IPÊ as a deck grating material.

flyingwelshman · #1 (**permalink**) 10-25-2008

Does anyone have any actual experience using IPÊ as a material on their boat?
I want to get a cockpit grate made and went looking for teak.
The Exotic Woods store suggested IPÊ as an alternative.
The pluses are that it is very durable, rot resistant etc. as is teak. It is about half to 1/3rd the price of teak. It looks great - grain etc.
A negative comment that I've read on this site is that the wood is hard to work with. The guy at the lumber store suggested that teak was harder to work with (because of its silica content it weras down blades etc. very quickly.) Another concern was that the IPÊ is very heavy. I'm not worried about this because a) my cockpit isn't that big, and b) the PO of my boat took out the inboard engine and replaced it with an outboard, so the boat might be better balanced with a bit more weight in the stern.
A few comments have been made about this wood - in reference to companionway hatches and deck grating, but I would like to hear from someone who has actually used the stuff.
Is it as good as it seems?
Thanks

RXBOT · #2 (**permalink**) 10-25-2008

Check that thread out. A lot of information that is relevant to what you are looking for.

soulesailor · #3 (**permalink**) 10-25-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyingwelshman

Does anyone have any actual experience using IPÊ as a material on their boat?
Is it as good as it seems?
Thanks

Yes! IPE is as good as it seems. Extremely rot resistent and a beautiful grain. It's a member of the walnut family. It's tough and can be difficult to work with but worth all the effort, and for the price compared to teak it's really a no-brainer. I think most people keep going for teak because it's what they know. IPE is just as good and way less expensive, I've put it everywhere on my deck and no complaints.

TOMINDC2 · #4 (**permalink**) 10-25-2008

This season we had teak deckplates made for our ample catamaran cockpit by teakworks4u.com, an outfit outside Houston. These are not grates, but deckplates. Plates use less wood, and thus are lighter. The workmanship is beautiful, and the plates are not very heavy as they use slats laid on top of a frame. Everything is marine glued and stainless screwed. Whole deal delivered to Annapolis was under $1K.

I tried to attach a pic, but the system is not working right today. There are pics on their website.

I could not obtain raw materials for these plates as cheaply as they build and ship. This is the second purchase from them based on our delight at the shower plate they made for our head.

sailingdog · #5 (**permalink**) 10-25-2008

Tom-

It probably would have been better to use BRONZE screws, as the stainless will probably leave rust streaks in a marine environment.

How big are these deck plates??

flyingwelshman · #6 (**permalink**) 10-25-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by RXBOT

Check that thread out. A lot of information that is relevant to what you are looking for.

Thanks, I read the thread (and referenced it in my original post), but nobody who mentioned ipe seemed to have any actual experience with it.

flyingwelshman · #7 (**permalink**) 10-25-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by TOMINDC2

This season we had teak deckplates made for our ample catamaran cockpit by teakworks4u.com, an outfit outside Houston. These are not grates, but deckplates. Plates use less wood, and thus are lighter. The workmanship is beautiful, and the plates are not very heavy as they use slats laid on top of a frame. Everything is marine glued and stainless screwed. Whole deal delivered to Annapolis was under $1K.

I tried to attach a pic, but the system is not working right today. There are pics on their website.

I could not obtain raw materials for these plates as cheaply as they build and ship. This is the second purchase from them based on our delight at the shower plate they made for our head.

My brother-in-law is a bit of a hobby carpenter (his stuff is very good). He is looking forward to the challenge of making the grate.

flyingwelshman · #8 (**permalink**) 10-25-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by soulesailor

Yes! IPE is as good as it seems. Extremely rot resistent and a beautiful grain. It's a member of the walnut family. It's tough and can be difficult to work with but worth all the effort, and for the price compared to teak it's really a no-brainer. I think most people keep going for teak because it's what they know. IPE is just as good and way less expensive, I've put it everywhere on my deck and no complaints.

Thanks. This sounds good. I will do a bit more research before I commit.

copacabana · #9 (**permalink**) 10-26-2008

Ipê is exactly as you've been informed: extremely hard, rot-resistant, long-lasting and difficult to work with. It has a very high cellulose content and splits when nailed. just be careful and drill your holes accordingly. It is worth using on your boat and will give you many years of service. I used Ipê on mine and found it an excellent wood for marine applications. In Brazil we have other woods that are better, but you'll probably never find them in the markets abroad. Go with Ipê and you won't regret it. As an additional benefit- the wood is imune to termites!

flyingwelshman · #10 (**permalink**) 10-26-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by copacabana

Ipê is exactly as you've been informed: extremely hard, rot-resistant, long-lasting and difficult to work with. It has a very high cellulose content and splits when nailed. just be careful and drill your holes accordingly. It is worth using on your boat and will give you many years of service. I used Ipê on mine and found it an excellent wood for marine applications. In Brazil we have other woods that are better, but you'll probably never find them in the markets abroad. Go with Ipê and you won't regret it. As an additional benefit- the wood is imune to termites!

Obrigado meu amigo.