My greying Ipe deck is making me go grey too!

14 years ago

I've had my Ipe deck for about 5 years now and have been through a lot with trying to keep it stained so that I can appreciate the beautiful grain. I've been using TWP 116 and really like the color. The first time I finished the deck, I stook back in awe at the beauty of a finished Ipe deck. However, there are a few things that make me want to just throw in the towel and let the whole thing go grey:

- Half of my deck gets a lot of sun and the other half is almost always in the shade. The sunny half fades quickly and starts to turn grey while the shady half keeps the beautiful color. When I reapply TWP, the greyer areas don't take up the stain as well and the shady areas just keep getting darker. Frustrating! The only way to get the whole deck the same color is to sand and start over.

- I noticed that the areas that have several coats of TWP have a beautiful color. However, the finish scratches very easily. I have teak furniture and simply sliding a chair out from the table can result in several thick scratches. I've even glued felt pads to the bottom of the furniture which seems to help but it is still a problem.

- It seems like having to restain is always on my "to do" list. The sunny part of the deck starts to fade pretty quickly and it seems like I'm always planning for the next weather window that will allow me to remove all of the furniture, wash the deck, let it dry for a day or two, refinish, then allow several days for drying. The finish is especially prone to scratching before it is completely cured.

Anyhow, I am starting to warm up to the simpler idea of just letting the entire deck weather to an elegant silver-grey patina (just like my hair!). No more prepping, washing, sanding, masking, shelling out bucks for stain or worrying about scratches.

I'm curious about how others who have installed ipe decks within the past few years after falling in love with the beautiful rich woodgrain are feeling about this topic.

This is your chance to vent...or provide counseling to me!

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Comments (5)

pete9721
14 years ago
You won't like the grey, there is nothing beautiful about it. It will just look old and uncared for. I am suffering through this too!
john_hyatt
14 years ago
Man thats just part of the deal. No matter what kind of decking you put down the area under cover is going to react differently than the area in full Sun. Has nothing to do with ipe. In fact if you let the whole thing go silver it would still have major color diferance.

Get over it Dude. And dont drag the chairs Lift them.

Depending on how the decking is run it might be possible to finish the covered decking diferentley than the exposed area but in any case just work with it not against it. JonMon
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rbfactor
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for the posts Pete and John. Pete, what did you decide to do? I just finished sanding back to original color and am on the fence...

Has anyone successfully used multiple coats of TWP? Does anyone have pics to share?
dc_pilgrim
14 years ago
If you let it go grey will sanding and sealing restore the color? Just thinking out loud, I could live with it fading, but would likely want the deck to show a nice rich color when I sell the house. Also same result for Garapa?
bobbi4444
last year
last modified: last year
I'm completely on fence. My deck is a main feature of house. After 10 years of mostly deferred maintenance, it's been pressure washed and sanded lightly and wow it is gorgeous. Muted grey, tan, blonde boards. I think is has an elegance. I have flipped a few board and tried sampling some stains - from Red Mahogany, to clear and even the clear really darkens it and it seem to lose the elegance. I would hate to get a mosaic of colors that aren't blending in the zone. Too bold would not fit with my 96 year old bungalow. Patina rules. Sure wish I could find a finish that would add mildew and uv protection without changing the patina color. Clear twp is just as dark as Penofin, ipe Brazilian oil stain or the rMesmers red mahogany. I don't get it. I think the scratch marks will be more visible if you have a stain because it will drag below the very surficial stain. Not much really penetrates deeply so you'd have lighter wood revealed in the scratch..

My greying Ipe deck is making me go grey too!

Comments (5)

pete9721

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My greying Ipe deck is making me go grey too!

Comments (5)

pete9721

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