All About Ipe Wood Flooring
April 29th, 2010 | 
Author: Ipe wood has had a long history in the world of industries since it’s been used since centuries for heavy van bedding and railway ties. The reason for its popularity is because of its hardness and durability which makes Ipe wood flooring a lovely choice for hardwood floors. Even those homes which experience heavy traffic on a every day basis can use ipe since it would not very create any scratches
Appearance and Properties
Durability and Strength
Ipe wood grows in some parts of Lesser Antilles, Brazil and all across tropical The united states. The heartwood is black to olive brown in color although it might have darker or lighter striping throughout. The wood has a low luster and a oily appearance. The grain tends to be irregular or straight. Ipe is known to be among the most stable woods to be found today. It is known for its durability, density, weight, strength and extreme hardness.
Ipe wood is known to be probably the hardest wood available in the market. It stands on 3648 on the Janka hardness scale which is high. It is 126% harder than the wenge, 91% hard than even merbau which is thought about to be hard. Because of its hardness, ipe is a tiny difficult to work with so it would be necessary to pre-drill before nailing. The wood is used not for flooring but also for a lot of other functions in industries due to its shock resistance properties.
Finish
Ipe wood can be difficult to finish and because of its chemical properties, drying, absorption of stains, coats and adhesion can be a tiny difficult. For this reason it is always better to purchase done ipe wood and not try to finish it at home. Because of its high density, most finishes do not penetrate the wood.
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There are several limitations on solid hardwood that give it a more limited scope of use: solid wood should not be installed directly over concrete, should not be installed below grade (basements) and it should not be used with radiant floor heating. Solid hardwood is also typically limited in plank width and is more prone to gapping and cupping with increased plank size.