msgulfcoast,
I don't have the answer, but
for what its worth. Composites come in T&G as well.
Did you have a particular wood in mind?

-jasper

Not really.....My contractor asked us yesterday if we wanted to change from wood T&G to a composite decking. He had installed a wooden deck and it ended up buckeling and warping. The only composite I've seen is a TREX and it looked like plastic. That is not what I want. I think that if the wood is installed properly it should be fine. Any thoughts.

I'm in south Louisiana. We made the mistake of using pressure treated pine T&G on a workshop porch floor. First we had a problem with cupping. It was somewhat corrected, but the joints also expanded and now dirt collects in the grooves. Should have used decking boards. If your porch isn't going to be screened that's what I would suggest using.

I'll post pics later if you'd like to see what I'm talking about. We're struggling now with what to use on a soon to be built screened porch floor. I don't want a composite for the reason you mentioned.

a T&G Ipe porch should be as stable as a rock.----- George

George, that's what we were hoping to do on the new screened porch, but like I posted on another thread not sure if that's going to be the answer.

Have a contractor who wants to charge $2,500 (labor/bits/blades) for an 11x24 screened porch floor using T&G. That's almost as much as the IPE would cost. And then there's the learning curve. None of his people are familiar with the wood. Beginning to second guess this choice.

John, you're saying that's a good price just for the labor? He's quoting an additional $2,800 for the IPE. If we went pressure treated total would only be $1,800. Why such a huge difference in price???

If you want quality oats you have to pay a quality price,
Butttttt if you dont mind oats that have been thru the horse one time Lets Make A Deal!!

Its a total different install Nat.

Because IPE, pronounced "ee-pay", comes all the way from Brazil, the Amazonian rain forest to be specific.

That labor seems way too cheap, maybe the contractor's coming from Brazil also!

I have met a few Folks from Brazil in the Trade,and I have one Bud over here the Don Mon living and doing some very nice work in Brazil.

You might want to paddle hard up stream for a while on that one srercrcr who ever you are,and what ever you do. J

Hmm I'm sure IPE is nice but if it's rainforest wood, I wouldn't recommend it from an ethical point of view. if it could be gotten as a guaranteed plantation wood, then go for it.

Ya Know pj, I dont usually get invloved in a Bul3&*t comment like that but here I go, dont even give me that ethical point of view S*&t as if you have ethical high ground.

The problem in S America is not the loggers its the slash burners if you have a way to stop that in an ethical way I would like to support it.

Say you build a project out of ipe,it lasts for 60 years and this is on the short side, the same project is construsted out of preasure treated pine and lasts 3 years. Select the one that is good for the Earth. As a given the pt project done in a pro manor will not rot and bugs dont eat it but it splits, cracks,warps and generaly is replaced because it is a safty hazard and looks so bad.

There is no guaranteed plantation ipe,more work is being done and I hope it is done well,but right now if the man out there needs a Log to get the contract paid he is going to get that Log. J