Ipe decking

Ok so I researched Ipe for a while and finally got the project going. Of course no research is ever complete - some things I read here a while ago went in one ear out the other, things change, I changed my mind about stuff, etc

Here are my pics so far:
IpeDecking

The deck is about 14 by 26, framed with 2x10s, 12 inches on center. Right side of the deck is about 2 foot off the ground, left side is about 4 or 5 feet. There will be one Ipe step, off the deck to the bluestone patio. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to do that, any ideas? Should I leave out the risers, so there will be enough ventilation?

Of course I hunted around for the best price on Ipe. The usual suspects East Teak, Advantage Lumber, etc. were still higher than best priced local lumber yard, Rings End Lumber in Lewisboro NY. I know 2 builders that use Rings End and they love their Ipe. But last minute, I ended up going with a crazy website where you submit an Ipe request and companies bid on it. Turns out the company with the best bid was actually the wholesaler/supplier for Rings End, what a coincidence. So I went with them. I wasn't only going for lowest bid, but lowest bid from a company with good quality Ipe, and I'm pretty happy with it. It was like John said in one of his posts, it has some band marks, end of the board with some stains from the sealer, etc., but the boards looked great. I got a mix of 8, 10, 15, 16 and 20 footers (mostly the larger sizes).

I bought 2.5 inch stainless steel screws from Fasco Fastener, 1/8 cobalt drill bits, carbide tipped chop saw blades, and a used eBay BoWrench. So I just put my first Ipe board down, screwed from the top. You can see that in the second picture - does it look like I did it right? I used another drill bit about the size of the screw head so the screw would go down below the surface slightly. Now I'm having second thoughts, and am considering plugging. Seems like only slightly more work than I'm already doing, using 3 drills as it is, not sure what to do right now with that.

Also second thoughts on the deck rail, I had decided to go with PT 4x4 posts, sleeved with PVC and a deck rail from these guys:
Wayside Fence

This would be much cheaper than TimberTech rail, etc. And somewhat cheaper and much less work than Ipe rail. I thought with the Hardie siding and white Azek trim, it would be a good choice. But now I'm having second thoughts, if the PVC rail will look too shiny. The Azek is much less shiny, more of a smooth matte finish. Any suggestions? Should I rip out the 4x4 PT, and put in Ipe posts? Or has anyone ever wrapped PT with some 1x6 Ipe?

Here is the post I made on the gardenweb forums

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