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Ipe (ee-pay) Lumber Profile
 
Ipe (ee-pay), Brazilian Walnut or Ironwood is native to just about every Latin American country except Chile.  There are about 20 different species of the tree that grows on ridge tops, riverbanks and marsh forests.  The tree reaches heights of 100 to 150 feet with trunk diameters of 2 to 6 feet.
 
Ipe wood is prized for its durability, strength and its natural resistance to decay, wet conditions and insect infestation.  This remarkable wood is used on the famous Atlantic City boardwalk.  It certainly earns the name "Ironwood" as it has a class "A1" fire rating which is the same rating as steel and concrete.  It has the highest 25 plus year rating for resistance to rot, decay and termites.  Yes, it is extremely hard, dense and heavy, 2 to 3 times harder than White Oak and 8 times harder than Cedar or Redwood.  The wood is so dense and heavy that will not float in water.  It resists wood movements such as warping, shrinking, splintering, checking and is even resistant to molds.  Does not require any treatment whatsoever as it will turn a silver gray color, but is as beautiful as it gets when you apply a quality clear finish.  With such outstanding attributes you could easily say Ipe is the best wood for building outdoor wooden Adirondack chairs.
 
How about appearance?  The wet oily looking heartwood is dark olive brown with some lighter strips. The grain is straight to very irregular and the texture is fine to medium.  The surface is very smooth and sands well.  The boards are flat and straight.  The wood we use is S4S (sanded all four sides), kiln dried and knot free. 
 
Why Ipe ?
Ipe finishes well, but is difficult to work with because it is so hard and heavy. Pre-drilling is required and high quality coated screws are recommended.  The cost is high, but not any higher than Mahogany or other high dollar woods considering the 25 plus year durability rating.  The wood is hassle free as it requires no finish, but is absolutely beautiful with a coat of UV protectant applied.  You can maintain the beautiful rich brown color if you recoat it every 12 to 18 months.  If you want an Adirondack chair that is both beautiful and as tough as they get then Ipe is a wood to seriously consider.  We build our Classic Big Red Adirondack chair our Tremont Classic Adirondack chairand our Katelyn Fanback Adirondack chair from Ipe wood.  Remember Ipe is known to last longer than 25 years, but there is not a higher rating that is given and yes, you can honestly call it Ironwood.
 
Other Wood Profiles:
Performance of Ipe
 
  Wood Classification------------------Hardwood
  Outdoor durability(without paint)---Superior
  Screw /nail holding capacity---------Excellent
  Resistance to indentation------------Superior
  Heaviness(dry weight)----------------Heavy
  Board strength(bending)--------------High
  Paint holding capacity-----------------Poor
  Freedom from shrinkage--------------High
  Freedom from warping----------------High
  Freedom from resin--------------------High
  Color when new----------------Dark Olive Brown
  Color weathered------------------------Gray
  Price-------------------------------------High
 
 

Ipe wood

Big Red Ipe Classic Adirondack Chairs