Hi digm - sorry it's taken me this long to respond, I didn't receive a notification email of your posting! About 3/4 of the deck on the far side gets heavy duty sun exposure about 6 hours a day and as the day goes on (and the world turns) the other deck (along the windows) gets the same amount of afternoon sun, so yes, it gets lots of sun exposure, also we have lots of wind blown rain here. I mispoke in my previous posting - the ipe was AIR dried, not kiln dried, I don't know what I was thinking when I said that. yes, the 'Mini EbTy' (actual name on the box) I believe are the 3/32. They worked great and yes, the instructions say to use the glue. I searched out several different web forums re EbTy and found most people who reported using the EbTy clips did NOT use the glue. Only the most fastidious of the lot used the glue. I can tell you, if I had used it I would most likely still be out there permanently stuck to those boards!!! I also learned an entirely new language while installing that went something like this @!!$X*%!....:) While the end product looks beautiful (use a cleaner and brightener then apply Messmer's per instructions) it was a real challenge for me to get the boards to submit. It's a pleasure to look at, relax on and was well worth the effort. Pat

I found the herringbone corner a lot easier to do than the mitred edges, and it was a lot more forgiving. Since I left gaps, a bit of movement or differences in board thickness don't show up the way they do on the mitred corners. It was a bit more work in blocking underneath. The decking I took out was PT and due to being close to the ground the boards were warped and sticking up all over the place. I found out after pulling off the old boards that a groundhog had dug some huge holes under the deck and piled the dirt up so that it was almost touching the bottom of the decking - in those places, the boards were going wild. I removed quite a few wheelbarrows full of dirt from beneath to try to allow some air. So far, cupping of the boards is minimal - I tried to get a few inches of clearance below each joist. And I screwed down with 2 1/4" headcotes and left generous gaps between boards (somewhere around 3/16"+ gaps).

Patio Person,,I have a fair amount of ipe T&G projects out with 5 years or so under the belt,they are all doing just fine including my own out back with the hot tub sitting on it all of them are out in the Okie sun and Okie freeze, one big ol ipe t&g 1x6 job gets 0 care is low to the ground and most of the time has leaves and pollen all over it this time of year, I cleaned it up early this fall and the thing looks good even with all that.Bottom Line>>> WE... do not all know better than to use t&g material without a roof over it because We have been doing it with good results for a lot of years. Snag, Latley I have been using 1x6 ipe face fastened with counstrustion adhesive, 1x4 would work just as well it just takes longer to put down but its a different look if you want that. We counter sink ( into the ipe not the pt frame) and pre drill with the same drill bit after the project has the finish on the screws will not show but the holes will if you dont like that, use T&G material or plug the thing,some folks have good sucess with pluging 1 x material but if I was going to bid it I would go with 5/4 material for a plug job, with face fastening 1x material is plenty good. I always use air dried material. J

HI Ya Jack!! I am still waiting for that gift cert at my local wine store. I havent used Ken's new outdoor finish,he keeps telling me the samples are in the mail, there are some posts over here with Folks puting it on new projects with good resluts. I am a twp kinda guy right now I have no reason to change. After using the stuff for 7 years or so I can offer what I have seen and done. The first coat wont last all that long( with any outdoor finish this is true) If the Wallet pays for a one year contract I wait for hmmmm three moons or so in good weather I clean/ put another coat on. Ater another 2 months I lightly acid wash/clean and put another coat on this coat will take a little while to set up. Usually this built up finish lasts for two years or so my best yet is three years. The thing is most Folks dont want me back all that often they want to live on the deck and have some relax time and mabey give me a call in 5 years or so when the thing has gone gray. With my jobs that do have that built up finish I never have to strip the old twp off just clean and put on another one. My own S American project out back is coming up on 7 years its just now showing sighs of need,the cap rail is a simmi gloss I can see the reflection of my hand on it. Keep in mind Jack and all you good Folks I do this for a living, I only do my own Wallets if I get a call for refinish that I dident build I recline. I dont really care if twp is used or not this is what I have done and seen Yo all have a good time come this weekend,ride safe,ride hard, stash the kids at Mom's, take your Girl out to the blues bar and go Dancing. John