Hey Scott, I'm just finishing my Ipe deck after getting alot of tips and advice from the guys on this website. They're all great and it helped alot. I can tell you that I did alot of research into pricing, availability ,etc. and found the best price for Ipe at Victory Bldg. Products ($1.84 l/f for 1x6, I din't use 5/4). The screws I used were stainless trim heads (with brown heads to match the Ipe since I'm not plugging them) and I also used vinyl rails but I went with Ipe for the posts and the whole rail is white. The screws, by the way, came from a company called Copper Beech in Mass. It was about $250.00 for 2500 screws. Not one head broke off, they were awesome. I used vinyl for the whole rail because I couldn't figure out an easy way to attach vinyl spindles the bottom of the Ipe hand rail. I only had a week to do it so I didn't have the time to mess around. It looks great. I know it's hard to go by what everyone says on this website because you have guys with alot of experience saying 2 different things sometimes. As far as deciding whether or not to use clips or screws, I chose screws for a few reasons. I looked at a deck done by a professional using the clips and there were huge gaps where joints came together as well as boards that started to twist (he probably didn't use any construction adhesive). Screws are much less expensive than clips and have much better hold down power, and as one of the professionals once wrote in a follow up "after all, it's just a deck." I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to woodworking (I built my own cherry kitchen cabinets and put down cherry flooring that I cut from trees in my back yard) and I really like the look of the rows of tiny screws. Once you start drilling holes for plugs you might change your mind if you have a big deck. I hope some of this helped. Good luck! John

I don't care? Sorry man, I might be reading more into that statement than there is but actually I do care. My GC thought the cedar elements would look good (because it adds an element of visual difference) and being vertical, wouldn't see the use that the ipe floor would so it would last longer. I am here posting because I have my doubts, but didn't want to prejudice the question with that statement. I want a deck that will both look good and last, but it has to be all wood or composite that looks like wood. My preference in that case is to stick with all wood.

I was thinking something clear so I wouldn't have to worry about color, but then I'm worried the cedar would go grey quickly. yeah, stay away from the clear. The protection won't last long. I've used ReadySeal on cedar last summer and it's still holding up very well. Not sure how it will look on your project though.

First I'd like to thank everyone for the info on this site. Second this is an update to my Ipe deck project. I finished the back deck, except for the step, and am working on the front deck now (pics of that someday). Check the link below to see my photos. Weedy, how exactly do you post the photos directly in this message? I don't see any obvious way to do it. I guess you have to write some (fairly simple) html? This project is taking me forever, being a weekend warrior, having 3 young kids, and 2 unfinished bathrooms inside the house. So the staining will have to wait until next year. Should be ok, right? So right now I am having some concerns with the quality of the Ipe I got. Seems ok, but who knows, this is the one-and-only Ipe deck I have ever built. Some pieces are real dark, some are real light. Some are really really hard (dark boards), some are softer (light boards). Some are clear, some have a tiger-like grain to them. Some seem a bit rough when you run your hand up one way, then smooth if you rub the other way. 3 or 4 boards have lots and lots of checks, almost the whole 15 foot length of board. Most of the boards have no checks. I have one board that looks like it will destroy your foot if you walk on it. I think I'll have to replace that board, I don't know how I did not notice it, when I put that board down. It looks like the grain is sort of lifted, and could cause nasty splinters in your foot (See pictures 10 and 11). 3 or 4 few boards seem fine, but have knots in them (pics 13 and 15). Will these spots worsen over time? I bought 1725 linear feet of boards. There are probably six 15-footers that I probably should toss in the dumpster. Maybe six others that are usable but not the greatest. Not really sure about the rest, if it is so-so, good, great, top quality or not. Of course I was assured that the Ipe was top quality, all heart wood clear Ipe, blah blah blah. Would anyone expert here want me to mail them some scrap cuts to examine? Or even better, stop by and look at my deck? Just kidding… The railings. I chickened out on the Ipe railings. No way I get the project done this year. So I did the shiny PVC rail, and put an Ipe rail on top of it. I like it, I think the front deck I will do the same. The pics in that gallery are hi-res, so you can view full screen, or better yet download them and zoom in real close to see the detail. Any info appreciated, Jim. Here is a link that might be useful: Ipe deck gallery