.
The reason builders, architects, and homeowners continue to specify Ipe is that the additional installation effort comes with a different set of material characteristics. Ipe is exceptionally dense and hard, naturally durable in exterior environments, and capable of providing a very long service life when the deck is properly designed and installed.
Its appearance is another part of the decision. Ipe is real wood, with natural grain and color variation that cannot be exactly duplicated from board to board. It can be maintained to retain much of its brown coloration or allowed to weather naturally to gray, giving the owner some flexibility in how the deck is managed over time.
Whether those characteristics justify the investment depends upon the project. A homeowner primarily concerned with minimizing initial cost may reach a different conclusion from an architect designing a heavily used commercial boardwalk or a homeowner who expects to remain in the property for decades. Installation conditions, desired appearance, maintenance expectations, budget, and anticipated service life should all be considered together.
Installation Quality Matters as Much as Material Quality
Premium decking cannot compensate for poor deck design or improper installation. The performance of an Ipe deck depends not only on the boards themselves but also on the structure supporting them, airflow and drainage, appropriate spacing, fastening methods, end sealing, and the moisture conditions discussed in Part 1 of this series.
This is one reason experience with tropical hardwood can be valuable. A contractor who regularly works with Ipe is more likely to understand how the material responds to cutting and drilling, which tools make installation more efficient, how boards should be laid out, and how details such as ventilation and fastening interact with the lumber.
The same principle applies when purchasing the material. J. Gibson McIlvain has worked with hardwood lumber for more than two centuries and supplies Ipe and other tropical hardwoods for residential, commercial, and architectural applications. Understanding the intended project before the material is ordered can help ensure that board dimensions, profiles, quantities, and other requirements are considered together rather than addressed one at a time after installation begins.
Tropical hardwood decking does require a different approach from pressure-treated softwood, but those differences are manageable when they are understood in advance. Selecting appropriate material, planning for the density of the wood, allowing for natural variation, and installing the boards according to the requirements of the project are all part of getting the long-term performance that made Ipe worth considering in the first place.
