| If you know anything about Ipe hardwood, it is truly | | | | to decay, termite and dry insect attack, although this |
| an amazing wood. It has a Janka rating of over 3600, | | | | is not significant (I hope) when choosing ipe as |
| making it one of the densest woods that are | | | | interior flooring. It is VERY fire resistant as well. |
| currently available on the hardwood flooring market. | | | | Colour range varies from a medium straw with olive |
| Ipe has a lot of very positive characteristics, but it | | | | green overtones to a reddish brown with darker |
| also has its issues! | | | | black streaks common in some boxes of ipe |
| It is so dense that with even a marginal finish applied | | | | hardwood. Flooring samples can then have a very |
| to the surface, most spills will pool on the top rather | | | | large range of colours. Make sure that you |
| than penetrate below. And it survives the abuse | | | | understand this, and don't buy, expecting colour |
| from the even a 100 pound sheep dog with limited | | | | uniformity. It is always best, if possible to visit a |
| wear marks. | | | | customer that has had this type of flooring in use for |
| Ipe Hardwood Flooring is referred to by many names | | | | a number of years. You can then judge not only the |
| depending on the country of origin and who is making | | | | appeal of the colouring but also the durability of the |
| the flooring. Brand names like Ironwood(TM) and Pau | | | | finish. |
| Lope(TM) are common as are "consumer names" like | | | | For installation it will require a very good quality grade |
| Brazilian Walnut. For some reason, North American | | | | of carbide blade on your miter saw to even attempt |
| retailers think referring to it as a walnut will make it | | | | any trimming to length. If you have a large expanse |
| more understandable to today's consumers. | | | | of ipe flooring to cover, a second blade made be |
| Ipe is really a cluster of many trees from the | | | | necessary. All holes, like those that you need to install |
| Bignoniaceae family (Tabebuia, spp) that share a | | | | for the first few rows of flooring will have to be |
| common appearance and physical characteristics. | | | | drilled close to the size of the finishing nail you intend |
| They are all dense and rather straight grained. Some | | | | to use, otherwise you will split the wood. Experiment |
| pieces look quite similar to teak. It is very resistant | | | | first, to save a few pieces of ipe flooring. |