Ipe decking #2

This is an update to my Ipe deck project. I finished the back deck, except for the step, and am working on the front deck now (pics of that someday).

Check the link below to see my photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jjdecker95/IpeDecking#


This project is taking me forever, being a weekend warrior, having 3 young kids, and 2 unfinished bathrooms inside the house. So the staining will have to wait until next year. Should be ok, right?

So right now I am having some concerns with the quality of the Ipe I got. Seems ok, but who knows, this is the one-and-only Ipe deck I have ever built. Some pieces are real dark, some are real light. Some are really really hard (dark boards), some are softer (light boards). Some are clear, some have a tiger-like grain to them. Some seem a bit rough when you run your hand up one way, then smooth if you rub the other way. 3 or 4 boards have lots and lots of checks, almost the whole 15 foot length of board. Most of the boards have no checks. I have one board that looks like it will destroy your foot if you walk on it. I think I'll have to replace that board, I don't know how I did not notice it, when I put that board down. It looks like the grain is sort of lifted, and could cause nasty splinters in your foot (See pictures 10 and 11). 3 or 4 few boards seem fine, but have knots in them (pics 13 and 15). Will these spots worsen over time?

I bought 1725 linear feet of boards. There are probably six 15-footers that I probably should toss in the dumpster. Maybe six others that are usable but not the greatest. Not really sure about the rest, if it is so-so, good, great, top quality or not. Of course I was assured that the Ipe was top quality, all heart wood clear Ipe, blah blah blah. Would any expert want me to mail them some scrap cuts to examine? Or even better, stop by and look at my deck? Just kidding…

The railings. I chickened out on the Ipe railings. No way I get the project done this year. So I did the shiny PVC rail, and put an Ipe rail on top of it. I like it, I think the front deck I will do the same.

The pics in that gallery are hi-res, so you can view full screen, or better yet download them and zoom in real close to see the detail.

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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