Welcome and thank you for visiting our Ipe deck restoration page. You’ve probably come to our website in search of answers on how to properly care for and protect your Ipe deck. Before we begin, we should talk about the unique characteristics of this beautiful and valuable hardwood. Ipe comes from South America and is a very dense hardwood. It’s impervious to rot, termites, and anything Mother Nature throws at it – it’ll basically last forever. However, protecting and preserving the natural color of Ipe seems to be a bit of a mystery. Many have made the mistake of over-applying or using inferior products. Teak Master has taken the guessing game out of restoring and protecting Ipe decks.
This particular deck is made of Ipe and had not been treated for several years. It had weathered to an unsightly black and gray color because it had not been maintained for a long period of time. We begin our process by cleaning the wood to remove surface dirt, gray oxidation, mold, algae, and previous coatings. The wood will need to go through a drying period before it is ready for the next step, which is sanding. Wood type and climate will determine how fast the wood will dry.
Sanding is the next step in our refinishing process. Sanding will not only remove remaining contaminants cleaning doesn’t quite eliminate, it also exposes fresh new wood, opens the grain, and smooths the surface all in one. Sanding is one of the most crucial steps in our deck restoration process and often skipped by others but is absolutely necessary. Sometimes decks are coated with varnishes or water-based products that can blister and peel. Removing this type of coating can be difficult and will require more thorough sanding.
After sanding, the wood will be cleaned and brightened to remove dust from the grain and to also promote the natural color of the wood. Brightening also removes contaminants such as black mold, mildew, and any other contaminants that are embedded in the wood’s grain. Hardwood decks need to be coated with oil-based penetrating sealers to keep them protected. Some sealers come in various tints to add a special bit of color to the wood. Most of the time we recommend using a natural sealer to enhance the Ipe’s original color. We always brush on our coatings for an even application in maximum penetration. The sealer penetrates into the wood and highlights the natural grain in color and dries matte.
The microclimate your deck is located in will determine when it’s time for maintenance. We usually recommend coating Ipe decks within four to eight months or whenever visually necessary. This is where we come in. We’ll establish a planned maintenance schedule to keep your Ipe deck protected and looking great all the time. Give us a call today to make your Ipe deck look great!