Ipe Brazilian Hardwood

Much of this Ipe hardwood flooring grows in South America and it is noted for extreme density and hardness (actually sinks in water). Ipe as a decking wood has the following characteristics:

  • Five times harder than pressure treated yellow southern pine
  • Ipe decking has the highest rating against rot and insects (termites).
  • Ipe deck wood exceeds the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements for slip resistance when wet.
  • Ipe as a deck wood carries the highest rating for fire resistance.
  • Ipe deck wood is so durable that, left untreated, it will last over 40 years, and up to 100 years if deck oil is applied.
  • Ipe hardwood decks typically have a deep, rich brown luster with some pieces displaying a golden hue giving the wood beauty and character.

Whether you call it Ipe decking, Cambara decking, Brazilian walnut flooring, green heart wood, or Pau Lope… it is a wonderful exotic hardwood flooring that gives lasting beauty year after year.

Does Ipe have any negatives? Just a few:  Ipe deck wood is so dense that a carbide tipped saw blade is necessary. Ipe routes well but it must be predrilled for fasteners.

Ipe decks (Cambara decking, Brazilian walnut flooring, green heart wood, Pau Lope) will remain smooth and splinter free as long as you own your deck! What’s more, there is no other natural material that will outlast or look as beautiful as Ipe deck wood.

Ipe decking provides the beauty of wood without the hassles of the high maintenance pressure treated decking. Ipe decking is a pure beauty in wood… and extremely low maintenance for the life of your deck.

BEAUTY
DURABILITY
NO MAINTENANCE
INSECT & ROT RESISTANCE

Beauty: Brazilian hardwood decking offers a variety of color, design and texture choices. Like snowflakes there are no two decks alike. All Brazilian hardwood has the beauty that only nature can design.

Comparison: Other decking materials cannot last as long as Brazilian hardwoods. Pressure-treated pine is injected with chemicals in an attempt to provide the insect repelling characteristics provided by nature in Brazilian woods. The chemical treated wood cannot be burned as it will release potentially toxic smoke. Years from now, these same chemicals may also prove to pollute our landfills.

The Janka Hardness Test is a measure of the hardness of wood. The Janka Test was developed as a variation of the Brinell hardness test. The test measures the force required to push a steel ball with a diameter of 11.28 millimeters (0.444 inches) into the wood to a depth of half the ball’s diameter. The diameter was chosen to produce a circle with an area of 100 square millimeters. The Janka hardness values have been indicated below for your reference.

Janka Hardness is measured in the following units: In USA the Force unit is pounds-force (pounds-force is shown below), Sweden:kilograms-force, Australia:newtons.