Ipe

Description

      Ipe, also called Brazilian walnut, is a beautiful exotic wood from South America. Ipe wood structures are hard, strong, and naturally resistant to rot, abrasion, weather, and insects. It is almost twice as dense as most woods and up to five times harder. It is medium to darker brown in color, like a mahogany, so not only lasts a long time but has the beauty of a fine interior wood. Ipe lumber is used for decking and other outdoor applications like furniture, siding, and fencing. It can last up to 75 years and will last more than 40 years in almost all applications. That is 4-7 times as long as most pressure treated woods. Long recognized as the King of naturally durable tropical hardwoods due to its incredible green to dry stability and resistance to termite attack. Part of the reason for woods toughness is the Tropical Environment that it exists in. It has natural hardness and oils that make it a naturally treated wood which will last a long time in all environments.

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Heartwood can vary in color from reddish brown, to a more yellowish olive brown or darker blackish brown; sometimes with contrasting darker brown/black stripes. In certain species, there are powdery yellow deposits within the wood. Ipe can be difficult to distinguish visually from Cumaru, another dense South American timber, though Ipe tends to be darker, and lacks the subtle yet characteristic vanilla/cinnamon scent while being worked.

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Overall, Ipe is a difficult wood to work, being extremely hard and dense, with high cutting resistance during sawing. Ipe also has a pronounced blunting effect on cutting edges. The wood generally planes smoothly, but the grain can tearout on interlocked areas. Also, Ipe can be difficult to glue properly, and surface preparation prior to gluing is recommended. Straight-grained wood turns well, though the natural powdery yellow deposits can sometimes interfere with polishing or finishing the wood.

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• Special Order: Rough Sawn, dressed or profiled in any dimension up to 4"x12"

• Nominal S4S, E4E, 2x, 3x and 4x up to 12” in width.

• Rough Sawn or Dressed 6"x6", 8"x8", 6"x12" Subject to availability.

• Ipe timbers are available in lengths up to 20’