Mike,
I always use knotty cedar with an Ipe cap for my railings. I like the look.

steve

Hi Steve,

thanks for your reply, what do you think about the acclimating issue?

Thanks,
Mike

I never have time for acclimatizing my Ipe, but if I did, I'd sticker it and keep it uncovered in the shade. If you stack it under a tarp, how is that acclimating the wood? you need to duplicate the same environment that it will exist in.

steve

John agrees with Steve, tarping the ipe is not going to get it x 10 with no stickers. In a perfect world a person would sticker stack the ipe and run a big fan thru the stack in like a garage uncovered but protected from the sun.
I almost never do that either, its a money/time thing the Wallet wont go for it most of the time.

I dont agree with using cedar/redwood for the rail detail on an ipe deck for a lot of reasons.
John

Hi John,

Why not cedar/redwood? What do you use?

Thanks,
Mike

Cedar and Redwood are short lived compaired with ipe. A Cedar post blocked in to the frame is prone to mold.Redwood now days is second growth with a mix of sap wood allowed in the grade, sapwood is the part of the tree close to the outside the yellow color,this material in redwood will not resist decay any more than hemlock or white fir.

Ipe 2x2 balusters/5/4 cap rail goes just as fast for me as using cedar, or course I charge a lot more for it. Latley I have been using a lot of the black allum pipe for balusters good place to get them>>> deckrailsolutions .com

Cedar will show signs of decay in as little as 7-8 years. Trapped water( i.e butt joints)won't dry out and need to be caulked before they ever allow moisture in. Cedar- never again. Go the distance- ease his pain.

No doubt that Ipe railings will outlast cedar. I would always use Ipe, if my clients would pay for it. I've only built 1 ipe railing, and it was beautiful. It was alot more work than a cedar version. If I was building my own deck, I would go Ipe. Buy the best, and only cry once.

steve

Little trick from the John Mon>>> use 4x4 acq pt posts boxed in the frame, build post wraps out of 3/4 ipe 1x6, slide them over the the acq posts, bang bang!!! ipe posts at a little less costs than solid 4x4 ipe and a lot fasterSecond end of the year free trick from the John Mon>>> this will require a pin nailer that can fasten to ipe, that is I build the wraps in one unit. Senco makes such a nailer and Cadextools.com makes the same oneA big bent elbow with the Tecate to all the supper fine deck builders I have met over here and all the folks I have been mabey a little help to over the years.

In Fact add a shot of Joe Crow to that!! To the tost\\ dont use t-junk,composite is a basic suck deal,ipe from the George at East Teak rules,water runs down hill and payday is on friday!!
YouAll have a good season. J

One little corection,its Makita that makes that pinner not Senco. John

We haven't rebuilt our deck yet but we're looking at "deckorators" railing (or close) when we do.

Hi All,

I'm suring deckorators GLASS balusters on my IPE deck:

http://www.pbase.com/lonewolf69/image/70962178.jpg

Deck was finished mid November 2006.

-Alex

Sorry Folks,

Here is the image right here:

-Alex

Alex,that is one super fine project! J

My house is 17 years old. The decking was replaced with ipe 4 years ago. The railing is the original redwood. I expect it will wear out before the ipe. The redwood is a very good grade all heart clear. Its possible that this grade today would cost as much as ipe. Both deck and railing have TWP200 - you can see at the corner where I haven't finished the railing. I think that the railing will last as long again as its already gone - provided I keep up yearly treatment on at least the horizontal surfaces.
Three issues - cost, looks and durability. Good luck in making a choice.chuckR

Here is a link that might be useful: