Ipe - Adirondack Chairs Handcrafted by Clarks Outdoor Chairs

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 certainly earns the name "Ironwood" because it has the highest durability rating given by the US Forest Lab of 25 plus years, known to last longer, but this is highest rating given. 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 one fine 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.

Overall opinion: Ipe finishes well, but is difficult to work with because it is so darn hard and heavy. Pre-drilling is required and stainless or 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 Spar-Varish or Timber-Oil. However, if you want to maintain the beautiful rich brown color you will need to recoat it every 12 to 18 months. If you want an Adirondack chair that is both beautiful as well as tough as nails then Ipe is a wood to seriously consider. We build our Classic Big Red Adirondack chair and our Tremont Classic 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:

Douglas Fir

Redwood

Mahogany

Treated Yellow Pine

Yellow Poplar

White Oak

Red Western Cedar

Northern White Cedar