Exotic Wood Deck Restoration
Decks can be made from a wide range of exotic hardwoods including Ipe, Mangaris, and Teak. While exotic hardwoods can share many similarities, they also demand to be treated with specific care and attention due to their high densities and unique characteristics. Teak & Deck Professionals work with all wood types and knows exactly what is best for your particular outdoor deck.
Ipe (pronounced e-pay) is a naturally durable hardwood grown in South America, with lower quality Ipe coming from Central America. Ipe is also known as Ironwood, Brazilian Cherry, purple heartwood, and Pau Lope to name just a few. While these are not all Ipe, they are closely related species and are frequently used as a synonym for Ipe. Ipe is so dense that insects like termites don’t mess with it and it won’t rot. The challenge with Ipe is, that, because it is so dense it is very difficult to get a penetrating oil to penetrate it when sealing. There are steps required during both the cleaning, prepping, and sealing of Ipe that must be taken in order to ensure satisfactory results for deck restoration.
Mangaris, also sold as Mangaris Diamond, is a tropical Merbau very close to Ipe. Mangaris is imported from Indonesia and is slightly softer than Ipe but still extremely dense. Grain patterns are slightly more pronounced than in Ipe and will show tannin stains more than found in Ipe. Similar to other hardwoods like Ipe, Mangaris requires specific cleaning and sealing techniques to ensure proper saturation of the wood and complete removal of excess oil for successful deck restoration..
Wood decks can also be made of Teak, which provides many of the same benefits as found when this wood type is used for furniture. Also known as Brazilian Teak, this hardwood provides a variety of beautiful colors, slightly lighter in nature than found in Ipe or Mangaris. While softer than both Ipe and Mangaris, it is still dense enough to ward off insects and resist rot when properly maintained.
