Ipe trees are several species of Tabebuia that come from tropical american forests from Central and South America. Brazil has a lot of forest and therefore a lot of trees. The decking material starts to be made when someone puts a chain saw to a tree and cuts it down. Since the trees normally are up to 150 feet high and many times over 3 feet in diameter they make a real crash when they hit the ground. They are then pulled out to a clearing and moved to a sawmill and made into lumber. In a forest with a good concentration of ipe you will find maybe 2 trees per acre. So, you need a lot of forest to produce a decent amount of deck. It is not that no one cares nor that there is no control. Things could be better. But, with proper forest management and harvesting there will be ipe lumber for a long time. There is law in Brazil and it is actually being more effectively enforced and the law controls forest harvesting for all tropical wood trees. Proper management actually preserves the forest, but predatory practices convert the forest into soy bean farms that produce cattle feed for feedlot beef in the USA and Europe. So, when one buys beef they are actually contributing more to the elmination of ipe lumber than buying deck. dk

I love this thread. Thanks for the list, Linda. I really should have read the whole thread carefully, and then I would have known, but I was in a hurry. POF? I'm ROFL! I guess I have a PIG--horrible pieces I cut out for a Stack n whack and found that that particular material won't look good in that pattern--but it's not in a bag. In fact, I don't know where I put it. Then there is my fish batik Slideshow quilt--still a M2M ("mean to make"). I have all the material for it, but have gotten sidetracked. A stack n whack I started with a material that does look good has been a UFO for some time, but now I have bought the material I wanted for the background and it will be a WIP again in a few days. And, of course, a Sylvia's Bridal Sampler, a WIP that is probably going to be around as such for a loooong time!

+++++ Here's an unformatted quickie preview for Mama Goose +++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Welcome! If you are new to Houzz's Kitchens Forum (formerly, GardenWeb's Kitchens Forum), you may find the following information and links to various topics helpful as you begin your Kitchen journey. These topics will help you navigate the world of kitchen remodeling and, in the process, introduce you to ideas that you may not have thought of or seriously considered. We begin by helping you come up with a "Mission Statement" or "Goal" for your future kitchen and continue through the planning, implementation, and, finally, the unveiling of your final kitchen and the enjoyment of working in a kitchen that YOU helped come to pass! In addition, there are a set of threads that form the Kitchen Design FAQs that will be useful for understanding kitchen design as well as asking for help. Read these threads to get not only an idea of the best practice design principles/guidelines, but also to understand the comments you will receive when you post your layout for comments. When you have a preliminary layout, post it here for critiquing. If you have no layout and don't know where to start, that's OK! We can help you start. Simply post a blank slate of the space. Whether a new build or a remodel, read the "Layout Help" FAQ thread (see below) - it discusses what information we need to help you get the best layout for you, your family, and your space. One very important note before we begin… When asking questions (e.g., asking for layout help), please keep in mind that everyone here is trying to help, not criticize maliciously. Some of us can be blunt, but no one is out to deliberately insult or hurt anyone. When your kitchen is done, we want you to have a kitchen that functions wonderfully well and looks nice overall -- but the process will take time and may entail comments that many times you won't want to hear (e.g., when a layout is dysfunctional). We strongly recommend you "keep listening" to what others have to say but, in the end, you don't have to take any advice given here. It's your kitchen and you are the one who will make the final decisions! . Again, welcome and good luck! The journey is wild, sometimes bumpy, but fun and very rewarding in the end! FAQ TOPICS (select the topic URL to navigate to the FAQ) 1. Defining Your Goal for Your Remodel 2. Asking for Layout Help…Please read this thread before posting your layout for help. This thread describes what we need to effectively help you with your layout. Without this information, people will only be able to give you general information and/or guesses as to what might work for you. Read the Layout Help thread and provide the requested information when asking for help (e.g., fully measured layout of the space, sketch of the entire floor, constraints, etc.). https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5500789/faq-how-do-i-ask-for-layout-help-what-information-should-i-include 3. Humorous discussion of workflow and other layout topics (a.k.a., the "Ice.Water.Stone.Fire" thread): https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2699918/looking-for-layout-help-memorize-this-first 4. Kitchen Design Guidelines/Best Practices…These threads discuss recommended guidelines and best practices for a functional Kitchen design: https://www.houzz.com/... 5. Design Considerations…This thread discusses and illustrates several considerations needed when designing Kitchen components. E.g., why refrigerators need space between them and deep walls, why two seats cannot share the same leg/overhang space on an island with corner seating, etc.: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/4306236/kitchen-design-layout-considerations 6. IKEA Hacks: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/4306128/ikea-hacks-compilation-of-ikea-hacks 7. Stone Information…These threads discuss selecting a stone material, installing it, and maintaining it: https://www.houzz.com/... 8. Preparing for and Surviving Your Remodel, including a Temporary Kitchen: https://www.houzz.com/... 9. Miscellaneous Other Items: https://www.houzz.com/... 10. Using the Kitchens Forum (searching, navigating, quirks, etc.): https://www.houzz.com/... 11. Known Issues with Houzz (e.g., limitations when using a phone): https://www.houzz.com/... 12. Acronyms: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/faq-thread-acronyms-abbreviations-and-definitions-dsvw-vd~5364389 As you review the above threads, please check to see if there are more than 50 comments/posts on the thread. If there are, you will need to repeatedly select the "See xxx more comments" link to see the entire thread. [To see the number of comments, look at the "Comments (xxx)" text below the sharing links. The "See xx more comments" link is below the comment #s and just above the responding comments.] <<picture of "See xx more comments">> One final note: Please do not post questions on this or any of the FAQ threads listed in this thread. If you have questions, search the Forum (see "Using the Kitchens Form" topic above). If you cannot find an answer to your question or you think the answers are outdated, then start a NEW thread of your own - do not hijack someone else's thread or post to an FAQ

All my other threads have now mysteriously re-appeared (i.e., I suspect the Houzz bug has been fixed). Let's use the first one I created and let this thread slowly fade away. Here's the one to go to: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5972404/new-to-kitchens-read-me-first-2020-interim#n=1