Is ipe low maintenance? Was this stained or just oiled?

Hi Ruth Pulliam,

Ipe is perhaps one of the lowest maintenance natural product available. Ipe is a very dense very strong wood and requires no water sealing or chemical treatment for its amazing properties.

With Ipe you can expect to oil the wood about once a ear depending on sun exposure. The oil acts to prevent graying of the wood and retain it's color. Otherwise, you could let it gray out like teak on a yacht and it will retain it's structural integrity.

If your deck gets dirty, using some simple warm water and mild soap will clean it right up! However, if this method doesn't cut it, you can always use a deck cleaner and brightener to clean it up.

It's a simple wood to maintain and its natural beauty adds amazing character to any home.

Can this material only be used with their pedestal support? I'm looking for a similar product to put on top of a concrete patio. Thank you

You only need pedestals if you're installing deck tiles on a sloped surface, like a roof. For a flat patio, you can install the tiles directly on the concrete.

I wouldn't recommend putting traditional long-length deck boards like the ones pictured above on top of a concrete patio. The concrete can cause moisture issues which will make the wood warp and cup.

Thank you for your reply. I'm considering putting it on a patio that's covered just like the one pictured for our front porch. Is it still not recommended to put it on top of an existing concrete porch that's covered?

 Is it still not recommended to put it on top of an existing concrete porch that's covered?

Not recommended. Whether or not it's covered isn't the issue. It's the concrete, and especially laying the wood directly on top of the concrete (i.e., with no space underneath; you'd need at least 18" of clearance). Basically the concrete retains moisture and keeps the bottom of the boards wet while the top dries out. That moisture difference causes the movement.

Deck tiles are built from very narrow slats (narrow boards are "less flexible") and constructed in a way to resist moisture-related movement. They were designed for exactly this application.

Here's an example:

https://buy.advantagelumber.com/collections/ipe-deck-tiles

Your response is confusing. You're showing me the picture and telling me that I can't use that on a covered patio and then you say it's exactly for that use. Are you saying the long slots are not for a covered patio and I should use the shorter? Could you just link to the product that is used for a covered porch on top of concrete. I'd really appreciate it

Sorry for the confusion. Long boards, as pictured at the top of this thread, should not be installed directly over concrete. The tiles, pictured in my reply above, can be used directly over concrete. The link I provided above is for the deck tiles, which are perfect for your situation.