I saw a house this past weekend that used ceramic plank siding instead of "real" wood. It actually looked decent!

My house is cedar - but I bleached / weathered it. There is no way I'd try to maintain that nice warm color - I would say its fairly impossible in my climate.

Down here in FL, they do the ceramic plank like Janni mentioned and from a short distance it's hard to tell it's not the real thing.

I am a fan of wood look tile but probably not the best for this situation. The wall I want to use it on is the back of my rooftop deck. I live in a part of LA that can easily get over 100 degrees in the summer. I'm afraid having an entire ceramic wall is going to reflect and radiate heat making it even hotter for occupants of the deck, plus I think the porcelain might get very hot to the touch. Maybe hot enough to be a burn hazard or at least give you a good jolt if you brush up against it.

I don't think either of these things would be in issue with wood.

yeah - but if the sun beats on it - it's going to fade. And then you are looking at a weathered / faded look...

Do you have experience with ipe?

I am certain that it can look the same after many years as it does on day one. I'm just trying to get a sense of what it takes to maintain its beauty. Does it have to be sanded? Oiled? Stained? How often? And is it something that is DIY for someone without a lot of skill in this area or should a professional be called upon because it is easy to screw it up?

I don't have ipe - I have seen it weather though, and if it's anything like teak, it's a royal PITA to keep that deep rich color. Because the wood is so dense, it will only absorb a small amount each time, so if you let it start to go grey (and it will) it takes multiple coats and light sanding to get it back.

I have seen ipe used on homes in the most inconvenient places to maintain. So, in addition to its low-maintenance reputation, that led me to believe it really didn't need much attention.

Can anyone comment on my concerns with respect to using porcelain tile on this wall? Are my concerns about heat justified or am I worried about nothing?

I would go to a store, buy a wood look tile and put it out where the sun shines on it and then test it. I think you may be worrying about nothing, but I'm not an expert.

Duh. So obvious! LOL

I will do that, I have a tone of spare tiles that I can use to see if it gets too hot. Heck, I'll even put some on the floor where it will get even more direct sun.

LP smartside siding has replaced everything for me. Very modern product.

OK, you've got my attention with the LP Smartside. However, their website is a mess. Can you share your thoughts with respect to maintenance and upkeep? They don't say anything about this on the website. What's it take to make that rich, vibrant color last?

On second thought, I found their downloadable brochure and I'm not sure I'm impressed by the style. By "very modern" I assume you're talking about the manufacturing process rather than the style. I actually did not see a single modern style home in their 40+ page brochure. Confirmed by a Google image search which didn't have any modern style homes either.

Nothing clear will hold up. Heat and polymer wont last. Even semi solid finishes are dubious. Sanding and UV modified varnish is about the best I know of, IPE is stabilized, but its basically just dense as all get out, so it gets hot as hades also. It would be nice to cut and go, but later its ratty. And yes, for a wood like product smartside is modern, but it would need a paint finish.

If it is a small area, perhaps some exotic wood might be better.

For Paint? Polyurethane modified Acrylic paint with all the goodies mixed in. UV control is big, Mildewcide etc. Basically buy the best from a major paint store. Just remember they still have some even better that can be ordered only from the factory. My house paint is amazing..20 years now. And it was 40 bucks a gallon then. Soo much labor saved. Had a tree smash 7 years ago. New paint matched the old paint. Could not be happier. This was a Pittsburg paint. The siding is highly designed, borate infused, Pressed and stressed so it has a fastener schedule. Surprisingly repellent of water, more than the cement board I used. It needs a good paint, comes primed, but prime the cut spots and have at it.

I'm looking for the unpainted wood look similar to the photo I posted at the start of the thread. But thank you for the information!

Have you considered James Hardie Artisan V-Rustic or any of the Boral Truexterior tongue and groove sidings? They have to be painted, though, so you won't get the beautiful natural color of Ipe, but they do look like wood and are low maintenance.

High quality paint, as suggested by earlier posters, with faux graining applied by someone skilled in the art.

How about a rust colors large format tile like Stone Peak? it's MEANT for exteriors, and while not wood, it's stunning and no maintenance. Also not heavy.

http://www.stonepeakceramics.com/plane.php

Consider Copper Plane?

Or Neolith in their new "Timber" collection?

https://www.neolith.com/en/collections

Been used in Europe on the exterior for years.

Or - the best selection I have seen, rated for outdoors, Porcelanosa

http://www.porcelanosa-usa.com/products/tile/parker-porcelain-wood-look-tile.html

i just used longboard aluminum siding on my modern home. everyone has been thinking its real wood.

^^^ Brilliant! (and gorgeous!)

I always marvel at the resourcefulness of the GWers in "building a better mousetrap"