Ipe flooring and Douglas Fir decking are two natural wood alternatives for flooring, decking and flooring for the porch. Douglas Fir is one of the softwood species that is often used as a flooring option for porches to cover and partially covered areas of the porch. I am awestruck by the appearance of Douglas Fir however I was astonished to discover that a lot of homeowners are making use of Fir as an alternative to decking materials for decks that are not covered.
It’s not logical to me to put this material in a completely exposed outdoor setting due to a variety of reasons. Since the fir decking needs to be maintained regularly to stop it from rotting. Any savings on costs are lost quickly since you’d have to choose a clean Vertical grain type in addition to having plenty of more appealing decking materials to select from. It’s gorgeous, but you should you should plan to refinish or repaint your deck regularly, as required.
The use of Fir decking as flooring on your porch? There’s no argument here. Why would you use Douglas Fir for an exposed decking material? If you’re not comfortable with regular Refinishing, you’re asking for additional work, and possibly issues, and you might be disappointed by the outcome in a relatively short amount of time.
Ipe decking On contrary, can be used almost everywhere outdoors, with no worry about its performance and longevity.
Ipe decking is stronger and is superior to fir decking on every measure
like strength and durability, stability and hardness. It also has density and scratch resistance as well as span capacity. Furthermore, Ipe decking has a Class A fire rating, and it has natural resistance to decay, termites, and slips without the use of chemicals or other additives.
The only place in which fir decking may be able to compete with Ipe decking would be in the beginning cost of decking. However, the life-cycle cost studies show the Ipe decking offers a less cost and long-lasting decking alternative and lasts longer by a substantial sum.
From an aesthetic perspective, Ipe decking ranges from light brown to dark brown
and is a stunning graining and figuring, as well as exotic variations in. If keeping the original shade of Ipe decking is what you want by applying an oil coating on it frequently will highlight the gorgeous patterns and colors of Ipe hardwood. If you’d like to let your high-density hardwood decking “silver” in time, it won’t alter the performance or extraordinary life-span of this fantastic wood decking.
If you are planning to use Douglas fir for decking material outside it must be sealed, stained or painted in order to ensure that you get an adequate usable life out of the deck. If you paint Douglas fir, it will be lost the ability to appreciate how beautiful the timber. Many sealers and staining options can be used to get a better view of the natural grain of the wood. Repaint or re-stain your decking made of fir when needed, usually every 2 to 3 years.
