Ipe is a hardwood from Brazil that’s very hard. It’s strength has been compared to that of steel, and most often it needs to be pre-drilled before pieces are connected.
Similar in appearance to rich, warm mahogany, ipe is popular for its beauty and durability. Ipe is FSC certified, making it a smart environmental choice for your outdoor living environment.
Other attributes of ipe wood include:
- It can last more than 25 years outdoors.
- Eco-friendly; 100 percent natural wood
- Mold, fire, weather, and pest-resistant
- Resists surface scratches
- Three times harder than cedar
- One of the densest hardwoods, it sinks in water.
- It has the same fire rating as steel and concrete, making it a more fire-resistant choice than softwoods.
- It has high concentrations of tannic acid, which makes it resistant to rot, insects, and fungi. Because of this, stainless fasteners are recommended.
Chicago Flameproof recently worked on a Chicago Riverwalk project that utilized ipe:
